KYQ4: Beinn Mhanach

Saturday 27 May 2023

Beinn Mhanach

Viaduct and Beinn Mhanach

Friday, 26 May 2023

Ascent: 808 metres
Distance: 21 kilometres
Time: 5 hours 4 minutes

Beinn Mhanach 952m 2hrs 49mins

After the longest walk of the year yesterday, John and I decided to tackle Beinn Mhanach, not one of my favourite Munros but on John's to-do-list for his fourth round. The narrow sliver of parking space at Auch along the A82 is no more accommodating than it was in 1990 when I first climbed this hill. On that occasion the walk took in the four other Munros from Beinn a' Chreachain to Beinn Dorain. Today was supposed to be easy but still required 8 kilometres of walking along the Allt Kinglass before facing the formidably steep 600 metre climb on the grassy slopes of Beinn Mhanach. It was my wedding anniversary and this year it would have been 44 years. The walk gave me time to reflect on our happy years. I also realised that in the 1990s the anniversary had coincided with the walking week when John and I would climb 20 or more Munros when our lungs and legs were in better fettle.

It was a hard slog in humid conditions with not even a breeze. A faint path eased its way through the steep slopes. The final hundred metres was a gentler gradient but the concave slope made it seem never ending. It led to a barren featureless summit hosting a pile of rocks that vaguely resembled a cairn. The views were good but the upturned saucer meant the hills were not seen to best effect. The forecast had been for overcast conditions but we were regaled with patches of blue sky. Having decided that the adjacent top of Beinn Chuirn would add no advantage to the day, we retraced our steps to the track, my quads were burning with braking on the steep slopes.

The 8 kilometre walk out was easy going involving about six crossings of the burn. What was surprising was the scale of major construction taking place at Auch on the land before the railway viaduct. New bridges, barns, and fencing, extensive work on the river beds, electricity and broadband cables being trenched by a panoply of earth moving equipment and established contractors. I had assumed it was being driven by some hydro investments but we were told it was the estate that was responsible for an investment that was obviously running into £millions. We presumed the estate must have been bought by a hedge fund or a company the had grand designs for some tourism venture.

We reached the car on the parking strip and were swayed by the passing commercial traffic before we dumped ou sacks, swung the wing mirror out and joined the throng of traffic on the A82. It was obviously the start of a bank holiday weekend and a good reason to escape the overcrowded highlands.