KYQ4: Loch Lochy Munros

Meall na Teanga

Wednesday, 16 September 2024

Ascent: 1211 metres
Distance: 22 kilometres
Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

Meall na Teanga 917m 2hrs 31mins
Sron a' Choire Garbh 935m 3hrs 46mins

September has been kind and we have been gifted a second spell of good weather. I set off for my brother's house near Strome Ferry to help a recent acquaintance complete some Munros nearby. I left home at 9am with the intendion to pick up a couple of Munros en route. My initial plan had been to climb the two Munros on Buchaille Etive Beag but I was trapped in a road works convoy and missed the turn off to the parking place so continued to Fort William. The journey was at a snail's pace in a long train behind a couple of hired camper vans to Fort William, they are the road equivalent of shunting locomotives. I stopped at a garage in Fort William after the warning light for a flat tyre started flashing thinking I would possibly need a new tyre but it had only lost a few pounds of pressure so I re-inflated the tyre and took the risk that it was drivable and would hopefully last the trip.

I called into M&S to replace some items I had forgotten in my haste to pack and to buy a sandwich for lunch. I decided to climb the two Munros west of Loch Lochy and by happenstance discovered that by parking at the Laggan Locks I could cross the Caledonian Canal by bike. I had the bike with me for a couple of long walks we had planned over the next couple of days so thought it would save time in the approach to the two Loch Lochy Munros along the forest track. It was already 1pm and it is always longer than you think to climb these hills. The cycle from the Laggan Locks added a kilometre to the distance from the usual parking place at Kilfinan but the bike would save me about 20 minutes of walking on the ascent and even more time on the way back.

The day was absolutely perfect apart from the keds and midges that were out in swarms. I dumped the bike where the path through the forestry plantation begins and ascended 500 metres up to Cam Bhealach. I met three folk returning from their walks. One was the owner of the excellent bunk house at Invergarry where I had stayed at Mary's Munro Compleation gathering. He also owned the adjacent land that was a campsite when as a 13-year-old on my first camping holiday to Scotland I had caught grasshoppers for my father who used them as bait to catch trout in the river. For two days we dined on trout rather than the usual drab fayre of tins of Hunter's pork sausages and beans. The owner also explained the details of the proposals for the damming of Coire Glas for a massive hydro pump storage scheme. It would take 6 years to build involving massive engineering works and disruption to the local community. There was to be a community meeting with SSE about the project this evening. He bade me good luck as he thought I was a bit late to be climbing the two Munros. This made me think that I should only do one.

A couple of kilometres higher on the path I was passed by a couple of hill runners. They aroused my usual mixed feelings of no longer having the lungs to keep up with them but thoroughly pleased that they could engage in this lung-bursting but life-affirming activity. I reached the bealach and chatted to the woman who was enjoying the mid-afternoon sun sitting on a rock, her partner had charged up the slopes to Sron a' Choire Garbh training for some hill races. I took the muddy steep path to Meall na Teanga, it is the harder of the two Munros and I did not think I would have time for both. I kept going at a steady pace, flipping the keds off my arms and face. The outstanding visibility more than compensated for keds.

Meall na Teanga is a wonderful viewpoint, even more so on a day such as this, Ben Nevis imposed its authority to the south and the sweep of the Knoydart and Glen Shiel mountains of the west and north were like sawteeth against the azure sky. My acquaintance, Anna, was climbing three Munros from Glendessary, including Sgurr na Ciche. It would be a hard day's night despite her intention to make a 7am start from Loch Arkaig. The views over Corrie Glas confirmed that several construction activities were taking place. Apparently, they have drilled into the mountain for a kilometre to check the geological structures and there are massive heaps of the extracted rock on spoil heaps running down to Loch Lochy.

I made a speedy return to the bealach as I deliberated whether to attempt Sron a'Choire Garbh. I realised I would not be back to the car until 6:30pm at the earliest and then I had an hour and a half drive to get to the house. I guessed that the earliest Anna could make it to the house would be about 8:30pm. I decided to give it a go, a good stalker's path zig-zags up the hill and unlike Meall na Teanga there would be no steep boggy slopes to climb. The problem was that I was slowing in the much-appreciated but energy-sapping heat. All the other walkers were off the hill, the only company was a large herd of deer grazing near the summit. It was a sparkling evening, the best time to be on the summits as Anna would inform me during the days ahead. The views over Corrie Glas were more direct than from Meall na Teanga and I had been told by the owner of the bothy to take a good look, as these views wouldn't be there for future generations.

I charged down the 6 kilometres back to where I had dumped the bike. After a kilometre of uphill pedalling, it was a speedy descent to the Laggan Locks and over the canal. I changed my footwear before continuing the journey and arrived at the house by 8:15pm. I unloaded the food and equipment, made the beds and had a sandwich whilst waiting to hear from my new friend. She phoned me at 9:00pm to say that she was on the way. It was almost 11pm before Anna arrived having had to cope with a road closure on the tortuous Loch Arkaig road. We unloaded her car, had a simple meal and became acquainted as we made plans for the next day. We decided on Sgorr Ruadh from Achnashellach, one of Anna's remaining 12 Munros and one of my favourite walks.