 |
| Beinn an Lochain from Butterbridge |
 |
| Slopes of Beinn Luibhean |
 |
| Beinn an Lochain, the final climb |
 |
| Beinn an Lochain summit |
 |
| Stob Coire Creagach summit |
 |
| Beinn Ime (in the cloud), The Cobbler and Beinn Luibhean |
 |
| Beinn an Lochain above Loch Restil |
c Beinn an Lochain 902 metres 1hr 17mins
Ascent: 710 metres
Distance: 5 kilometres
Time: 2hrs 14mins
I had intended to go for a run this morning but the overnight showers had dispersed and there was a rare clarity in the air with a pure blue sky. I changed my plans and decided to drive to Glen Kinglas to visit two Corbetts, climbs that were long overdue. All the way to Arrochar the skies were cloudless, but on driving up the Rest and Be Thankful the first cloud of the day perched itself on Beinn an Lochain like a giant cushion. My optimism told me that it would soon be burnt off although it was 11:30am when I started the walk. Crossing the burn at Easan Dubh was not easy but I was wearing an old pair of goretex trail shoes and, despite bouncing across a number of boulders below the surface of the burn, I landed with dry feet. A minute later my feet were soaking as I was treading water through the bog that takes you to the start of the rock staircase.
Across the glen, a helicopter and a large squad of construction workers were erecting safety nets to prevent further rock falls on the A83. The cloud level was down to 650 metres and it was galling to see that the Cobbler, despite being the same altitude, was free of cloud. The path is very distinct with sections of grippy schist rock alternating with short boggy sections. It levels at about 620 metres before the final two steep sections.
The summit is a slightly disappointing grassy knoll after all the splendid schist on the ascent. I walked over to the nearby top in the mist which was 5 metres lower on my altimeter. There was a cool breeze from the southwest so a quick drink and then gloves on for the descent. Although there were a lot of steep rocky sections on the descent, the footing was good. The cloud level had dropped and it began to rain. I briefly considered calling it a day but as I reached the road, the top of Binnein an Fhidhleir emerged from the cloud for the first time all day. I changed my shoes and set out for the second outing immediately.
c Binnein an Fhidhleir 817 metres 2hrs 12mins
Ascent: 650 metres
Distance: 4 kilometres
Time: 1hr 27mins
The advice on the walk highlands website had said to take the track up Glen Kinglas and then turn left through a gate and onto a path through the plantation. The main gate was locked with a notice saying that stalking was taking place in Glen Kinglas. So I used the walker's gate which was open and rejoined the track after about 40 metres. I began walking up the track looking in vain for the gate and path. After about a kilometre, my patience ran out and I climbed the deer fence and began a diabolical ascent through clumps of long grass, each step landing on either the root structure of the grass clumps, which were like islands on a sea of bog or in the bog itself. This continued for twenty minutes by which time I had climbed only 140 metres but I eventually reached and climbed over the high fence enclosing the plantation.
I made a rising traverse to the west hoping to find a path but eventually gave up and just headed upwards following the line of a swollen burn. By 550 metres I emerged on a flat ledge with a ramp to the east around the rock bands that encircled the summit of Stob Coire Creagach, the highest point of Binnein an Fhidhleir. A group of deer were grazing above me and they scattered to the other side of the long ridge. At last, the going was easy over short grass, some scree and, although steep, progress was far quicker.
The cloud which had hidden the ridge during the ascent had drifted away and, as I arrived at the summit, I had the best views of the day. Even Beinn an Lochain had nearly emerged from the cloud although Beinn Ime remained aloof from the panorama of peaks. I sat for a few minutes for an orange and a drink before a relatively quick descent. I headed straight for Butterbridge and at 300 metres found a high stile over the deer fence. It led down a boggy path and arrived by the gate up Glen Kinglas. I had missed it on the ascent by using the walker's gate instead of the locked main gate. The gate leading to the hill I should have gone through was hidden behind a parked Land Rover. It was a relief to be down. Despite the fine views this is not a hill I will be racing to repeat. The ascent probably ranks alongside climbing the south flank of Beinn Fada in 1989 as one of the most soul-destroying in Scotland and that is based on a pretty big sample of climbs.
No comments:
Post a Comment
thanks