KYQ4: Tarmachan the Tenth

Mam nan Tarmachan from the return track

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

Ascent: 870 metres
Distance: 11 kilometres
Time: 4 hours 18 minutes

Meall nan Tarmachan, south top 923m 1hr 8mins

Meall nan Tarmachan 1044m 1hr 36mins
Meall Garbh 1026m 2hrs 5mins
Beinn nan Eachan 1000m 2hrs 42mins

The weather patterns have been unusual over the last few days, overnight frosts and cold northerly winds but sparkling clear mornings before cloud cover in the afternoons. I had planned to take a long walk on the Munros near Crianlarich but on checking the weather prospects looked less enticing, cloud was expected by 10:00am. I decided instead to head for the Tarmachan, just 4 miles across the border of the Council area. I tried to remember all the times I had climbed this hill since my first venture here in December 1973 on a cold day with high winds and snow. What I most remember was a severe chilling in outdoor clothing that was bulky and lacked the insulation of today's equipment. A stiff rustling red cagoule from Nevis Sport, some leaky, leather boots that guaranteed blisters and a pair of corduroy breeches. I made a couple more visits in the 70s and 80s before I started climbing the Munros seriously and then made two visits during my fourth round. Today would be my tenth visit, which is probably more than any other Munro other than Ben Lomond.

The roads were still quiet as we approach the big escape from lockdown at the end of the week. I was walking before 9:00am from the higher car park at the start of the path to the summit. There were some icy sections on the path and a mountain bike with extra-wide tyres had left deep tracks that had been frozen into the ground. The cold air took my breath away and slowed me down but I reached the south top after an hour, took some photos and then dawdled up to the summit across a couple of sections of residual snow. The wind had abated and I stayed for 15 minutes, looking at the map, eating and drinking before deciding to continue along the ridge. A rather noisy group of walkers with a couple of dogs were just below the summit and on days like this, solitude is preferred. I had loaded an old playlist onto the phone and it brought back memories of walks from the past.

It is a fine walk over to Meall Garbh, which is a more impressive summit than Meall nan Tarmachan. There were no difficult sections other than the patches of icy snow that were easily crossed with the help of my walking pole. The descent was a different matter, the rock band that provides a steep climb down was encased in ice and I spent 10 minutes inching my way down to avoid any slips. There was no sign of anyone else making the trip along the ridge, the parties that had reached the summit of Meall nan Tarmachan had returned down by the direct route. The climb along the undulating ridge to Beinn nan Eachan was an enjoyable canter and I was there by 11:30am.

I spent some time at the top, eventually, a father and son arrived from the west and we chatted for a while about the chance to get out walking again and the curious way in which the Scottish Government had restricted hill walking, even when sports like golf, fishing and other less socially distanced activities had been allowed.

I had decided against continuing to the final top and returned to the bealach before Meall Garbh where I found a good route down. I was able to run most of the way to the track that leads to an old quarry at 650 metres. From there it is about 5 kilometres along the track to the road and in the spring sunshine, it felt that we had entered a new era where the restrictions of the past 12 months were finally going to be lifted. There were few other cars about at the end of the walk, the roads were quiet and Killin looked like a ghost village despite the sunshine.