KYQ4: Meall Ghaordaidh Reprise

Looking west from the summit

Thursday, 20 April 2023

Ascent: 909 metres
Distance: 11 kilometres
Time: 2 hours 52 minutes

Meall Ghaordaidh 1039m 1hr 52mins

At last a few days of clear skies tempt me into the hills. It was now two weeks since I contracted COVID and a week since I tested negative. I had felt a lack of energy, a cold had persisted and my appetite was not yet restored. A walk up Ben Gullipen the previous morning had convinced me that I had recovered enough to attempt a Munro and the conditions were calling me to return to the hills. I left home at 8am for the short journey to Killin and then the 5 miles along the Glen Lochay road to the start of the path to Meall Ghaordaidh at Duncroisk. I parked at Torr Bhharus where there is parking space for about 4 vehicles.

A path runs alongside the Allt Dhuinn Croisg through the lower fields of sheep. It eases you into the walk with an obvious track leading to a gate with an adjoining stile, It was bright with little wind and cool enough to enjoy the early morning joy of walking. Just before reaching the Shielings, a cairn marks the start of a well-worn path that climbs steeply over grassy ground that was still boggy despite several days of dry weather.

The section from 300 metres to 750 metres teases you with a long convex slope that refuses to reveal the summit. The compensation was the skylarks hovering above me like drones and providing authentic melodic tweets. Love was in the air. The views to the south were embellished as Stob Binnein and Ben More, decorated with the remnants of last week's snow, became visible above the Breadalbane Hills, There is a kilometre of steady incline above 700 metres. I stopped to put on a fleece jacket as the easterly wind strengthened with altitude and became quite chilling. The final couple of hundred metres of climbing is steeper, through some rock bands, I kept a reasonable pace to the summit, which eventually reveals itself as a large circular shelter with a trig point lodged in the middle.

I have fond memories of the hill and I now realised why, the views are spectacular in all directions and on a day like today make the summit a place to savour. I found a seat outside the shelter facing west to admire the best views, it also protected me from the strong wind coming from the east. I had not brought much food, just an orange and an oat bar so had time for reflection. The dam at the end of Loch Lyon was the dominant view with Ben Nevis and the Mamores in the far distance. The Glen Lochay Munros of Beinn Challum, Creag Mhor and Beinn Sheargarnaich provided the foreground and Ben Lui was prominent with its twin peak. I stayed for 15 minutes at the summit, it is rare to be gifted such a day.

The start of the descent was into a strong wind and my eyes were watering as I negotiated the steeper rocky path below the summit. Once clear of these I began to run to rebuild my quads and for the pleasure of still being able to do so. The descent was achieved in half the time of the ascent despite stopping twice to talk to two pairs of walkers. I stopped at the Shielings and briefly contemplated adding the shapely hill to the east until I figured out that it was a Corbett I had climbed after visiting the Tarmachan thirty years ago.

It was just after noon when I reached the car, I was pleased with the time of less than 3 hours. I had estimated the walk to take three and a half hours and only when I arrived home did I realise that I had already climbed Meall Ghaordaidh in 2019 after completing the fifth round. I had wrongly assumed it was a couple of years earlier. This would never have happened when I was Munro bashing, every walk was planned to complete the round, and repeat excursions were not a good use of limited time. It matters not, it was a fine morning out and my obsession with lists is on the wane.