Loch Treig and Loch Ossian: Carn Dearg (98), Geal-charn (26), Aonach Beag (37) and Beinn Eibhinn (48)

Walk date: 8/7/14

My Munro #'s: 247, 248, 249 and 250

Pronunciations - translations - heights:
Caarn jerrack - red hill - 1034m
Gyal chaarn - white hill - 1132m
Oenach byek - small ridge - 1114m
Byn ayveen - delightful hill - 1100m

Statistics:
Duration - 08:20 - 17:20

Distance -  approx 25 km
Total ascent -  1093m
Weather - Grand.  Almost no wind all day.  No real sunny spells but mild throughout, just a few spots of rain but nothing to worry about.
Team - with Paul P

Other hikers: none




















Day 4 - Tuesday

And now, time for the hike that inspired this year's choice of accommodation; the impressively remote string of four munros on the north side of the Ben Alder group.  After abandoning even the idea of it on year's week of snow, it was indescribably wonderful to start hiking from our own flat toward some of the least frequented Munros in the land.

The route meant we would stay low until the furthest point, and then return along the peaks, the opposite of our strenuous Loch Mullordoch approach in Glen Cannich, however this was very different with a good 'low' path.  This track took us past hydro plant work, and we had to avoid hard-working JCB diggers on the way.  This track also gained a lot of height before we lost it, only to have to get it back along long grassy slopes.

There was no marker to leave the well-made path that we were on, but as Culra bothy got closer, and we started to round Carn Dearg, we had to make a move, and so just randomly left the confines of the path and made a bee-line for the bealach between Dearg and Charn.  

Progress was surprisingly good along spongy grass slopes.  As we crossed a small river for a short while there even looked like there was a path, but it soon disappeared.   The incline increased slightly and we were on the broad back of one of the most remote Munros there is.  A short push and we were at its summit, looking proudly down on Culra, and wondering if we would have even made it this far if we'd have pushed ahead with the bothy-stay plan in last year's snow.

After some snacking we were off toward Geal-charn and the contour-packing east ridge, which had had me quite worried as I'd studied the map at home, but which in actual fact was a steep but very safe ascent.  However, the impressive amount of snow that remained in July made me glad we'd never made a winter visit!

After the impressive ridge, there is an unexpected wide summit plain, and it merely takes a leisurely stroll along bouncy grass to make it to the summit cairn.  From there Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn were very straightforward; indeed I was taken aback by how easy the walking became, although I also accepted that this was largely down to the weather and total lack of wind, and I also found myself imagining how unpleasant they would be with a storm raging, given their height and general exposure.

The two downsides to the day thereafter became apparent.  The first was when we attempted to rest for food on Beinn  Eibhinn and discovered that even at height, no wind and warmth meant masses of midges!  The second was that, despite much less pain without the insoles in my boots, the descents still caused me many problems and it slowed things up greatly.  Nevermind, it had been a wonderful day, and returning to our very own flat at the end of the walk meant that the homebrew was quickly poured and we were correspondingly refreshed!!

Looking up at the north side of Ben Alder from the track:

Almost up on Carn Dearg:

Approaching the ascent onto Geal-charn:

Approaching the summit of Geal-charn:

Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn ahead:

Approaching the summit of Aonach Beag:

Aonach Beag summit, just Beinn Eibhinn to go:

Looking back up from the descent:

Views down to Ossian on the descent:

Loch Treig and Loch Ossian: Carn Dearg (231) and Sgor Gaibhre (208)

Walk date: 15/4/13

My Munro #'s: 237 and 238

Pronunciations - translations - heights:
Kaarn jarrack - red hill - 941m
Skor gyra - goat's peak - 955m
Statistics:
Duration - 09:45 - 16:45

Distance -  27.3 km
Total ascent -  1312m
Weather - very mixed.  Dry throughout but never settling on wind, sun, or cloud...
Team - with Paul P

Other hikers: none

After the severe weather of the previous days, it was a relief to have one vaguely forecast to be acceptable.  However, the predicted 60 mph winds meant that we did change the route from a circular ridge walk to one going straight up the glen and then jutting out to each peak, a 'T' if you will!

After a lengthy drive from Pitlochry on exceptionally windy roads, we pitched up near the extremely remote Rannoch Station and started off up the good Landrover track.  This was only slightly delayed by a river crossing slightly too wide and deep to stride through, fortunately the next, bigger, one had a bridge!

To take the glen route, as the turn at a small forest is reached, leave the good path and take the thin trail alongside the Allt Eigheach, this improves as it goes along and it soon meets a deerstalker's track and so widens a little although it was rather wet on this day.

As height was slowly gained we started to enter the snow fields, patchy at first, but then more constant, with plenty of melt-water streams underneath ready to catch you out (up to my knee in one on the way up!).

Making a line up the bank of Carn Dearg, we eventually kicked our way up onto the crest, and were met by the forecast blustery winds, but fortunately also the expected incomparable views across the bleak wilderness of Rannoch Moor and Loch Ossian, over to Beinn na Lap and the imposing Ben Alder group.  We felt truly privileged to be there, but also well aware that this was wild land, and it was our responsibility to work at getting back safely!

After the summit of Carn Dearg, we almost went wrong immediately, strutting off down the northwestern spur before correcting ourselves with a compass bearing!  From there it was plain sailing down and up onto Sgor Gaibhre, simple even on snow.  Only the return down into the glen was problematic as the meltwater streams hiding under the snow were plentiful and deep.

Once back to the path the long stride out beckoned, but a lone hiker in the distance provided a quarry to keep a pace on, and we were soon enough back at the car.

Looking down the glen before the final climb:

Wild Rannoch!

Loch Ossian:

Sgor Gaibhre from Carn Dearg:

Getting closer:

Ben Alder:

Paul on Sgor Gaibhre:

And me:

Laggan and the Monadh Liath: A' Chailleach (251), Carn Sgulain (271) and Carn Dearg (225)

Walk date: 22/10/07
My Munro #'s: 136, 137 and 138

Pronunciations - translations - heights:
A kaalyach - red hill - 930m
Kaarn skoolin - the old woman - 920m
Kaarn jerrack - hill of the basket or of the old man - 945m

Statistics:
Duration - 09:15 - 16:55
Distance - 24.5 km
Total ascent - 838m
Weather - Still, but overcast in morning. Cloud came in on Carn Sgulain and stayed almost to Carn Dearg with strong cold wind and some rain. Came fine during descent.
Team - with Steve W.
Other hikers: none


A long route round, but a nice short-cut at the end:




Well, my book had certainly got this weekend's two walks the wrong way round! Yesterday's was supposed to take at least 8 hours and today's as low as 6, but the only way this latter could happen is with a pair of trainers and a lot most fitness than me and my compadré Steve W had, especially given the liberal wine and whisky at the big meal on the Saturday night! That being the case, we only set off today a little after 9am; no pre-dawn hiking today.

No matter though, the carpark was much nearer to Newtonmore and good progress was soon being made up a good wide track. A small cairn marks a subtle departure from this track leading to a crossing of Allt a' Chaorainn. It's here that the bog for which these hills are well known first becomes evident. It did impede our progress today, even given how dry it had been lately. Definitely one to avoid if it's been wet.

After the crossing, the path can become indistinct, but keep on a heading through the shielings and then past the "bothy" which in reality is a rusty shed with a table in it and not a welcoming place to spend the night! All this takes you to the main plateau and then a brief further climb of 150m or so to the summit cairn of A' Chailleach is all that's required. We heard many a randy deer on this section, but fortunately weren't challenged!


Autumn just seems to suit Munros:



A quick geology lesson from Steve, some folding rock:



Fixer-upper? That impressive bothy:



The summit of A' Chailleach:



A good corrie is found on A' Chailleach's eastern edge:



After A' Chailleach, a good path starts off north toward Carn Sgulain but soon runs out. We then dipped north-west to more gentle slopes and made a free-style route over some wide bog and onto the broad rocky back of the Munro. Interestingly we headed for the second cairn and lunched there as it appeared the uppermost, but my map places the first cairn as the higher! It's academic as we had a good stomp over both.


The 'second cairn' of Carn Sgulain:



It was whilst sat on Carn Sgulain that the thickening clouds finally dropped down and with then came some cold wind and light but stinging rain. In very low visibility then we pressed on along the path that religiously follows the fence-line marked on the map. The walking was mostly good and fast but included in each dip was a wide and challenging bog (and remember this was the dry version!). At one point a gallant attempt by myself lead me to having one leg stuck up to the knee, it taking me three attempts to pull clear!

There had been a rough plan to meet our friend Dennis on the one-time Munro Carn Ballach, however after waiting 15 minutes to no avail (and with very good visibility at that point), we pressed onward to Carn Dearg, by far the best hill of the day. Dennis, it later turned out, had turned back expecting no views due to the enclosing weather).

Carn Dearg was a welcomed relief after the day's walking thus far. Not only was the weather improving, but Carn Dearg is no gentle mound. Instead sharp characterful crags curve high over Gleann Ballach giving wonderful views and a satisfying summit to take in. This would be the only one of these three hills I would be up for repeating.


Carn Dearg from Carn Ballach:



Just simply superb views over Gleann Balloch:



The only issue regarding Carn Dearg is getting off it. The lower slopes and Gleann Lochain having no distinct route as such, although I feel we did very well on this day and would recommend our track (in red in the map).

Instead of dropping off the western side of Carn Macoul as my book suggested, Steve suggested we head east as it was certainly shorter, and then to our surprise we found a path heading off to the east in the bottom of the rut at Carn Macould's base. This soon runs out, but we headed for a square patch of grass on the opposite side of Allt Ballach, treading over Ruigh Gleann Ballach. This allowed us to cross the river easily where it was still young.

Then, instead of heading to the farmstead and following the river further, we followed what was initially a very hard to follow path which flanked the base of Glac nan Gamhna. The path firmed-up however, and indeed kept strong after a fence where the map marks it as stopping. This quickly takes you to the abandoned Glenballoch farmstead where a good bridge takes you over Allt Fionndrigh and onto an even better path that hands you the carpark on a silver-platter! A good healthy stomp that makes the end of this long day just that little bit better.


Gleann Ballach once the work had been done:



L-R, Steve, Carn Macoul and Carn Dearg:



Those randy deer making a run for it: