Stuchd an Lochain

The weather forecast was for a stunning weekend (a rare thing in Scotland!), and with my knee feeling quite good, I was keen to get out and at least try to get up a decent-sized hill. I was a little restricted with time, as I was due in Glasgow for a certain 4-year-old's 4th birthday party. I scanned the map for hills that were close to Edinburgh that I hadn't yet ticked off and my eye was soon drawn to Stuchd an Lochain.

Highland Cows in the River Lyon, Glen Lyon

Highland Cows, Glen Lyon

Giorra Dam, Glen Lyon

Loch an Daimh

I left Edinburgh just after 9am but a few delays meant that I only set off from the car-park below the Loch an Daimh dam at 12:30pm. The cloud was still low and so was the temperature - although things were beginning to warm up. As I rounded the South shore, leaving the track at the cairn, small patches of blue sky were visible above me - hopefully the cloud would burn off and the afternoon would be a scorcher.

Loch an Daimh

Loch an Daimh

Heading up above Coire Ban

Looking East down Glen Lyon

The path wasn't exactly brilliant - rough, boggy, and steep - I was surprised at just how wet it was, considering how little rain there had been lately. My knee was feeling good, despite the steep incline, and I was pleased to find that my fitness hadn't seemed to suffer too much… I was at the top of the main ridge in only 30 minutes. I passed a few large groups on their way down, and I was thinking that they can't have had much of a view. For myself, however, the sky was clearing all the time and the views were becoming more stunning by the second. From the spot height of 887m, I had a great view looking down on Lochan nan Cat. My eyes were then drawn along the remainder of the ridge to my left and along to the summit in front of me.

Stuchd an Lochain summit above Loch an Daimh

Looking back towards Creag an Fheadain

Looking North towards Meall Buidhe above Loch an Daimh

Looking Northwest towards Ben Nevis and the Mamores

As the sky turned blue and I headed along the easy slopes to the summit, I passed above a large patch of snow that remained on the steep North slopes; still shaded from the sun's reach. After a short steep section, I was standing next to the small summit cairn admiring the extensive views in every direction.

Stuchd an Lochain and Lochan nan Cat

Stuchd an Lochain with Beinn Sheasgarnaich in the clouds behind

Looking Southwest to Loch Lyon and Beinn Sheasgarnaich

Meall Buidhe and Loch an Daimh

The air was now clear and the sun was burning off the remaining cloud and haze. I could see hills in every direction. Meall Buidhe to the North; Ben Lawers to the East; Ben More & Stob Binnein to the South; Rannoch Moor & Buchaille Etive Mor to the West; and Northwest to the magnificent flat-topped Ben Nevis. I sat on a boulder, opened my lunch and looked out towards the Ben - not a bad spot for lunch, I have to say!

Stuchd an Lochain summit cairn

On the summit of Stuchd an Lochain, Beinn Sheasgarnaich behind

Looking East from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

Looking Northeast from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

On the way back along the ridge, the view really opened up to the East and down into the heart of Glen Lyon. I can't say I enjoyed the path any more on the way down, and - more importantly - neither did my knee! I'm not sure if it was because the path was so rough and steep, or if I descanted too fast, but I do know that I was extremely grateful to reach the track by the reservoir at the bottom of the slope.

Ben Nevis from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

Looking West towards Glencoe and Buachaille Etive Mor from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

Looking West towards Glencoe and Buachaille Etive Mor from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

Beinn Sheasgarnaich and Loch Lyon from the summit of Stuchd an Lochain

I got back to the car at 3:30pm feeling a bit sore and rather frazzled by the sun. I was glad that I'd remembered to buy suncream at Stirling services earlier this morning on the way. I was very pleased with how the day had gone and I really felt like I had timed it just right with the weather - the car told me it was 29 degrees Celsius!

Creag an Tulabhain (left), Sron Chona Choirein (front centre) and Meall Ghaordaidh (right)

Looking East down into Glen Lyon

Looking along the South shore of Loch an Daimh

Loch an Daimh

Unfortunately, the drive to Glasgow wasn't the smoothest - a couple of accidents delayed me and I arrived a little late for the birthday party. However, a short and fairly easy day but a good test for my knee - perhaps it's not quite match-fit again just yet! I was also surprised at how underrated this particular Munro is - on a nice day, the views in all directions are some of the best I've seen - well worth the effort.

Loch an Daimh

Loch an Daimh

Carn Mairg circuit from Invervar

After an amazing trip to South Africa, we finally got home safe after being 'stranded' there for an extra 2 weeks. But now it was time to get back into the training groove, after quite a bit of downtime on holiday (never a bad thing!), and get ready to lead the GWC Torridon Project 2010.

As if perfectly timed, my folks had arranged a weekend visit to Edinburgh to catch up with us after our amazing trip. Needless to say, after our very successful day on An Socach, Herbie was even more keen than before for bag some Munros. I knew that this would be the case so I had a plan: the Carn Mairg circuit in Glen Lyon. I picked it because I thought it would be worthwhile training and preparation for myself and also because it was quite an easy way to bring up Herbie's tally of Munros.

We left early but were delayed slightly by some slow moving traffic and roadworks just over the bridge. The weather forecast wasn't brilliant, but as we parked at the car park at Invervar it wasn't raining and the temperature was quite mild. As we set off up the track through the woods, we looked up and realised that it was highly likely that we would be spending most of the day walking in the cloud. This didn't bother me too much, as I knew it would be good nav practice and I never turned down an opportunity to stay sharp and keep my eye in, but it was a shame that Herbie wasn't going to experience much of a view.

Herbie ready to set off from the car park at Invervar, Glenlyon

Ready to set off from the car park at Invervar, Glenlyon

We left the track, crossed the Invervar Burn and followed the Northwest side of the woods until the boundary fence changed direction slightly. This was the point I was aiming for, as I knew this was where we would attack the Southeast shoulder of Carn Gorm. The cloud was now down below 550 metres. I explained the plan and the route to Dad, but I'm not convinced he knew what was happening - he wasn't very experienced after all - but very keen to learn. I took a bearing and headed up the grassy slope into the mist.

Invervar, Glenlyon

There were quite a few other cars in the car park at Invervar when we arrived, and we could hear voices ahead of us in the cloud but we weren't sure what direction they were coming from; quite disorientating. The lack of a view seemed to spur us on and we motored up the steep slopes to the pointed summit of Carn Gorm. It was rather wet and a little blustery at the top and, to our surprise, quite a few other folk. We knew that most of the climbing was now over for the day so we chose not to hang around at the top and admire the non-existant view; we pressed on.

Herbie enjoying the mist on An Sgorr, Glenlyon

Looking West towards Carn Gorm from the bealach between Carn Mairg and Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon

Passing around the Northwest side of An Sgorr, there was still quite a few patches of snow; nothing serious, just a surprise to come across in the thick mist. We picked up the dry-stone wall and followed it up to the top of Meall Garbh without much bother and, to our delight, the mist and clouds started to lift slightly. Still no view but the air now wasn't quite as damp. A few folk raced passed us on the summit and didn't look like they were having much fun. We weren't in a hurry - I was very much enjoying just being out in the hills with Herbie and just having the opportunity to have a good old natter and catch up. I was probably boring him to death to be honest, telling him all about our South Africa adventure.

Herbie happy to be on the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon

The wall had now turned into the iron remains of an old fence. The view was getting a little better but the summit of Meall a' Bharr was still surrounded in cloud. As we headed up the slope before we gained the summit plateau, I took a bit of cramp in my thighs. I'm unsure of the cause, but it's not something I've ever experienced before; in any form of activity or exercise. Herbie suggested that it could be due to the long flight / travel time coming back from South Africa via Dubai. I was totally fine after a few minutes but it was a strange experience. However, we were soon having a bite on the summit of Carn Mairg and joking about what had just happened and how little a view there had been all day.

On the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon

Now rejuvenated and rehydrated, we headed steeply down to the bealach between Carn Mairg and Meall Liath. The mist was back and thicker than ever but we hit the middle of the col no problem. Just then, a middle-aged couple came wandering towards us out of the dampness. They greeted us but seemed a little uneasy. It turned out that they were lost and didn't know where they were. They said that they were lost because they had lost the path and they didn't have a map between them - I was shocked. The conditions today were far from perfect, for any level of experience. I showed them on my map where we were standing and I said that they could follow us. I took a bearing and we headed South towards the spot height of 855 metres. We soon hit a path and, sure enough, the couple strode on into the mist and left us behind.

Herbie on the grassy slopes below the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Carn Gorm in the clouds behind

After negotiating quite a bit of peat hag and very boggy ground, we were standing on the summit of Creag Mhor - the fourth and final Munro of the day. Herbie was elated at what we had just achieved in a relatively short day... and we suddenly had a view of Glen Lyon and the hills we had just conquered - spectacular. I was really pleased that we were treated to some kind of a view during the day. We raced along the grassy ridge and then picked up the path to zigzag steeply back down to Invervar; a sore one on the knees after quite a tough day in challenging conditions.

Herbie enjoying the view and clearer skies with Carn Mairg behind, Glenlyon

Herbie with Glenlyon, Invervar and Carn Gorm behind

On the way back to Edinburgh, we talked about what an enjoyable day it had been, despite the weather and few vistas we had. A note to everyone: please take maps with you to the hills. Thank you.

Summer Mountain Leader Award Training

Over the past week I've been on a Mountain Leader Award Training course run by Steve Spalding. Our base for the week was Fearnan on Loch Tay with the three others from GWC. Steve came to meet us in the morning of the first day and we headed up the road into Glenlyon and parked up close to Macgregor's Leap. We headed straight up the steep slopes towards Lochan Creag a' Mhadaidh. The focus today was on pacing and estimating distance & time. We all measured our number of paces over 100 metres and tried out different slope angles; looking at how our paces were effected. Next we looked at different speeds and techniques for moving over different terrain. I found it very useful and interesting to see how pace and time could vary so much over a mixture of simple and complex ground. We finished up back at base and got a brew on while we reflected on today's main teaching points. Steve then showed us a few basic techniques with a rope and using some nearby picnic tables as anchors :) We were told that we would be putting this to more practical use in a more realistic setting the next day.

Some map and compass action

We had an early start the next day, as we had to drive to Steve's house in Pitlocry. After a brew and a quick chat about the plan for the day, we headed out in the car and parked just up the road at the Ben Vrackie car park near Baledmund. As we headed north into the woods, we tried to put our new-found counting steps knowledge into practice between the footbridges that were marked on the map - with some mixed results! We pressed on to Loch a' Choire, passing through Poll gun Toin between Creag Bhreac and Stac an Fheidh. It was a fine day weather-wise and I was sincerely glad to be out on such a fine hill. We grabbed a bite on the slopes overlooking the loch below and talked about types of food on the hill and the use of a GPS. Next, we headed up the steep scree slopes on the south side of Ben Vrackie. We looked at different techniques and tactics for moving over steep ground. When we reached the top, Catriona's compass was broken; luckily I happened to have a spare Silva 4 and gave it to her. Over the next few minutes we used bearings and triangulation techniques to pinpoint our position on the map. Catriona soon noticed that her bearings were a full 180 degrees out and to our amazement the compass I had given her had flipped magnetic polarity! All very amusing as everyone accused me of giving her a joke compass :) It still worked as accurately as before; she just had to remember to follow the white end and not the red! We headed northwest towards Meall an' Daimh and then swung to the southwest and tried to find a way down through the crags. Steve gave us some tips on route finding over rocky terrain and I have to say it was very useful indeed. It was then time to get the ropes out and practice lowering down steep ground. We first looked at simple knots and anchor selection which wasn't that new to me to be honest but was interesting to look at it without having any shiny stuff to jam in the rock. The body belaying and the self abseil techniques were very useful skills to learn and also the use of direct belay around a rock. It was then time to practice the art of using a confidence rope, which is actually a lot harder than I had imagined it to be. On heading back down to the car park, Steve talked back over another great training day and recapped all we had covered throughout the day. Driving back to the hostel I knew I would sleep well that night!

The next morning was a little less practical; we once again headed to Steve's place and we went over a crash course in mountain weather and some useful places to find forecasts and synoptic charts. Steve also had a selection of useful books that he recommended to us; everything from birds to rocks. After our lecture, Steve took us up the hill to Glen Brerachan to practice some casualty care and evacuation techniques. It was this afternoon that, to my horror, the sole started to detach from my trusty Meindl boots! Gutted... they had served my very well as I bought them way back in 2002 for my Outdoor Education course at Edinburgh University so I couldn't say that I hadn't got good wear out of them. Luckily, I had my pair of Scarpa Manta in the car as a backup. On that sorry note, we finished up for the day and headed back to base for the night.
After a good nights sleep, we headed back to Pitlochry and met Steve on the banks of the River Tummel for some river crossings. The river wasn't particulary high, but we looked at different strategies and tactics for getting across; both as a group and individually. I had read about various tacktics in a number of books but never had the opportunity to put them into practice in the real world. Then it was time to get the rope out and really get wet. With the river being far from a raging torrent, it was difficult to get the idea of how effective the 'V' technique would be in fast moving water but it was still a very useful exercise. After getting dry, we headed back to Steve to plan our two day expedition. Looking at a few weather forecasts and listening to what Steve recommended; it was soon decided to head west towards Bridge of Orchy. Non of us had walked any of the hills in that area so we jumped at the chance to explore the area. Steve talked us through what equipment to take and split between us and then it was time to head back to base to pack our bags.

Where are we?!

We set off early in a convoy of two cars towards Tyndrum on the A85. We parked one car at the station at Bridge of Orchy and then continued a little further north until we turned off and parked at Achallader. Leaving the car behind, we headed off into the unknown. The weather really was glorious and we all felt like we had been well and truly blessed as we walked along full of vitality. Our first goal was to cross the railway and gain some height, so after crossing at the footbridge we headed straight up into the northeast corrie of Beinn Achaladair. Here, we paused for a snack and to admire the stunning views north over Rannoch Moor. Now revitalised, we headed up the western slope of Meall Buidhe to gain another 200m in height. Then we traversed the slope heading northest around to Lochan a' Chreachain. Next, we headed straight up the steep west-facing slope to gain the ridge leading to the top of Beinn a Chreachain. It was a glorious day and we had great views of the hills in every direction. The only annoyance was the blustery wind in our face as we headed west along the ridge to the summit of Beinn Achaladair. As we walked along, we each took it in turns to lead a leg and we discussed what pace worked when moving over different terrain with our heavy bags. As expected, we quickly decided that walking slightly slower without as many stops was the way to go! The day was now getting on a bit so we started to think about a spot to camp. The main priority was definitely to get out of the wind! We headed down from the ridge to the east and found a nice sheltered spot down in Coire nan Clach. The ground was quite firm, not too boggy and we soon had our tents up and a cuppa brewing away. It was then time to get stuck into some well earned grub. Boil in the bag was the order of the day and I have to say that I took the opportunity to eat most of my food after a full on day and I knew we still had the night nav to come later on.

Campsite

After a couple of hours recharging and chilling out, we once again ventured out into the hills. All remaining light had now well and truly disappeared, so it was head torches on for everyone. Our main aim for the evening was to bag Beinn Mhanach so the first thing we did was to discuss tactics. The general plan was to head for a few obvious features and split the route into shorter legs for each of us to lead. Martin was the first to be in charge and headed for the bealach to the southeast that was split by the boundary line. This was reached without much difficulty and then Paul took over and found the top of the crags that lay further eastwards. Catriona then led us south up the gentle slope to the bealach between Beinn Mhanach and Beinn a' Chuirn. It was then up to me to find the summit... which I did nae bother :) We then reversed the legs back to the tents. As visibility was good, due to the clear night, our first experience of night nav was a great success but I could imagine it being a lot more difficult in poor conditions. I was very relieved to crawl into my sleeping bag and get a good nights sleep; it had been a long day.

I woke with the inside of the tent very much resembling a sauna. Clearly it was another gloriously sunny day but inside the tent we were cooking! We sat outside and cooked breakfast in the sun; the perfect start to our last day of the training. Steve said that to start the day, we were to split into pairs and formulate a plan for how to attack Beinn a Dothaidh. Martin and I decided that it was important that we tried to loose as little height as possible so our plan was to contour around to the bealach just above Coire Daingean. Paul and Catriona had their own idea so we set off following our different routes. Steve initially started walking with Martin and I but after twenty minutes or so it became clear that Paul and Catriona had lost far too much height and had dropped way down below the crags of Coire a' Ghabhalach. Steve told us to continue on and bag the next top and instructed us to meet him at the spot height of 744m above Coire an Dothaidh. We parted and Martin and I continued on with our plan while Steve disappeared in search of the others. We bagged Beinn a Dothaidh without incident and then traversed along the ridge to the spot height of 1000m before heading down to meet up with Steve. By this time the heat of the midday sun was beating down on us and I remember the heat feeling almost relentless; almost too hot! We arrived at our meeting place to find Steve and Paul cooling their feet in a small pool at the bealach. Catriona had steamed up to bag the summit of Beinn a Dothaidh and wasn't too far behind us. After a quick bite we decided to stash some of our bags, as we had to return to this spot after bagging our next target; Beinn Dorain. On our way to the summit, we were each given a secret target to find in a kind of micro nav mock assessment exercise which proved to be very useful; as we got the chance to put everything into practice that we had learned over the week. At the top we were treated to a brilliant panorama through Glen Coe and over to Ben Nevis. It was then time to head down to Bridge of Orchy and round of a fantastic week. As we descended, Steve took each of us aside and chatted to us individually about how the week had gone. Personally, I thought it had gone really well and I was keen to put to use all the skills I had leaned from Steve.

Crew