Sunday 18 October 2015

Another Beinn Mhor (Mor/More)

16 October 2015

Participants: Just me
Where: Beinn Mhor (Grantown), 471m/1`,545', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 36, NH 993281
 
The Mountain Bothies Association AGM was being held at Newtonmore, the weather was continuing to be excellent, so I travelled up a day early with this Marilyn behind Grantown- on- Spey in mind. It was very frosty and foggy when I set off from Newtonmore but as soon as I turned up Glenbeg, just short of the town boundary, I was into sunshine. Sheep in a field beside the parking spot at the end of the road made a good photograph.....
 
 
and the hill was soon clearly visible.....
 
 
The walk up the track was very pleasant. The leaves were starting to come off the trees although thanks to the extended warm weather this year and the subsequent lateness in leaf fall, the colours were not as good as usual.....
 
 
The track took me out on to the hill. I had wondered if there would be any shooting going on but the hill was not covered in the SMC guidance nor could I find out which estate owned the hill. So I was more than a little dismayed to find 3 shiny 4x4's parked at the edge of the heather. I had a look but there were no warning notices and I couldn't see any sign of anyone so I just carried on. In fact, I saw no evidence of humans at all during the walk although I expect that they might have seen me. The hill provided nice and gentle walking with short heather, occasional traces of a path and a gentle angle.....
 
 
I wasn't putting off time in case the shooting party appeared and I wanted this hill for my Marilyn list having travelled so far. I was at the top in around an hour from the car. Here are a couple of views of the moorland to the north-east and the north.....
 


The Spey valley was still fog bound so it made a good foreground looking over to the Cairngorms.....
 
 
zoomed.....
 
 
and to Mount Keen.....
 
 
I could have stayed longer at the top but I reckoned that discretion was the best policy so just headed back down. Then I went and sat around the car park half way up Cairngorm for an hour or two.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Brilliant weather on Cruach Tairbeirt

13 October 2015

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Cruach Tairbeirt, Sub-2k Marilyn on Loch Lomond-side (again)
 
This is one of my favourite sub-2k Marilyns for views and I have climbed it on a number of occasions. Today, the weather conditions were perfect. The actual walk was a bit of a problem though. There were a lot more fallen trees than when I was last here so the early stage of the walk was a bit of an obstacle course. Once out of the forest it was a different problem. The vegetation was still luxuriant, probably boosted by the late summer weather, and the path difficult to follow in places. The grass and ferns concealed a number of holes in the path and I think that I was lucky only to discover two of them! This route certainly now requires care.
 
All was worth it however when I reached the summit. I'll let the photographs tell the tale.
 
Nearing the top, the Cobbler and Beinn Narnain appear.....
 
 
Ben at the trig.....
 
 
The Luss hills.....
 
 
Ben and the Brack, the Cobbler and Beinn Narnain.....
 
 
The Cobbler and Beinn Narnain.....
 
 
Ben cooling off in a convenient summit puddle.....
 
 
Loch Sloy and the dam.....
 
 
Zoom of Loch Sloy and the dam.....
 
 
Head of Loch Lomond and the Crianlarich hills.....
 
 
Loch Long and the Brack....
 
 
And the best of all, Loch and Ben Lomond.....