Beinn a'Mhonicag and Leana Mhor (West), Glen Roy

19 and 20 April 2016

Participants: Just me

Where: Day 1 Beinn a'Mhonicag, 568m/1863', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 34/41, NN 287854 and Day 2 Leana Mhor (West), 684m/2247', Graham, Map 34/41, NN 284879.

 

These two hills are next door to each other so although I climbed them on separate days, I am including them in one entry. The Glen Roy hills don't have the shapeliness of their neighbours but in my opinion are very under-rated. It is an interesting area and the Parallel Roads, formed by the retreating glaciers, are always worth seeing.

 

Beinn a'Mhonicag stands more or less at the entrance to Glen Roy; this is a view of it from further up the glen.....
 

 

The route up was obvious- straight up from the view point car park!  I followed an obvious grass strip and when it ran out, a developing walker's path took its place. It seems that this hill is quite popular.....

The Parallel Roads look good viewed from a distance but are a disappointment when you are actually standing on them; I always expect a wide, flat "track" running across the hillside but am always disappointed!

It was a fairly unrelenting climb but being steep, I soon gained height and was approaching the summit cairn in about an hour after leaving the car.....

The Loch Lochy Munros appeared just above the north-west horizon.....

 

But it was the still snow covered hills to the south that really caught my eye. This is a zoom to Stob Coire Easain and Stob a'Choire Mheadhoin.....

The weather was even better the following day as I went back up the glen and parked about a mile past the view point, next to a bridge and at the start of a track up the glen between yesterday's and today's hills. I stopped before I got to the parking place to take this picture of Leana Mhor.....
 

 

After less than a mile up the track, I took to the grassy slopes and just followed them all the way to the summit plateau- it took an hour 30 from the car to the cairn. On the way up, there was a good view of yesterday's hill with the Grey Corries etc. beyond (slightly zoomed).....

The cairn on this hill was just a small pile of stones. This is it with Ben Nevis in the background (slightly zoomed).....
 

 

with the Loch Lochy hills.....

looking to the hills around Loch Pattack.....
 

 

 a zoom to Loch Arkaig and the Knoydart hills.....

and a view up Glen Roy.....
 

 

All in all, it was a much better viewpoint than the day before. I stayed on the top wandering about looking at the view and taking photographs for about 20 minutes but a cold breeze then drove me to find a more sheltered spot lower down to sit and have my cup of chocolate. I descended more or less by the same route keeping the views in sight (slightly zoomed again). Easain and Mheadhoin again.....
 

 

and the Grey Corries.....

 

It wasn't a taxing day but it was a good one.