Hillwalking Thread

[broon-loon]

On 19/04/2022 at 11:57, Swello said:

Corrour and Loch Trieg

Many moons ago I walked past Loch Trieg on a coast to coast walk. It's a stunning hidden gem.

[Swello]

13 hours ago, broon-loon said:

Many moons ago I walked past Loch Trieg on a coast to coast walk. It's a stunning hidden gem.

Yeh - Loch Trieg is a great place. Other than being on the Glasgow-Fort William train with a beer, the best place to see the Loch is from the Munro Stob Choire Sgriodain....

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Yeh - Loch Trieg is a great place. Other than being on the Glasgow-Fort William train with a beer, the best place to see the Loch is from the Munro Stob Choire Sgriodain....

Aye it's a cracking viewpoint on a walk festooned with boggy shite.

Speaking of boggy shite, I continued on my half arsed Corbett quest with the Strathconnon pair. The first (Meallan nan Uan) has a lovely ridge leading to a dramatic summit, the second (Sgurr a'Mhuillin) is a boring grassy lump with a briefly nice ridge on descent. The other 60% of it is boggy, pathless shite. Weirdly enjoyable though and a wee warm up to next week's 7 days in Ullapool.

[Swello]

16 hours ago, Day of the Lords said:

Aye it's a cracking viewpoint on a walk festooned with boggy shite.

Speaking of boggy shite, I continued on my half arsed Corbett quest with the Strathconnon pair. The first (Meallan nan Uan) has a lovely ridge leading to a dramatic summit, the second (Sgurr a'Mhuillin) is a boring grassy lump with a briefly nice ridge on descent. The other 60% of it is boggy, pathless shite. Weirdly enjoyable though and a wee warm up to next week's 7 days in Ullapool.

These ones are on my list for when I'm up in the NW and I need something to do on the way there/way back - they aren't really enough to justify a 400 mile round trip on their own

[Benjamin_Nevis]

14 hours ago, Swello said:

These ones are on my list for when I'm up in the NW and I need something to do on the way there/way back - they aren't really enough to justify a 400 mile round trip on their own

Probably not fun once the heather and ferns/bracken are up. It's tick-central 

[Chinatoon Bairn]

Just thought I'd pop in this thread for the first time in a while to state my dislike for Beinn Chabhair which I done at the weekend. Of the 40 or so I have done so far it definitely ranks somewhere in the bottom 5. Ticked off, won't be back.

[Coldo]

29 minutes ago, Chinatoon Bairn said:

Just thought I'd pop in this thread for the first time in a while to state my dislike for Beinn Chabhair which I done at the weekend. Of the 40 or so I have done so far it definitely ranks somewhere in the bottom 5. Ticked off, won't be back.

I tried to persuade my mate to do it from the North East side when we were doing the An Caisteal and Beinn a'Chròin route.

Unfortunately he felt 2 Munros was enough that day, so have to tackle the bogfest another day.

Did Meall Ghaordaidh by Killin on Sunday, which was about as straight forward as you can get.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

28 minutes ago, Chinatoon Bairn said:

Just thought I'd pop in this thread for the first time in a while to state my dislike for Beinn Chabhair which I done at the weekend. Of the 40 or so I have done so far it definitely ranks somewhere in the bottom 5. Ticked off, won't be back.

Welcome to the club. Beinn Chabhair is one of about only about three munros which are the reason I'd never do a second round. Endless boggy, shite terrain, false tops and a descent back to the campsite which had me in tears (a wee niggle I'd been carrying for months turned out to be a torn meniscus). Absolutely shite and never again. I know there are different approaches but it's shite and no one is convincing me otherwise 

The others are Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasgairnich. Utterly abysmal experiences. 

[Karpaty Lviv]

6 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

Welcome to the club. Beinn Chabhair is one of about only about three munros which are the reason I'd never do a second round. Endless boggy, shite terrain, false tops and a descent back to the campsite which had me in tears (a wee niggle I'd been carrying for months turned out to be a torn meniscus). Absolutely shite and never again. I know there are different approaches but it's shite and no one is convincing me otherwise 

The others are Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasgairnich. Utterly abysmal experiences. 

It’s the only Munro I’ve ever done. I had zero hill walking gear and it ended up being torrential rain. Got half way and couldn’t physically go any further. A bog as you say.

I wouldn’t say it’s put me off but would defo need need to invest in some gear and at least check the weather.  

[Benjamin_Nevis]

1 minute ago, Karpaty Lviv said:

It’s the only Munro I’ve ever done. I had zero hill walking gear and it ended up being torrential rain. Got half way and couldn’t physically go any further. A bog as you say.

I wouldn’t say it’s put me off but would defo need need to invest in some gear and at least check the weather.  

Yeah a boggy as f**k hill in torrential rain just isn't fun. I did it in blazing sunshine and still hated it 

[Chinatoon Bairn]

Don’t get me wrong the view from the top was actually quite nice, but that boggy ground between the two main ascents is absolutely brutal. Ended up sticking by the river for the most part which was surprisingly well patched but a seriously boring route, next to no exposure which is what I generally like.

Even met a guy up the top who just one look at me went “this is shite” then plodded on

[Swello]

I can't remember it being *that* bad. I did it on an incredibly rainy and windy day (and so the falls looked good) and I basically crawled onto the little summit tower bit because I couldn't stand up but other that, it's not on my my Shit List (Hello Ben Chonzie!, Hello Moruisg!)

[Chinatoon Bairn]

Weirdly didn't actually mind Ben Chonzie, but more from the perspective that I can jog up and down this rather than it being a decent view/walk. Beinn Ime is another that I have no plans of returning to, caught it on a day where the fog was obscuring everything more than about 20ft in front of you which made it a very boring, uneven (this was the part that really annoyed me, only so many 20/30ft climbs/descents a man can take), climb.

One that I'm dreading doing at one point is Carn Sgulain. Walkhighlands description dosn't build it up to be anything nice "Càrn Sgulain is one of the least interesting Munros, a featureless pudding in the Monadhliath and much inferior to neighbouring A' Chailleach. The intervening ground is riven by a steep little grassy gully so even the short walk across to Càrn Sgulain is a little irritating!"

Edited April 28, 2022 by Chinatoon Bairn

[Swello]

48 minutes ago, Chinatoon Bairn said:

One that I'm dreading doing at one point is Carn Sgulain. Walkhighlands description dosn't build it up to be anything nice "Càrn Sgulain is one of the least interesting Munros, a featureless pudding in the Monadhliath and much inferior to neighbouring A' Chailleach. The intervening ground is riven by a steep little grassy gully so even the short walk across to Càrn Sgulain is a little irritating!"

Yep - that is a total shiter - no two ways about it  One to be done when there is snow to make it a bit more interesting.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

1 hour ago, Swello said:

I can't remember it being *that* bad. I did it on an incredibly rainy and windy day (and so the falls looked good) and I basically crawled onto the little summit tower bit because I couldn't stand up but other that, it's not on my my Shit List (Hello Ben Chonzie!, Hello Moruisg!)

Make it 4 - I'd forgotten how utterly shit Moruisg was. It's demoted neighbour is a far, far better hill. 

1 hour ago, Chinatoon Bairn said:

Weirdly didn't actually mind Ben Chonzie, but more from the perspective that I can jog up and down this rather than it being a decent view/walk. Beinn Ime is another that I have no plans of returning to, caught it on a day where the fog was obscuring everything more than about 20ft in front of you which made it a very boring, uneven (this was the part that really annoyed me, only so many 20/30ft climbs/descents a man can take), climb.

One that I'm dreading doing at one point is Carn Sgulain. Walkhighlands description dosn't build it up to be anything nice "Càrn Sgulain is one of the least interesting Munros, a featureless pudding in the Monadhliath and much inferior to neighbouring A' Chailleach. The intervening ground is riven by a steep little grassy gully so even the short walk across to Càrn Sgulain is a little irritating!"

Yes, it's pish, unless done in winter, with snowshoes if you have them. We did those three on a flat calm bluebird day a few years back. The plod across from AC to CS was a bit tedious as we kept falling through massive snow drifts but the 4 mile stretch to the last one (Carn Dearg) was actually not bad although would have been ace on skis or snowshoes. We got off Carn Dearg and made the rough track at nightfall (just as well as from the base of the steep Carn Dearg slopes to the path were a few deep peaty holes to fall into). A physically shattering but still tremendous 10 hours in winter conditions. 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

@Swello Can i pick your brains? I'm thinking of summit camping A'Mhaighdean friday night - Saturday's AM forecast is pretty windy - from your recollection of it, are there any decent sized rocks around the summit to hide a tent behind from a south-westerly? Bail out plan is to kip in the howff at the Bealach with RSM, which I've heard is everything from decent to minging 

[Swello]

3 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

@Swello Can i pick your brains? I'm thinking of summit camping A'Mhaighdean friday night - Saturday's AM forecast is pretty windy - from your recollection of it, are there any decent sized rocks around the summit to hide a tent behind from a south-westerly? Bail out plan is to kip in the howff at the Bealach with RSM, which I've heard is everything from decent to minging 

Yes - there are (although I don't know if they can be usefully used as a windbreak) -there are also various hollows dotted about.

Depending on the wind direction, a good alternative plan might be to camp to the NW of pt.948 - there are various stepped grassy ledges that you climb up if you come from Fuar Loch Beag as we did last time - I'm pretty sure you could camp there and then be in easy distance of the summit for sunset/sunrise. They might not be suitable/level enough but it's a good thing to check when you get there. 

If the weather is looking dodgy for summit camping full stop, my favourite camp spot in that entire area is just at the north end of the causeway between the Fionn and Dubh lochs - there is a bowling green there that used to have a "no camping" sign on it pre-access laws (I hung my jacket on it the first time I camped there ) and it's a great spot with easy access up to A'Mhaighdean and RSM - but it would be dependant on which approach you're using as you lose huge amounts of height if you're coming over from the Corrie Hallie side.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

3 hours ago, Swello said:

Yes - there are (although I don't know if they can be usefully used as a windbreak) -there are also various hollows dotted about.

Depending on the wind direction, a good alternative plan might be to camp to the NW of pt.948 - there are various stepped grassy ledges that you climb up if you come from Fuar Loch Beag as we did last time - I'm pretty sure you could camp there and then be in easy distance of the summit for sunset/sunrise. They might not be suitable/level enough but it's a good thing to check when you get there. 

If the weather is looking dodgy for summit camping full stop, my favourite camp spot in that entire area is just at the north end of the causeway between the Fionn and Dubh lochs - there is a bowling green there that used to have a "no camping" sign on it pre-access laws (I hung my jacket on it the first time I camped there ) and it's a great spot with easy access up to A'Mhaighdean and RSM - but it would be dependant on which approach you're using as you lose huge amounts of height if you're coming over from the Corrie Hallie side.

Thanks mate. I'm approaching from Incheril by bike. I reckon I can cycle as far as Loch Fada. The plan is to ascend Tarsuinn, find a spot to camp on A'Mhaghdean and run across to RSM unladen by the heavy pack. I can also scope out the howff in case i need to bail in to it. My only concern apart from the wind overnight is the return in potentially shite weather. I'm wanting to follow the 550m contour below Tarsuinn and gradually descend back to Fada. That will probably involve compass work in pishing rain on pathless shit terrain 

[Swello]

It's been a good few years since I went in from Incheril that way but my memory is that path isn't that great once people would branch off for Slioch (may well have been improved as we're talking 15 years here ). I cycled into Tarsuinn from Loch a' Bhraoin nr Ullapool and got pretty far before having to carry through a boggy section. I've also cycled in from Poolewe a couple of times and that's good fun. 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Eventually sacked the summit camp and just pitched at Lochan Fada which is a sensational spot. Climbed Tarsuinn then saw how far A'Mhaighdean and RSM were. f**k that. Brilliant outing nonetheless.