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I'm thinking of heading up to Crianarich or Tyndrum next week to do something. Thinking of doing An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin. Anyone been up these two before and how long did it take?

Yes, but in the pissing rain and thick fog, and with my parents, so it took ages. In fact, I think we missed the summit of An Caisteal.

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I wanted to have a go at Ben Vane but was outvoted. We have a newbie coming with us and Ben Vane is ridiculously steep, especially the way we are going to do it.

Ben Vane was horrible from the main route, I'm glad I won't ever have to do it again.

Think it's definately An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin next week. Just waiting on confirmation regarding who's coming with us. Anyone from here's welcome to come too but you'd likely leave me trailing. :lol:

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I'm thinking of heading up to Crianarich or Tyndrum next week to do something. Thinking of doing An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin. Anyone been up these two before and how long did it take?

I did them last year. The path at the beginning is fairly straightforward but then banks sharply South West for a very steep climb up onto Sron Garbh and Twistin Hill - left us absolutely knackered.

After that it's a fairly straightforward ridge walk to An Caisteal but the path between An Caisteal and Ben a'Chroin requires some half-decent scrambling skills, it's a steep rocky descent to the bealach and then a steep rocky ascent to Ben a'Chroin.

There are two summits on Ben a'Chroin but if you go the An Caisteal way then you'll come to the highest one first.

Took probably about six hours.

Edited by Gaz
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Ben Vane was horrible from the main route, I'm glad I won't ever have to do it again.

Think it's definately An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin next week. Just waiting on confirmation regarding who's coming with us. Anyone from here's welcome to come too but you'd likely leave me trailing. :lol:

It's a total slog at times. I've walked it twice with different people. The second time we walked right up to the loch Sloy dam and headed straight up from there. If you thought the regular way was steep then try that way. Theres no path either so it was a map and compass job all the way.

Walked Ben Vorlich across the valley in an equally stupid way too. I suppose a hill is a hill no matter how you get to the top. I like that part of the world, it's the closest to where I live and we often head up that way.

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I'm thinking of heading up to Crianarich or Tyndrum next week to do something. Thinking of doing An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin. Anyone been up these two before and how long did it take?

Did them a couple of years ago in horrible weather where my waterproofs failed leaving my phone wet and knackered and as such, have vowed not to return to either of them.

Started from the lay-by car park thingy, under the railway tunnel and along the farm road. You head up steeply (no path) to Sron Garbh which will leave you feeling like turning back. Thereafter is it path all the way to the summit cairn of An Caisteal.

Keep going to the drop to the col between it and Beinn Chroin - the path is easy to follow, but involves a waist-to-chest-height scramble to stay on.

Best advice is to return the way you came (as I did) - dropping into the glen means a very muddy (knee deep type stuff) trudge beack to the farm path.

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Up and down again in 3 hours? Do you do some other form of walking excersise aside from the hill walking? That's a very good time for a first munro. :o

This one was my first as well but it took me and my friend around 6 hours to do it though we mucked about a fair bit.

Ben Lomond was my first Munro as well and I think we took 2 hrs 50mins including 20 mins lunch at the top. Munro Magic magics estimations of different hills seem to vary wildly. It claims 4 hours for Ben Lomond which i did much quicker, yet for some walks (normally when 3 or 4 Munros are involved) it claims something like 6 hours when it's really more like 8 or 9!

I did Ben Ime from the Cobbler path and it was pretty easy going that way, haven't tried the other path but my friend has and she reckons it's steeper but more direct.

I'm thinking of heading up to Crianarich or Tyndrum next week to do something. Thinking of doing An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin. Anyone been up these two before and how long did it take?

I did Beinn Ime (twice for some unknown reason) during the winter and I just wanted to break down and cry every 3 steps. The wind was unreal, it was snowing heaving at points and the whole mountain was just a sheet of ice, with large energy snapping soft snow patches. It ended up taking about 7 hours and I've never been so relieved to get back to the car in my life.

An Caisteal and Ben A'Chroin is a nice walk in good weather and from my mountain spreadsheet of fun tells me it took us 3 hours 50 minutes. It never got unbearably steep at any point so we didn't have to stop for a proper rest until the top.

Happy walking :D

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Depends where you're thinking of going but perhaps! :P

Busy on the 12th, 25th and 26th though

This offer is extended to all p&bers.

I am off the whole of April so anytime would suit me and I'd be happy climbing any mountain that I hadn't arlready done.

P&B hillwalking day. Yay!

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I am thinking of walking from Aviemore to Kingussie - wild camping there overnight and then walking from Kingussie to Dalwhinnie - camp overnight then finally walk to Pitlochery.

Has anyone on here walked that before? Is it easy going and is it realistic to walk each of those stretches per day?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today I headed up to Loch Lubnaig just north of Callander with a workmate and we climbed the Corbett Beinn Each.

This is a fabulous hill with a path that would put many a Munro to shame. It is however, steep in places and a little bit scrambly higher up. There are sheer-ish drops next to the path too, but I highly recommend this hill to anyone.

Here's me at the summit, with Stuc a' Chroin in the background.

post-448-1238529681_thumb.jpg

I now have only 5 Corbetts left to do in Region 1 of the SMC Corbetts book -

Beinn Bheula

Beinn Chuirn

Creag Uchdag

Creagen na Beinne

Meall na Fearna

Any info on these ones would be welcome. ;)

Anyway, the score is now Munros 30-24 Corbetts :D

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Getting the train up to Bridge of Orchy to do Beinn Dorain and Beinn Dothaidh on Saturday

Do Dorain first - watch though, as the path splits somewhere after the little lochan and the more obvious route is not the main path. In good visbility you should be able to see the north ridge route (the second cairn is the summit - I took the wrong path on the west side and found the summit one first).

Beinn an Dothaidh is muddy once the path peters out. The middle of the three peaks is your top - I didn't make the west top, which apparently has the best views.

Enjoy! :)

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I now have only 5 4 Corbetts left to do in Region 1 of the SMC Corbetts book -

Beinn Bheula

Beinn Chuirn

Creag Uchdag

Creagen na Beinne

Meall na Fearna

Any info on these ones would be welcome. ;)

Anyway, the score is now Munros 30-2425 Corbetts :D

Guess which one I did today? :D:P

Started from Ardeonaig after driving along the narrow road along the south side of Loch Tay. This hill is trickier than it appears on the maps, particularly the slog up to Creag Liath. After that it a gentler ascent, following a path/track alongside a fence. Thereafter there is a drop to a col, which is basically a huge mass of peat hags before getting to the summit (you can see the trig point for ages before you get anywhere near the top).

When I returned, there were loads of cars at the farmhouse I passed - a family "do" apprently. The landowner came out chatted to me about where I'd been and gave me some cake and beer from the party, which was very generous and if he reads this - much appreciated, mate. :)

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