CRIANLARICH HILLS
Beinn a' Chroin from An Caisteal. Photo tms.nickbramhall.com
11.0 miles 1596 metres
Start Wednesday 13.36
Cruach Ardrain 14.20
Beinn Tulaichean 14.45
Beinn a' Chroin 15.35
An Caisteal 16.12
Beinn Chabhair 16.55
Finish 17.23
Squares: yellow - start, red - finish. Circles summits: green - this leg, red - done. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 4.00 Actual 3.47
John writes:
8 ½ hours after my last excursion in the rain and clag (thanks to Rob for allowing me some extra sleep and eccles cakes but we could have done without the worry) and I'm off again – walking up soggy Benmore Glen to changeover on the col. Was just settling down behind a boulder when Tony comes whooping down the slopes of Stobinian. Straight up the other side I go – and thus into cloud for the next 3 ½ hours.
The rocks are interesting immediately and support an excellent array of plants liking more basic rocks: Lots of moss campion, roseroot, starry and yellow saxifrages and the first mountain sorrel of the trip.
Actually ascend Stob Garbh via a steep, wet gully, find a little path and follow it up steep debris to C.A., pick down the ridge and onto B.T..
Find Tony's route below crags of Stob Glas then straight up B. a' C. - come out just below the cairn! Follow bits of path which forever disappear into cloud/grass, pick descent to col right, then up A.C., direct descent to just below col, try to follow stream and compass up endless steep, wet, rough slope – in the end just follow my nose.
Legs really know they're having a hard day now. Summit appears suddenly just above me, check another cairn then steep descent, visibility at last and a fast, wet whizz across the grassy valley to the car.
A great but exacting way to spend 4 hours – feel very pleased with the navigation and not scared by the cloud. I shall certainly return to these hills, not least for the plants. 2875 m climb, 20.2 mile within 15 hours – hope I get a rest before Arrochar Alps!
Peaks done 254 time taken 11 days 14 hours peaks to go 23
We drove round to Bridge of Orchy for the last night of the relay while Alwyn got stuck into his penultimate leg. Dave was dropped off with a bike to get through to his Loch Lyon changeover. Alwyn was prepared to ride the bike all the way to Bridge of Orchy when he finished, but in the event John waited for him in the van.
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