26B - CREAG MEAGAIDH
Carn Liath from Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Photo tms.nickbramhall.com
18.5 miles 1740 metres
Start Sunday 18.17
Carn Liath 19.17
Stob Poite Coire Ardair 19.50
Creag Meagaidh 20.10
Beinn a' Chaoruinn 20.42
Beinn Teallach 21.18
Finish 21.45
Squares: yellow - changeover, red - finish. Circles summits - green this leg, purple - to do. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 4.08 Actual 3.24
Ifor writes:
This was my longest piece of map. I drove up in plenty of time and went to look if there were any paths at the start trying to decide which way to go. Eddie suggested along the stream and up Allt Coire an t-slugain. I had favoured straight on to the ridge off the map. In the end I decided to go between the two and up to the north of the 903m point and then contour along to the small col.
I had just started listening to the football when Steve appeared. The going up onto the ridge was slow and I found it hard going with horrid heather and no good paths. As soon as I hit the ridge it looked as if I had taken the wrong route, I should have gone straight up for it. The going was very good, even the stony parts were were generally runnable and most of it was beautiful grass. All I had to do was follow the fence to the first top.
From here I could make out my next top and a reasonable route to the south of the first intermediate knolls. I went to the north of the next one and then just followed the edge to the top. I was going well and knew I would beat the schedule, it was just a matter of by how much.
Creag Meagaidh was in cloud and I ran along some big snow patches just before the top which formed the crest of the ridge. My compass bearing down was distinctly wobbly but I soon came out of the cloud to where I could see the ridge up to the next top which I followed over it's intermediate summit.
The next diagonal down section was the first bad section since getting onto the ridge and I was slower than I expected over it. The ridge up Beinn Teallach was rockier than I expected but still good going.
The descent was really good and fast but then I got lost in the wood at the bottom failing to find the track and following forest rides until I came out on the sharp corner for the final sprint down the track to the car to take 40 mins off the schedule.
This run was really enjoyable and I was relieved to have recovered from the legs before.
Peaks done 178 Hours elapsed 182 Peaks to do 99
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