28 - LOCH LOCHY
Meall na Teanga from Sron a' Choire Gairbh. Photo tms.nickbramhall
8.5 miles 1290 metres
Start Monday 17.23
Meall na Teanga 18.27
Sron a' Choire Gairbh 18.54
Finish 19.33
Squares: green - start, red - finish. Circles summits: green - this leg
Time: Estimated 2.13 Actual 2.10
Steve writes:
Spent sunny morning relaxing around midge free mothership at Tulloch Station – breeze and sunshine combined to make them scarce. Ifor and I set off at 1 p.m. for Glen Nevis to await Ross and Craig – sat around in sunshine at end of Glen Nevis road waiting for Ross; he arrived having cut 40 mins off his schedule.
Craig continuing over Ben Nevis and down to youth hostel – arrived at 5 p.m., 12 mins up on schedule, scattering people all over! Fast drive through Fort William and Spean Bridge to Clunes, south side of Loch Lochy for my leg.
Set off from roadside (17.23) into mature forest and crags, scramble up around crags and brashings for 10 mins arriving on forest road; left for 200 yards then up onto hillside and hard slog up steep, heather covered slope with no paths. Continued past small peak (585) up SW ridge – Leac Chorrach – vegetation improved i.e. short grass and slope more runnable. Steady jog/walk to false top, trying to contour around but on very steep ground. To col and up final slope to top of Meall na Teanga in 1 hr 4 mins, 9 mins down!
Brilliant views of mountains all around and of Loch Lochy; sunny and warm most of the way up but now more cloudy and a little bit cooler but still pleasant in vest and shorts, makes a change from helly etc.
Set off across top northwards and contoured around very steep slope. Cutting corners reached top 2 mins outside of schedule in 27 mins/ 18.54. Good views from top of Sron a' Choire Gairbh, walked along the top for ½ min taking it all in!
Fast descent down steep, short grass slope ignoring zig-zags and reached col quite quickly; continued down rocky pathway, i.e. Coire Bhealach, trying to get past sheep! Lower parts of valley more pleasant and eventually reached forestry road. Fast pace along road heading towards Kilfinnan and end of Loch Lochy. Reached car in 2hrs 10mins (19.33), 3 mins up on schedule; another one thrashed!!?
Quick drive around to Cluanie to drop Ifor off for his run. Later to Cluanie Inn with Colin, Liz and Paul Driver for a quick drink. Enjoyed the run, second to Ben Cruachan because of weather, views, runnability and beating schedule!
Peaks done 204 Hours elapsed 204 Peaks to do 73
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