20 June 2024 - Carn Gorm : a Summer Solstice Munro.

It was with more than a tinge of sadness that a friend reflecting on two rounds of the Munros, plus Tops on his first round, observed, ‘Time flips by.’ Indeed it does as a quick check of the date of our first ascent of Carn Gorm, Glen Lyon brought home. It was the 3rd of October 1982 and although we saw no sign of stalking in progress, I’m  surprised we weren’t challenged in this notoriously unfriendly place. Today, even with the Land Reform Act 2003, the hostility towards walkers still exists. Perhaps even more so.

The group comprising the Munros Carn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Carn Mairg and Meall na Aighean lie on the Chesthill Estate and this notice greets you at the start.

 

I’ll leave you draw your own conclusions but obviously it’s not a privilege to be here, at least not in the way they mean. It’s a right under the Land Reform Act. Also, it’s absurd to require that the circuit be done clockwise. Do it any way you like. Not on the notice but on the estate website is the instruction to be off the hill by 7pm, a blatant attempt to stop wild camping. Again a contravention of the LRA. The carpark at Invervar is permanently closed. 

The path through woodland gave a pleasant start and lead to a rough track which we followed to a bouncy bridge by a small dam, then up by the forest edge to the open hillside. Once on the grassy ridge the path makes the going easy to the summit cairn. The toppled trig point to the north-west is not the summit but gives views to Loch Rannoch. We had lunch there.

The route is waymarked, surely a new low for the Munros, but it’s just a cynical attempt to keep walkers out of the corries which during stalking is fine, but at other times not. Waymarked or not, it’s the most natural way up Carn Gorm but lacks any interest.

It wasn’t a great day for photography:

The old trig point is not the summit

Down to Glen Lyon

Loch Rannoch from old trig point

 We only met four other walkers as we descended this popular Munro. A girl with two collies was setting off late for the full round of the four Munros not expecting to finish until 8 or 9 pm. Now, that’s what I like to see.

Looking west to Glen Coe

Wednesday 12 June - 2024 Schiehallion

On 27 August 1977 we stood on Schiehallion's summit with our one year old rescued Border collie, Morag. It was one of our earliest Munros and her first. On Wednesday we again climbed Schiehallion, had the summit to ourselves and remembered the wonderful 13 years we had with her, on and off the hill.

It was a cold morning so we didn’t hang around and made quick progress over the moor to gain the stony ridge.

At a large cairn we met the two people ahead of us, the male of the duo announcing that fifty years of smoking wasn’t helping his second ascent. His wife was carrying a full pack while he had cleverly lightened his load by not carrying anything. We left them resting at the cairn and were soon crossing the quartzite boulder field leading to the summit. 

It was hard to believe that it was 47 years since we last stood here.

We didn’t linger long on the top and descended in improving weather. Late starters were met lower down most saying ‘hello’, some passing by grim-faced or head down. Some appeared to think I was their ‘pal’… 

We eventually found a decent spot away from the busy track, had tea and rolls in the sun then dropped off the ridge and so back to the car. An enjoyable day with happy memories of times past.

Note: Our 1977 ascent was by Gleann Mor starting from Glengoulandie Farm on a reasonable path, followed by some heather bashing to reach the start of the east ridge. These days, most will start from the attractively located carpark at Braes of Foss as we did today. £3 a day with free, clean toilets. The awful Beauly to Denny transmission line has industrialised and degraded the landscape here. 

Monday June 10th - A wet start

Off on our travels again but the weather isn’t settled enough to entice us very far north, so we’ve stopped off at our usual spot near Loch Tay for the time being. Apparently, snow has fallen on the hills on seven consecutive days but not here as far as I can tell. Not yet!