Cam Chreag and Meall Buidhe
MunrosMeall Buidhe
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CorbettsCam Chreag
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GrahamsNone
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BothiesNone
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Distance/Ascent16km 1026m
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Estimated Time6h 45min
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Notes5km bike ride in and out. The last time I did Meall Buidhe was from the south so it will be nice to approach it from the other side. I ascent Munros by a different route from my first round. This does make my second round slightly harder!
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ParkingAt the village hall:
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13 August 2016
I was unsure where to park but an old man told us to park at he hall. He talked about Leagag being a fine hill and referred to "Garvall" (Garbh Mheall). He was surprised by our intended route and expressed doubts about whether we would return before nightfall. He asked if I was on my own. When I explained that I was with my 11 year-old son. His response was to rush to the passenger door of the car, open it and ask if I was forcing him up the hill. His behaviour seemed very strange, but I think that he was just being friendly (in a totally uninhibited way!).
There is a more obvious track but the old man told us that it was just a forestry track that does a big loop without connecting to our planned route. Our track was greener and rougher, starting the other side of a small burn from the hall. There is now a pedestrian gate for access (This image Augaust 2011).
There is a more obvious track but the old man told us that it was just a forestry track that does a big loop without connecting to our planned route. Our track was greener and rougher, starting the other side of a small burn from the hall. There is now a pedestrian gate for access (This image Augaust 2011).
This was Thomas' second consecutive day on the hill, but he seemed fully recovered from the previous day and in good spirits. He struggled biking uphill and we were soon pushing our bikes. Thomas decided that mine was easier to push because of its larger wheels - a reasonable hypothesis, but one that was soon to be revised.
We stopped to eat our sandwiches at the bridge where we locked our bikes. The bikes gained us little time on the outward journey but they were a welcome sight later in the day and resulted in a swift return. The next section was easy along good tracks.
Beyond the end of the track, the going was tough. On approaching Meall Buidhe, we saw a couple ahead of us. I tried to encourage Thomas by asking if he thought we could catch them up. He, of course, said yes. I was thinking that joining them on the summit would negate the need to faff about with the Gorillapod. Humans make much better tripods! However, they passed us when we were about 5 minutes from the top. They had decided it was too cold to linger on the summit and headed straight back down.
Gorillapod/ten second delay selfie:
Gorillapod/ten second delay selfie:
We continued to Garbh Mheall which falls just short of 3000ft and is not therefore a Munro top. This seems to be the preferred name for the whole mountain by those living around Loch Rannoch, at least going by my conversation with the old man at the start. While Thomas looked tired when walking uphill, he looked very happy heading down and was very happy to see the gate where we had parked our bikes.
After talking to a runner, we mounted our bikes. Thomas really enjoyed the ride back to the car. I was concerned that he might catch a pedal on the edge of a rut, but other than failing to make it all the way across a particularly deep puddle, he was fine! I thought that we had been free-wheeling at a fair speed but the runner was never far behind.
Not great weather but a special day, doing what I love with my eldest son. I look forward to the day when his little brother can join us!
8 October 2016
This was a variation on my walk with Thomas in August, but alone and in better weather. I had planned to drive down on the Friday evening but felt too tired from work and there were the usual problems at home to sort out like my younger son placing a battery into the hole in a subwoofer! So, I was up at 0500 on the Saturday morning with the car already loaded for a five-day trip to the Rannoch area.
Having done a similar walk so recently, I knew exactly where to park. As I headed up the track on my bike, I saw a couple of pick-ups heading down a forestry track that runs down Gleann Chomraidh. I sensed that the occupants were looking my way and sure enoughafter reaching the public road they headed up my way. I pulled my bike off the track to let them pass. To my surprise, the first vehicle did not stop to ask me what I was doing, but the second one did. He was, in fact, a very friendly chap who was taking clients stalking on Leagag and said that I was fine heading for the more distant Cam Chreag and Meall Buidhe.
I took several panoramic photos of Meall Buidhe on the way up, but each one seemed better than the previous, this one being taken high on the north ridge of Cam Chreag.
Having done a similar walk so recently, I knew exactly where to park. As I headed up the track on my bike, I saw a couple of pick-ups heading down a forestry track that runs down Gleann Chomraidh. I sensed that the occupants were looking my way and sure enoughafter reaching the public road they headed up my way. I pulled my bike off the track to let them pass. To my surprise, the first vehicle did not stop to ask me what I was doing, but the second one did. He was, in fact, a very friendly chap who was taking clients stalking on Leagag and said that I was fine heading for the more distant Cam Chreag and Meall Buidhe.
I took several panoramic photos of Meall Buidhe on the way up, but each one seemed better than the previous, this one being taken high on the north ridge of Cam Chreag.
It had been quite a hard walk across from the end of the track above the Allt Easan Stalcair to the Allt Ruighe a' Mhadaidh, but the drier slopes of Cam Chreag were relatively easy going. I have read of someone approaching Cam Chreag from the bridge crossing the Allt Leac Ghiubhais but I doubt if it would be any easier. Either way, I was glad to reach the top and enjoy a bacon and chicken sandwich!
As is often the case with Corbetts, Cam Chreag is a great spot to survey and photograph the surrounding Munros: here looking south towards Ben Lawers and the Tarmachan Ridge.
Looking SSW towards the Chrianlarich hills; Stob Binnein and Ben More being the prominent peaks to the left.
Looking east: Schiehallion and the Carn Mair group. The Corbett, Beinn Dearg is the lower hill with the patch of forestry.
Zoomed in to Meall Garbh, An Stuc and Ben Lawers.
The walk across to Meall a' Phuill was easy enough. I was spurred on by the sight of two walkers up ahead. If I could catch them up it would save having to faff about with my tripod and time delay for the summit selfie.
As it was, they were just heading back as I approached the summit cairn of Meall Buidhe. I asked if they would join me back to the summit to take a photograph and one of them obliged, saying "As it's such a nice day....".
I still took a summit selfie, placing the tripod on the cairn, but it is great to have one that includes the summit cairn, without too much sky, which tends to be the case with such a short (60cm) tripod.
I continued to Garbh Mheall and down its broad north ridge to this well-built cairn; looking towards Schiehallion.
On my ascent, Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil were in cloud and even when the cloud cleared, I could not obtain a good picture of the hills to the north but as I headed back down on my bike, I captured these hills. I was particularly pleased to have this clear view of these hills as my plan for the next day was Stob an Aonaich Mhoir, seen here to the right, before heading for Benalder Cottage and climbing Beinn Bheoil and Ben Alder the day after.
I had toyed with the idea of staying in a non-MBA "secret bothy", but I decided to save myself a 60km return trip and camp on the shore of Loch Rannoch. It was a little disturbing to see the amount of litter and why does there need to be three burnt patches when one fireplace should be enough? I cleared up the cleaner bits of rubbish, but did not want to fully investigate a heavier carrier bag that looked like it might contain a dead fish - I did not fancy it stinking out my car. Is the banning of wild camping in some lochside locations further south just displacing the problem? Discussing the matter with a local estate worker, he pointed out that there are large bins at the end of an estate road and they have no issues about the general public using them - it is preferable to leaving stuff at the side of the lochs.