How hard can a 2pt 650m summit be? The answer is very hard. 15.3kms of walking, 740m of ascent and 341kms of driving later it’s bagged. Please can I have some new legs, the one’s I have don’t work anymore.
Picture time:
Small heard of deer complete with stag.
The same shot zoomed back out by a factor of 20. The big hill to the right is Beinn Mhic Mhonaich WS-172. The far hills are Beinn Eunaich WS-065 and the Cruachan group.
A better view of Beinn Cruachan WS-013 and Beinn Eunaich WS-065
Beinn an Dothaidh CS-025, Beinn Achaladair CS-018 and Beinn Dorain CS-008
Beinn Challum CS-021
Beinn Lui SS-003
Summit cairn of Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh WS-172, looking at how brutal the slopes are fills me with awe considering I’ve actually activated this.
Ben Cruachan WS-015 and friends… awesome!
The Paps Of Jura on the Isle of Jura, about 85km distant. Amazing visibility at times today.
Finally a view of the ground (awful) and Beinn Donachain WS-252. The good WX starting to turn.
I’ve been there on less good days with strong winds and murky views or low cloud. But it’s a great place when the sun is out. In all that walking and 8 hours being away from the car I saw 2 people, they had stopped where I parked to look at the waterfall on the Eas Urchaidh.
Here’s a map of the area, I marked off the summits I’ve activated, most of them are the “easy” ones nearest to a road.
There are a whole raft of summits around Ben Starav that simply require more stamina than I have, especially as you start from sea level for most of them. The summits to the West between Glen Crearan and Loch Etive are infrequently activated simply due to their remoteness from roads. There are easier summits which score well so people do the obvious, easier higher scoring summits. But the feeling of remoteness and achievment I get having activated one of these makes all the pain in my toes and legs worthwhile.
Wow, no Glencoe yet - that is where I would start, not only because I know it like the back of my hand but because I don’t know anywhere that suits my taste better - and then there is the Clachaig…
Backpacked around the area of Glen Kinglass a few years back and did Ben Starav from the SOUTH which is a bit odd.
Stunning area.
On an earlier trip (94?) I was in there for 5 days and came out to find poor old Ayrton Senna had died (not forgetting Rolland Ratzenberger too). I didn’t have any contact with the outside world.
I was talking to my 2x Munro, 2x Corbett, 2x Graham completist at work about the summits to the East of Loch Etive and he said “Ah, Beinn Trilleachan, you could do that.” So I searched on Google. Holy Moly! I’m planning the activation for when I know the WX will be suitable.
A taster of Trilleachan on a nice day, but Winter not Summer: Beinn Trilleachan
Yes, drive down the glen and park under the trees at the end of the road and there in front of you on the right is the awesome sweep of the Trilleachan Slabs. Not all that steep but smooth, you climb them by friction, and they are…hard! And the routes are up to 1,400 feet long. I don’t think that there is a lovelier glen in all Scotland, though Glen Nevis matches it. Give us one of your full photographic reports when the time comes - I might follow in your footsteps before I get too old!
It is quite surprising how easy (((easyish) not as hard) less difficult) some of these hills are when you actually get on them. They just look very scary from the road. Don’t get me wrong a few are a pig to get up but some are only a short scramble. I don’t like exposure any more, I used to do a lot of abseiling when I was younger and other daft things but now I get the jittery tum syndrome.
I’m sure you can manage a lot more than you give your self credit for.
