Too hot for a bike/hike.....Meall a ' Chrathaich

Hill: Meall a’ Chrathaich (Hill of shaking)

Type: Fiona

Height: 679m

Today it was another one I had identified as a bike/hike, well really a lot of bike and a little bit of hike. Being a hypocrite I was taking advantage of a large wind turbine development.

It was unbelievably/unseasonably warm for this time of year so I was a bit concerned about the uphill cycling even on an ebike you still got to work your legs hard.

Takes longer to get ready for bike/hike

Unusual windfarm gates

My ongoing concern with bike hikes is whether I can even start the cycle as there must be a decent sized opening to get the bike through, there is no way I can lift the weight of an ebike over even a relatively small obstacle or through a kissing gate. Unusually today it was a double wooden gate that was the obstacle with no side opening. Thankfully I could open the main gate but what if it was locked on way back? Time for risk and reward.

Track climbs steeply straight away

It was straight into the climbing and the early stages were very steep and it was so humid the sweat was pouring already.

About a third of the way up the track I spotted a big herd of red deer hinds crossing the track and then another two groups followed easily 40+ hinds. The rut is not far away so I suppose the hinds are grouping together.

Turbines finally coming into view

More continuous uphill slog before I reached the turbines themselves and by then my legs were tired and I was blowing.

Kintail mountains in distance

Carn Mhic Toisich on right

Now easier cycling as I was up and down contouring when I spotted a nice loch, looks like some fishing huts. Also behind the water was Saturdays target Carn Mhic an Toisich, no bike for that one it will be all Shank’s Pony.

Loch Liath

Finally I see my hill

I followed the track until the last turbine but if I hadn't mapped it out earlier there were many opportunities to take wrong turns. It had been a tough cycle, not just the heat but the track was all loose stone which even with my weight on the saddle traction was inconsistent with the wheels going everywhere.

Loch a' Chrathaich

Typical rough stuff

Nice standing stone pity about the turbines

The hill summit was ahead and I decided to go left to the ridge then followed that up left to the summit. A moor section of peat hags and lots of dying heather, more brown than purple, pathless until the trig.

Looking over to Carn Mhic Toisich

View north towards Affric

Looking around there is a great depth of barren/remote land out there, not a place to go solo walkabout in bad weather. The summit is the high point between the moors of Glen Moriston and Glen Affric, wild country.

There was a surprisingly strong wind and a few threatening clouds so I headed back down. It didn't affect me but later I was listening to impressive thunder claps as the rain hosed down.

I can see my bike attached to the turbines steps

The ascent took about 2.15 and the descent about 45m. Fast, regularly over 30 mph as the eyes boggled and the bike bounced on the uneven surface. An adrenalin fuelled fun descent testing speed and braking skills.

I had spotted a couple of workies vans as I sped past so happy that I would find the gates still unlocked.

A good bike/hike/outing but at the finish I was drained, more water please.

Ascent: 665m

Distance: 24.17

Time: 3.01

Wildlife: Red deer hinds 40+, Buzzard. Meadow Pipit. Red Grouse, Pheasant 30+

A big turnout for a cloudy no view summit.....Carn Mhic Toisich

Hill: Carn Mhic an Toisich (MacIntosh’s Hill)

Type: Fiona

Height: 680m

Up in Fort Augustus I wanted to continue ticking off Fiona's even though there were some good Munro outings over the weekend. So I put a couple on the walking programme where IO was prepared to be doing it by myself if no takers.

That didn't happen, 22 turned up, mainly because the weather forecast was too poor for the Munro walking so quite a gathering.

Luckily we squeezed 5 cars into the small parking area, crossed the road and headed up Eve’s Road. Well first of all we went through a pleasant old woodland a soon came across the Preachers Stones. Folklore says the preacher was mocked so he said nothing would ever grow in this spot.

Gate well hidden

Preachers Stones

Previous reports suggested this section was poorly marked but even with the high bracken the route was clear. Reached the grassy ATV track for a short section before arriving at Eve’s Road. The route roughly follows a historic path once used by Bonnie Prince Charlie back in the day. So I thought Eve might be part of the crew but nope she was the wife of the contractor who built pylons!!

Beauly-Denny Pylons

Time to go off track

We were now on the stony track which we followed up to roughly the 550m. I have to say that the pylons were less sore on the eye than I expected.

Time to cut off and go pathless over the moorland. We got to the small hill of Meall Ruigh Uislein fairly straightforwardly but then the clouds descended and visibility went from poor to not good at all. 

Some feel the cold less than others lol

Looks a lot bigger than reality

Plenty of peat hag dodging before An Suidhe appeared out of the gloom. We skirted past it knowing we were on the plateau so minimal climbing left. Another kilometre of walking. a few false tops looming out of the gloom before a larger lump appeared. It looked as if we had a big summit but the mist distorts everything and a short stony minor scramble and we were there. An old flat stone cairn marked the spot, too wet now to get the camera out but plenty of witnesses to confirm we made it.

The weather turned for the worse. Stronger winds and heavier rain. Lunch was delayed until slightly lower down on the flanks of An Suidhe.

The clouds and temperature lifted as we descended so at least the group got some local views and wet gear discarded.

Overall a good ramble that passed quickly due to the good company.

Ascent: 650m

Distance: 15.8km

Time: 5.39

Wildlife: Hare; Rabbit; Meadow Pipit

An OAP's very long walk to..... Meall Dubh

Hill: Meall Dubh (Black Hill)

Type: Corbett

Height: 788m

This hill and its route were specifically chosen to make the most of an opportunity and also to kill some time so no regrets about its length or tediousness at times.

This Corbett is the highest point between Glen Garry and Glen Moriston and does contain a large wind farm, the tops of a couple of these can be seen from the road.

This was another hill on my ebike list but today I only had my normal MTB and I wasn't fit enough or motivated to do a long constant pull up a wind farm track.

Start, Dubh cannot be seen from here

You can follow the Walkhighlands route which goes over a lot of rough and boggy terrain. Or you can just walk up the track to the end of the turbines and go cross country from there. That was my choice. There are two windfarm entrances I opted for the easterly one.

At least the birds were singing

Other entrance meets up here

The initial section through the trees was actually quite pleasant with the sound of early morning birdsong all around.

Think the workies set this stone in place

Looking at the route the track goes a long way eastwards away from the hill before coming back on itself. On the way up this was not an issue as this was new territory full of new sights. Not quite the same on the descent.

The weather forecast was poor but I stayed dry all the way up to the beginning of the turbines around 500m.

About to enter the clouds

At about 600m I entered the clouds and stayed in the gloom for about 2 hours of the walk. It seemed a long way from the first to the last turbines particularly when the view is severely restricted.

Turbine number 1 looms out of the gloom

Indeed by the time I reached turbine number 1 it was drizzly, windy and cold. It was weird hearing these massive blades turning above my head but not actually seeing the turbine bodies until just feet away.

Golden Plover

At one point I could hear some birds calling very loudly. It was a pair of Golden Plovers and they were so close until I got my camera out.

Off onto the rough stuff which actually wasn't too bad, a lot of dry grass and moss.

I knew about the old fence structure for guidance and quickly found an isolated iron post which further on became more numerous. Spotting the odd individual ones was more difficult.

Falsie

Grey lumps would suddenly appear, was this it? Of course not. I came across the false cairn mentioned in a report. He said the real top was a few minutes walking, more like 15.

Dropped into a peat bog area, up the other side and then the top appeared in the murk.

Big cairn on right

I went left of the outcrop and found a track leading to the top cairn, at least triple the size of false one the track continued to the rock that Walkhighlands claims is the real summit but not mentioned in SMC Corbetts book. However the rain was horizontal so no snaps, along with the wind trying to blow me off my feet so an immediate about turn and retraced my route back to turbine 1.

Anyway another top with nae views.

Cold but not cold enough for this

Heading for the trees and long walk out

The descent was by the same route but felt twice as long. The cloud had lowered to around the 400m level which did not help. Neither did the stronger wind and the constant drizzle. If I had had this on the ascent I might have turned back. Lots of Wheatear around, the 1^st I have seen this year. Of course the walk was accompanied by calling Cuckoos, I have heard so many over the last two weeks.

So a long walk to bag another Corbett. At least it was an easy ascent gradient, no huffing and puffing. As said I knew it would be a bit of a trudge at times but minimal mud on the boots. No doubt the ebike would have knocked off at least a couple of hours but as said time was not a factor today.

Ascent: 749m

Distance: 24.2km

Time: 5.14

Wildlife: Red Grouse; Wheatear; Mallard; Cuckoo (heard); Meadow Pipit; Skylark; Carrion Crow; Red deer (hind); Golden Plover; Robin (heard); Siskin (heard); Willow Warbler; Chaffinch; Great Tit; Coal Tit (heard); Song Thrush;