An unexpected adrenalin filled high scramble due to a stupid error.....Creag Each

Hill: Creag Each (Horse cliff)

Type: Graham

Height: 672m

I wanted a short walk on my home and this one has been on my list for a while. It is normally done with its partner but I lacked the time and in truth lacked the motivation. Partially because this was also a last minute change of plan as roadworks had closed the route to my chosen hill, not the best start to a day. I had an alternative but as such I had not studied the back up in any detail, a novice mistake.

But my head said the weather was good so don't miss out on a walk!! A beautiful blue sky morning brought out the autumn colours, just fabulous. I headed up the track passing some abandoned cottages. A pair of Jays seemed to be squabbling with a large flock (is that the term) of woodpigeons, havoc in the trees above. 

The cairn is on the pointed hill the actual summit is left

A stiff pull as they say got everything going and quickly I gained enough height to enter the glen proper where I got my first sighting of the target.

Even with my dodgy eyes I could see a large trig/cairn. Mistake 1 having not read up on it this was not the top. I followed the track to where it separates after a ford. I remembered the GMC guide saying you could follow the burn up on the right hand side. But this was still clad in deep bracken. 

I went up the left of the crag

Mistake number three, the weather was so good I decided to go on sight lines and spotted a way up to the cairn using steep grassy rakes.

I still had to wade through bracken, then moorland bog, before reaching the bottom slopes. On the way I was one step away from standing on a snipe before it broke cover. Never seen one react so late before but both of us got a fright.

I climbed up through heather/boulder terrain to a spot I had visualised. Mistake number 4, I changed my plan based on the terrain I encountered.

Taking time to reflect

I thought a rocky chute would be helpful but the terrain was very unstable and steep. The heather was so deep that contouring was more dangerous than going directly up. So I ended going up climbing a loose stone gulley, literally having to use the heather to haul myself up it was so steep. I did think at one time that this could be it!! At the very top of the gully the gradient steepened to its maximum, face in, no more boulders for footing, no more heather to grip just wet grass. The GPS later showed a gradient of 78% on that wet grass, wow, one slip, gone. That was a hairy finale. An adrenalin rush kicked in when I was finally on flat ground.

The large cairn prominent from below with true top behind

Humble rock cairn at true top

However the exhilaration soon changed. The substantial slate cairn was right there but to my left was a top that was clearly higher than this, yip this was part of Craig Each but not where I wanted to be, what a plonker. An easy descent and a grudging ascent took me to the proper top. 

Lawers hills

Loch Earn

Good views but I was annoyed with myself for taking things for granted down below and not studying the route properly.

Gully from above

From below

For the descent I followed the aforementioned burn, which is a steep boulder strewn hazard laden gully, but on its other side, which was pretty hairy in its own right before I reached relative safety. I suspect much easier to ascend than descend.

Gorge to negotiate

Here I met another walker who had followed the guide route but managed to cross the burn to evade the worst of the bracken. He told me he was familiar with the glen and had stayed in one of the cottages but never climbed the hills, too much student malarky.

Suitably guided I followed suit and descended via the burn and enjoyed the views over Loch Earn.

Overall a good walk but it was an appropriate reminder that the hills are dangerous places and my old business mantra of 'failing to prepare is preparing to fail' was so true today. Still, it was a beautiful day.

Having now read the GMS guide book back home it was also another reminder that their route descriptions can be sketchy and underestimate the dangers of the terrain. Not for the first time.

Ascent: 586m

Distance: 7.6km

Time: 3.18

Wildlife: Red Deer; Robin; Chaffinch; Snipe; Raven; Wood Pigeon 20+; Red Grouse;