More straightforward than expected.....Ben Lui circuit

Hill: Ben Lui (Calf Hill) (1130m) Beinn a’ Chleibh (Hill of the Creel) (916m)

Type: Munro x2

A month or so back, on a beautiful day, I drove towards Tyndrum and over on our left Ben Lui looked stunning, every bit a pointed Alpine peak. I remarked to the good lady that I was negligent to have not bagged this peak already. I reflected on why this should be as it was on my original 100 list. The main considerations were to do Ben Lui as a solo from Dalrigh or both with the day being potentially stopped in its tracks if the River Lochy was running too high to be safely crossed. The river crossing was the main deterrent.

So onto the new to-do list it went.

A month or so later the opportunity arose and my decision was to do Ben Lui as a solo by bike/hiking from Dalrigh. Everything was packed and prepared for that adventure. Bike attached to the car and all set to go early in the morning.

Then after dinner that evening I watched the weather forecast which had changed from a reasonable day until 3pm, instead being high winds from early doors and rain by 1pm. The Dalrigh route has 4 possible route options with some routes being exposed and some routes with significant scrambling. Despite watching videos I was still not convinced of the best route from Dalrigh in poor conditions so I changed my plan.

The Munro double was now on from the River Lochy side, river allowing.

I made an early start and as I drove north it was clear that the low clouds were unlikely to lift much. I still had the bike attached so if it came to the worst I would just go for a cycle, no hardship in this beautiful countryside.

Approaching the Glen Lochy car park the positive was that the river was running low so one potential obstacle ruled out. However looking upwards Chleibh was clear but Lui was well covered. Decision made, I am here so go for it.

Crossing the river was fairly straightforward apart from testing my balance on the boulders. Crouching low enough to get under the railway bridge was not so easy, my old body not as flexible as it once was.

Just after the river spotted this Scotch Argus hiding in the grass

Over the river the track was narrow and the growth full. After a burn crossing Walkhighlands recommends crossing another burn and going into a new plantation. The trees looked well established and from this side of the burn and I could see no obvious path in the plantation so just continued on the track this easterly side. On this muggy morning it was probably full of nasty beasties after my blood. A good decision as it was boggy in places but straightforward and brought me to the forestry road.

The next track was straight across the forestry road where I was now on the boggy path from hell. Walkhighlands describes it as ‘some sections are very boggy’. Really, almost all of it, for about 30 minutes is one of the worst mud fest I have walked through. At times I was prodding my pole to test the terrain and it was disappearing easily knee high length into the gloop.

It was a major relief to reach the deer fence gate albeit with muddy legs.

Heading up to the cloud doesn't look steep from here, snaps are deceptive! 

I decided to to take the easterly route and make a circuit of it. This was the grassy slog of all slogs, around 600m straight up. The faint track came and went before disappearing altogether. 

The ridge finally appears

Summit clouds were joined by these scudding through, made for a nice snap

Unrelenting grassy slopes were getting tiring, not helped by the clouds coming in and the route ahead becoming a grey vista with the odd big shape looming out of the gloom.

Soon be time to use my hands

Finally I met up with the western ridge track from Dalrigh, but the track did not last too long. It was still a steep ascent. Poles away as a section of light scrambling beckoned good fun. The track occasionally flirts with the edge with glimpses of grey crags but no downward views. After some minor hands on the good news was that the summit of Lui was unexpectedly reached. 

Summit cairn looking back the way I had come

Sadly no views in the clag and with a strong gusty cold wind I did not hang about. A brief chat with a couple of guys before heading back to find the track to Chleibh and lunch at the bealach. 

A brief glimpse of Chleibh & Fionn corrie

The clouds parted briefly to give a good sighting of the way ahead and as most people have said Chleibh looks an underwhelming Munro from this perspective. Not that I was complaining an easy ascent I was looking forward to, I had done my hard work.

This type of rocky, stony gravel track is not my favourite descent terrain but it does zig zag so not a severe downhill. After around 200 metres of descent I was below the clouds which lifted my mood as I had views again.

No climbing that erratic today

Final track to summit

I had my nutrition break at the track junction, thankfully now out of the wind, before making the final short ascent of my second Munro Beinn a’ Chleibh. Nice to have such a short hike to bag another Munro. 

Cruachan hills & Loch Awe

More passing clouds the rain is due anytime

The 1^st cairn is the summit but I wandered along to the 2^nd to take in the views, no rush now as my climbing over, time to enjoy the views. There is a 3rd if you fancy and if the rain had not been due soon I would have. Good views down to Loch Awe and across to the Cruachan Hills but not with great detail, still better than nothing.

Lui still under cloud

Back down the corrie to the trees, Ben Nevis can be seen back right

Spotted another walker on my ascent ridge

Back to the bealach where the descent track, initially steep, was a mixture of stone and grass, all with a flow of water, of course it disappeared from time to time.

The only section of gloop with some boards for assistance

Glad to have the odd section of trees

The descent through the gloop section was slightly easier as I could spot better lines and make better use of the trees but as soon as I felt smug another gloop section barrier was reached without an alternative.

Thankfully I reached the forest road and followed my original track back to the river and the parking area. As I approached the river light rain started to fall, good timing. The river was ideal for boot cleaning.

A good but tough ramble. A shorter distance than most double Munros but that was offset by the very steep climb to Lui.

Ascent: 1124m

Distance: 11.6 km

Time: 5.55

Wildlife: Scotch Argus; Golden Ringed Dragonfly; Meadow Pipit; Raven; Robin; Wheatear;

Not quite the planned ramble.....Meikle Balloch Hill

 Hill: Meikle Balloch Hill (Big or great hill of Balloch)

Type: Sub2k

Height: 366m

It was only about a 20 minute drive to get from Knock Hill to the start of this ramble.

Walkhighlands describes Meikle Balloch as lying to the east of Keith, on the boundary between Moray and Aberdeenshire. Its bare moorland summit rises clear above the forestry plantations.

I was surprised to see even one car in the parking area when I arrived on a wet day like this but dogs must be walked and hills must be climbed and as for the car occupants I never saw them.

That was intended to be return track

Standing in the heavy rain, no shelter, as I donned my waterproofs my attention was focused on the bright yellow warning signs regarding ongoing forestry operations. From the description some routes were not passable on a weekday. It gave the names of the tracks affected but no map so I did not know if I would get to the top or not. 

I was here anyway and fully weather clad so off I went following the blue signs which should be a straight up to the top track.

This would have been an interesting scene just after the storm

Immediately it was obvious how much storm damage there had been as the 1^st section to the next track was through major tree cutting which had been required to just keep this track open.

Upon reaching the upper track I expected to go straight across and then up a straight line to the top. But where was the other track, it was not obvious? A wee wander to my right nope, walked back and there it was but not easy to spot amongst the undergrowth.

As it turned out it was almost a straight line walk on a good gradient and track until I hit the big trees.

It was a wow moment, the darkness from the density of trees took me by surprise. The snaps make it look like there was light coming through but in the early stages definitely not like this.

Now steeper than earlier I was puffing a bit. It was a winding ascent and it took only a few minutes until I was on the moor back into the smir. The at times very wet path was the obvious way to the summit and as the rain eased and I was beginning to get some views of the surrounding countryside.

Trig in sight

The open moor stretch was slightly longer than expected, dodging back and forth to avoid the wet sections but no difficulties.

Almost looks a nice day, Knock Hill on the right

When I reached the trig I could see a couple of hills in the distance but to be honest I was not sure what they were, need to look at the map later.

Intended descent track with Hill of Towie the distance

My intention had been to make it a circular but the warning sign said that was not happening. I had not seen or heard anything of the forestry operations but there was no point in taking a chance and having to retrack.

Even on a dull day the deer grass in autumn colours is vibrant

Nice to be back in colour

So I simply returned the same way. Very pleasant descent until with 5 minutes to go the heavens opened once again, those showers certainly had me in their sights. At the parking area the other car had gone, a smart move.

Despite the weather and not getting the circular route it was still an enjoyable short ramble.

Ascent: 166m

Distance: 3.5km

Time: 0.56

Wildlife: Golden Plover; Blue Tit;

Wet & Windy.....Knock Hill

Hill: Knock Hill

Type: Sub2k

Height: 430m

Another plan B day. I had hoped to be biking but the rain was chucking it down and was forecast to continue with varying intensity for the rest of the day.

I don’t like cycling in the rain but walking not a problem. So gathered the appropriate waterproofs and had made a plan for 3 short rambles.

The 1^st of those was Knock Hill.

Walkhighlands describes Knock Hill as a prominent, dome-shaped hill which is visible from miles around and is itself an excellent viewpoint. None of which I can confirm.

Loads of surface water as I drove towards Keith with warnings of the road blocked after Keith which was disconcerting, was this my road? Thankfully the sat-nav took me on a detour route which worked out fine.

To get to the start there is a half a mile track from the hamlet of Swilebog (interesting name). I don’t think I have ever driven such a bad track, it was so bad that I was worried about ripping my tires. So it was a very slow drive and as I went up the track I was wondering if I was in the right place.

Rain was still pouring down when I exited the car, looked around and found the slightly hidden start of the ramble so it was the right track after all.

A pleasant walk through a woodland in its autumn colours before it opened out on to the hill proper. This would be very nice in dry conditions.

 

Once out of the woods the wind battered me sideways and combined with the sheets of rain it was not the most pleasant start. From what I could see it could well be a dome shaped hill but I was not looking up very often.

Head down, step by muddy step, I made my way up the hill. I knew that it was a steep climb but there was no chance of going wrong. There is apparently an annual hill race up here but from the state of the track I don’t think it is ran over by many feet, could be wrong of course.

It was slippy peaty mud, along with wet tree roots and some stone patches. I knew that the descent would be riskier than the uphill. Perversely I was actually enjoying this little battle with the elements, probably as I knew it would quickly be over.

A red grouse burst out of the heather calling away presumably annoyed at me disturbing it from its comfortable lair. My beating heart suggested the feeling was mutual.

Not long after a small flock of around a dozen Golden Plovers did likewise but far more genteel than the grouse.

Finally the broken fence and gate was spotted coming out of the gloom so I knew the trig and the runners cairns were just ahead.

The two cairns are reputed to be boulders carried up by runners. One has a plaque honouring the hill race founder. Getting soaked and wind blown so no point in hanging about in these conditions so back down the same way.

About a third of the way down the rain eased considerably, the gloom lifted and I got some short distance views. Very pleasant they were and cheered me up. Geese had been calling non stop above me but they were still in the grey stuff so I could not see them. Maybe they could not see the ground either and that was causing all the anxiety.

Arrived back at the car just as the rain stopped but the waterproofs had worked, despite the pounding I was dry inside.

As expected it was a short hours ramble and my leg felt fine. At least the descent gave me some views and I was glad I was experiencing this and not stuck indoors looking outdoors.

So I reset the Sat-nav and off to my next short ramble, Meikle Balloch.

Ascent: 245m

Distance: 2.3km

Time: 0.55

Wildlife: Golden Plover; Red Grouse; Meadow Pipit

A short ramble via a piggy farm.....Brown Muir

Hill: Brown Muir (presumably as stated. A moorland hill whose colour is mainly brown)

Type: Sub2k

Height: 339m

Today was planned to be a bike trip but the rain was relentless and according to the forecasts it was going to stay like this until lunchtime at least. It is not a lot of fun cycling in the rain and I am here for fun, so plan B.

On with the waterproofs and I headed for the start of Brown Muir. The amount of standing water, huge pools of water, showed just how much rain had come down overnight.

Still lovely rural countryside as I drove up the progressively muddier track to Teindland Farm (sounds Germanic). Teindland is a pig farm and there are many of them around here, never seen so many piggy's in my life.

The rain was still relentless as I walked to the side of a gate to gain the track that would take me all the way to the top. Another mast topped Sub2k.

I was walking alongside the pigs some of whom were moving towards me taking an unhealthy interest. Maybe they knew I had eaten a bacon roll a couple of days ago. They make a lot of noise some of which sounded quite aggressive to me. Between me and them was a single low wire, presumably electrified. Also another flimsy fence with a double barbed wire. I was thinking that neither seemed substantial as I looked around for my escape routes, climbing a tree the only option.

At the end of the pig section an S bend and I walked passed the ruined farm of Moniemouies. The track led me to another gate, closed and with a couple of ominous signs. I had seen fairly new born calves in several places yesterday so I knew their presence was a possibility.

With my hood tightly pulled round my head and with the rain still pouring down hearing something was less likely so I was constantly head scanning, but mainly downwards, for any sign of recent cow pats. Thankfully there were none and the signs were just attention seekers, for today at least.
As I gained height the track was deteriorating big style, this was hard walking on my dodgy leg. A sudden strong smell but it was a fox not a cow.

I could just make out the mast in the gloom when the track dipped and a big deep pool of water was in the way, wet feet. Fortunately I could detour around on less soggy grass and made the final climb up to the mast and the trig point just beyond it.

Trig appears out of the murk

Unusual 'Lossiemouth' type trig with its cast iron hat on

No idea why there is a visitor log up here so any answers would be welcomed

This trig was an interesting shape with a black coned top. On the far side there was an opening and hidden away was a plastic tub which I understand contains a visitor log of sorts. With this rain I was not opening it and spoiling the contents so my summit will go unrecorded.

I had read a report which suggested the real top was 50 metres away in the heather. Not according to my map which showed this as a plateau and nothing looked higher so this was fine for me.

About 10 minutes into my descent the clouds lifted, the sun came out but paradoxically for a couple of minutes the rain intensified to the heaviest of the day, so weird.

With the better light I could now appreciate why the hill got its name as at this time of the year it was swathed in dark brown heather.

On the descent the size of the pig farm became obvious, widespread and this is just one of the many fields.

Back at the car it was too late to go back and get the bike out for my planned ride. The leg felt good so time to take on another wee Sub2k.

Ascent: 190m

Distance: 6.1km

Time: 1.24

Wildlife: Sparrowhawk; Coal Tit; Red Grouse; Stonechat; Wren; Meadow Pipit