Easter at Dalmally

Beinn Dorain & Beinn Mhanach

Easter this year was spent in the SW corner of the Highlands with Matt & Jenn choosing to kick-off their season with 5 Munros clustered around the N end of Loch Awe.  As it turned out, persisting snow and pretty indifferent weather on the first 2 days placed a couple of the peaks firmly in the ‘winter mountaineering’ bracket  forcing us to modify the plan accordingly.

The Tyndrum Hills From Beinn Achaladair

Beinn a’ Chochuill & Beinn Eunaich

These 2 largely grassy hills hide behind the bulk of Ben Cruachan and are best viewed descending westwards down Glen Lochy on the A85 in the vicinity of Dalmally.

Heading Up The Hydro Track

The day was spent largely in cloud with intermittent drizzle, few views and a cold wind.  Not our finest hour!  We parked at the usual place on the old road to Stronmilchan and walked up the hydro track past Castles Farm above the resurgent waters of the Allt Mhoille.  Crossing the Allt Lairig Ianachain, we left the track and took to the open hillside, eventually reaching snow at about 800m.  The charms of the well-defined summit ridge were somewhat lost on us as we traipsed through the deepening snow and thick cloud to the summit cairn of Beinn a’Chochuill (980m; hill of the cowl).

Approaching Beinn a'Chochuill

Without pausing significantly, we initially retraced our steps but then maintained the ridge as it descended to the intervening bealach between today’s 2 Munros.  A relatively straightforward re-ascent up stonier ground brought us to the snowy and windswept summit of Beinn Eunaich (989m; fowling hill). 

Beinn Eunaich

Again, no view, no respite, so no summit picnic!  A bit of careful navigation placed us on the correct ridge S from the summit and we eventually broke cloud well down the steep grassy slopes above the hydro track.  A disappointing first day which yielded 2 Munros but little else.

Beinn Bhuidhe

For Day 2, we drove around to the head of Loch Fyne to capture this awkwardly-placed outlier situated mid-way between the Arrochar Alps and Ben Cruachan.

Upper Glen Fyne

Parking just off the A83 where it crosses the River Fyne, we took to the metalled road that leads past the Achadunan micro-brewery.  Soon after passing Glenfyne Lodge, the road becomes a track that continues alongside the River Fyne to reach the old house at Inverchorachan in a little under 90 minutes.

Inverchorachan

It was a slightly kinder day weather-wise, but the tops were still shrouded in thick cloud and we knew from yesterday that there would be plenty of snow about.  And so it came to pass…. We entered cloud above 700m and snow soon afterwards.  Lots of it.  Extremely challenging navigation eventually got us on to the summit ridge along which we picked our way in near white-out conditions until the small rounded summit loomed out of the murk.  Beinn Bhuidhe (948m; yellow hill).

This Year's Easter White-Out!

Descending, we made good time connecting all the snowfields together before regaining the upward route.  Eventually, the glen re-appeared below us followed by Inverchorachan and then the track that led us all the way back to the car.  A challenging day of full-on winter hillwalking.

Beinn Mhanach

After the difficulties of the previous 2 days, a full traverse of Ben Cruachan was clearly not a wise option.  Instead, we drove around to Bridge of Orchy where the gang had unfinished business from the previous September.  As if to compensate for the weather we’d endured thus far, today’s weather was spectacular with bright sunshine and blue skies that lasted all day!

Beinn Dorain

Parking at the new walkers’ car park on the access drive to Achallader Farm, we took the boggy path up into Coire Achaladair and its upper corrie, Coire Daingean, to the skyline.

Coire Achaladair

Here, we turned left and began a descending traverse around the S slopes of Beinn Achaladair to the 630m bealach at the head of Gleann Cailliche.  Large, but soft, snowfields covered the slopes of Beinn Achaladair making for easier and more direct progress than would have been possible over tussocky grass.  We took our time though and trod carefully - the aspect was quite steep!

Traversing  Beinn Achaladair

From the bealach, we climbed steadily - and wearily - around the N slopes of Beinn a’ Chuirn, finally reaching the intervening saddle of this twin summit massif where our target came into sight.  One more gentle trudge on intermittent snow eventually brought us to the flat summit of Beinn Mhanach (953m; monks’ hill).

Ben Lui From Beinn Mhanach

It had taken over 4hrs to reach this point and we were not relishing the long return to the car.  As often happens, however, we made excellent progress back down to the bealach, the soft snowfields now working in our favour.  Similarly, the traverse around Beinn Achaladair went surprisingly quickly and we were soon descending back down Coire Achaladair with spirits raised. The return walk seemed to have taken a fraction of the time of the morning’s long haul in to the Munro. 

We weren’t complaining!

 Check out my plans for the coming season at:  http://www.hillways.co.uk/