These 2 big brutes tower above
Crianlarich and demand considerable effort up uniformly steep slopes to reach
their summits.
Towards Ben Lui & Strath Fillan
On a beautiful winter’s day, I
traded the more usual slog up Ben More’s unrelenting flanks for a more sensible
- and less tiring - route that ensured I would descend, rather than climb, the
steepest of the slopes.
Ben Lawers & Loch Tay From Stob Binnein
Starting from Benmore Farm on the
A85, I followed the track up the Benmore Glen to about 400m where it ends. A rising traverse over grassy slopes leads to
the intervening col between the 2 Munros: the Bealach-eadar-dha Bheinn (the pass between 2 hills). Today, I crossed the snow line at about 700m
and encountered ice as I approached the bealach.
South From Stob Binnein
With crampons on and wearing full
gore-tex to keep out the biting wind, I climbed the remaining 300m to the flat
plateau-capped summit of Stob Binnein (1165m;
conical peak). The view south from
the summit cairn was spectacular; sun, snow and wispy cloud all combining to
give some very atmospheric vistas.
The Crianlarich Hills From Ben More
Descending back to the bealach
with hard ice continually underfoot (not many folk wearing, or carrying,
crampons!!), one last climb of 300m took me to the craggy summit of the highest
mountain south of the Tay: Ben More (1174m;
big hill).
Ben More From Stob Binnein
With the car in sight far below,
all I need to do now was take it nice and slow down almost 1000m of
unrelentingly steep ground, the crampons staying on until well down the
mountainside.
The Glen Lochay Hills From Ben More
It was hard work, but well worth
the effort. Great winter days like this
need to be grabbed as and when they arise - a point well illustrated by the
sight of ribbons of rain streaming across Central Scotland this evening!
The Black Mount Hills From Rannoch Moor (On The Way Home)!
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