Bengairn (391m) 18th November 2012

Bengairn, as seen on the approach walk

I haven’t blogged for a couple years, family commitments have made this difficult. However, I will blog about my walks whenever I can. This walk was up the hill of Bengairn in south west Scotland, with Mark and my two year old son James. Mark did the driving and he parked the car in a layby on the outskirts of the village of Auchencairn.

James in his hillwalking gear

James and Mark heading for Bengairn

We set off at 1 pm by walking along the A711, which took time as James is not a fast walker. We turned off and took the road that led to Bengairn House. Before we reached this a track signposted to Bengairn branched off and headed towards the hill. The weather had started off a bit sunny but it soon clouded over, although we had little rain to speak of. The track was quite muddy and we passed one area where a herd of cows had been which was all churned up into a mixture of mud and cow poo. We also came across a horse in a field which James took a shine too. It became drier and I let James out to walk again. The ruins of Forest Hill came up and this was a lovely spot. There were some Scots Pine nearby and beyond Screel Hill and Bengairn reared up in craggy, heathery tiers. It looked almost Highland in its character. From here there was a view to Criffel. Beyond Forest Hill the track continued but it came to an end beyond a gate. There was a muddy path, which James found a struggle and I had to put him in the carrier. The path was really boggy and was hard work. It was intermittent at times, as we climbed towards the summit. I found it hard work climbing upwards with James in the carrier as he’s getting a big boy.

Screel Hill from Forrest Hill

James in the carrier on the ascent

We reached the top at 3.40 pm. It was marked by a trig and a large cairn and it was windy at the top. The view was great: we could see the Lake District, with Skiddaw, Black Combe and St Bees Head particularly prominent. We could also see the Isle of Man, Cairnsmore of Fleet, the Galloway hills, Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, Windy Standard and hills we didn’t know. It was cold and this, together with the impending sunset didn’t encourage us to linger. We had a bite to eat and started the descent at 4 pm, when it was already getting dark. James wanted to walk but the terrain was too rough and it was too late to let him. He wasn’t happy about this but soon accepted being put back in the carrier. We took a more direct route to the track and once we reached this our progress really quickened. We came across a herd of cows in the dark, which James found exciting, and my feet fell in to the mixture of mud and cow poo. I stank of cow poo for the whole journey home, which was quite revolting. We got to the road and saw the lights of Carlisle across the Solway Firth.

Mark admiring the view to the summit of Bengairn

James and Yours Truly at the summit

We got to the car at 5.20 pm, a roundtrip of 4 hours 20 minutes which didn’t break any records. Walking with toddlers is slow, at times it feels like hillwalking in slow motion. We got changed, had some food and started the journey back at about 5.45 pm. We didn’t stop on the way, James slept for much of it and we arrived home at 8.30 pm.

Hillwalking … a good way to exhaust a toddler

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May Hill (296m), Ruardean Hill (290m) and Wentwood (309m) 15th July 2010

Looking to the summit of May Hill

 

May Hill (296m)

This hill is located in west Gloucestershire, between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye. I started the ascent from May Hill village, leaving the car at 1.40 pm. Most of the walk was accomplished by following the Gloucestershire Way, a well signposted and broad track. Lower down the hill was well wooded, whereas on entering the higher part of the hill, owned by the National Trust, the terrain became more meadow like. May Hill is recognisable from many hills on account of the clump of trees at the summit, and it was towards this that I headed for. A trig lay by the clump of trees, although I felt the summit lay inside the clump. It took 35 minutes to get to the top and there was an extensive view: the Cotswolds, the River Severn, the Malverns, the Sugar Loaf, and the Black Mountains were all in view. Although I was in the sunshine, it looked dark and stormy to the west. I knew a front was on the way, so I didn’t linger, but instead hurried back to the car. The whole walk took 55 minutes.

  A hazy view of the Black Mountains

 

Ruardean Hill (290m)

This hill lies near the Forest of Dean but the village of the same name lies at the summit, meaning that this hill is a bit like a rural  version of Crowborough. I parked in the village by the recreation ground and walked the few yards to the green which is the summit. From the recreation ground there was a view of the Forest of Dean and from a nearby field I saw the Black Mountains. However, apart a quick “ascent” this hill had nothing to commend it.

  The summit of Ruardean Hill

 

Wentwood (309m)

This hills lies in the forest of Coed Gwent in Monmouthshire and offers a short and easy walk to the summit. I parked in the Cadira Beeches car park and started walking at 4.10 pm. I followed a broad, straight forestry track, across a minor road and near the trig took a path to the summit. There was no view as the top is in the forest, so I retraced my steps to the car, arriving at 4.50 pm. Despite the lack of a view I found this quite a pleasant walk.

The summit of Wentwood

Cnoc Mor (269m)

Cnoc Mor

 

Chris and I decided to climb this little hill near Strathpeffer on our way back to England. There is a car park in the forest at the bottom of the hill, on the outskirts of the town and we started walking from here at 10.30 am. Initially we followed a well made track and we could see a path climbing up the side of the hill but in order to get to this path we had to cross some felled forestry, which had obliterated the path. Once we reached the path it climbed steeply up the hill and then took a traversing line. It seemed to snake all around the hill before heading for the trig point. At the top there were views between the trees of the Black Isle, the Strath Conon hills and a cloud capped Ben Wyvis. We didn’t stay long at the top before descending by the side of a fence. This was a more direct line down the hill and connected with the path we had ascended on. We followed this path and the track back to the car, reaching it at 11.30 am. There was a house near the car park with some amazing life size wood carvings in the garden, of people and animals, and we were both impressed with these. After getting to the car we had the long drive to England.

 

Chris approaching the trig point

 

One of the wood carvings

Meall a’Chrasgaidh (934m), Sgurr nan Clach Geala (1093m) and Sgurr nan Each (923m) 6th June 2010

The walk in

 

Meall a’Chrasgaidh (934m)

These three Munros are in the Fannaichs, although only one is a Marilyn, but Chris and I decided they would be a good objective for a cloudy and humid day. The car was parked at a large parking area on the Gairloch road, near Loch a’Bhraoin. We started walking at 10.15 am and soon bumped into Rob Woodall, who had just climbed these hills and the nearby Corbett Tops and was on his way back. We took the track that headed towards Loch a’Bhraoin and then took the path that branched off this and headed for the pass between Sgurr Breac and Sgurr nan Clach Geala, alongside the Allt Breabaig. Shortly after fording this river we left the path and started the climb up Meall a’Chrasgaidh. It was steep and hard work, we were soon in the cloud and rain was in the air. We reached the summit at 12.50 pm and sat by the cairn in the mist eating our lunch.

 

Chris at the trig on Sgurr nan Clach Geala

Heading for Sgurr nan Each

 

Sgurr nan Clach Geala (1093m) and Sgurr nan Each (923m)

After lunch we descended on a path, in the mist, and made a detour to Carn na Criche. Below this Munrp Top the mist cleared for a while but by the time we got to the top it had closed in again. After Carn na Criche we paid close detail to navigation, as the col was confusing in the prevailing conditions and it would have been easy to go wrong. We found a path that climb Sgurr nan Clach Geala, on a ridge that quite narrow. It fell in cliffs and crags on one side and would have been a delight in clear weather. The mist had turned drizzly and the wind had increased with the altitude and it wasn’t very pleasant. We reached the summit of Sgurr nan Clach Geala at 2.50 pm, marked by a cairn and a broken trig point. We carried on along the path up to Sgurr nan Each, the top of which we reached at 4 pm. By this stage we were anxious to be off the hill as we had had enough, but worse was to follow. On the descent to the col between Sgurr nan Each and Sgurr nan Clach Geala it started to rain heavily and despite our waterproofs we became soaked. The ground was wet underfoot and all the burns were in spate, and it really wasn’t much fun. We found a minor path and this brought us to the main path by the side of the Allt Breabaig. We crossed the river at the same point as before and noted that it was higher than it had been in the morning. It was a long trudge to the car, which we reached at 6.50 pm, but we felt we had thoroughly deserved our beer.

 

The long trudge to the car…

 

The Allt Breabaig

Beinn Enaiglair (889m) and Meall Doire Faid (730m) 5th June 2010

Meall Doire Faid from the slopes of Beinn Enaiglair

 

Beinn Enaiglair (889m)

Chris let me borrow his car today, as he was off to the Summer Isles for day, and I decided to climb Beinn Enaiglair and Meall Doire Faid with Tony. I parked the car in the car park at Braemore Junction, 12 miles south of Ullapool and we started walking at 9.55 am. It was a warm and sunny morning, although there was plenty of cloud about. A path, marked by wooden posts, climbed the hillside and views opened up quickly to the Fannaichs, the hills of the Fisherfield Forest and a mist covered An Teallach. Home Loch was a lovely sight, with a boathouse and a single Scots Pine, backed by An Teallach and the Fannaichs. The path reached a track and we had a sight of our two hills. A path branched off this track and we followed this to the bealach between Beinn Enaiglair and Meall Doire Faid. On the way we passed a beautiful waterfall plunging into a refreshing looking pool, which temped me to jump in even though I can’t swim. We left the path at the bealach and climbed the slopes of Beinn Enaiglair. The crags and scree meant that we couldn’t take a direct line but we easily found a line that avoided all difficulties. I reached the summit at 12.15 pm and Tony arrived 5 minutes later. As we arrived at the summit, mist came rolling in from the sea and obscured the view towards An Teallach. However, we did have views to the hills of Coigach and Assynt, Beinn Dearg, Ben Wyvis, Am Faocagach, the Fannaichs and the Fisherfield Forest.

 

Beinn Dearg from Beinn Enaiglair

 

An Teallach from the slopes of Beinn Enaiglair

 

Meall Doire Faid (730m)

We had lunch on the top of Beinn Enaiglair and then we descended back to the bealach. However, we didn’t take a particularly good line in descent and we ended up amongst the crags and scree. We had a rest at the bealach, before tackling Meall Doire Faid. This was much more rugged than the map indicated and we had to weave between cliffs and crags. It took a bit of route finding but we found a way through and reached the summit at 2.10 pm. The weather had cleared and An Teallach, Ben Mor Coigach and Stac Pollaidh looked fantastic in the sunshine. However, Ben Mor Fannaich was in the cloud and it looked rather stormy in that direction. After a bite to eat, we descended back to the bealach. We took a better and easier line in descent and got to the path at the bealach with no problems. We followed the path back towards the car and enjoyed amazing views to the Fannaichs, An Teallach and the Fisherfield Forest in the hot, afternoon sunshine. It seemed too soon when we reached the car at 4.15 pm. The walk had taken 6 hours and 20 minutes and we both felt it had been a fantastic day.

 

An Teallach from the summit of Meall Doire Faid

 

Beinn Enaiglair from Meall Doire Faid

 

Ben Mor Coigach and Stac Pollaidh from Meall Doire Faid

Beinn Dearg (1084m), Cona Mheall (980m) and Meall nan Ceapraichan (977m)

Meall nan Ceaprachain and Beinn Dearg

Beinn Dearg (1084m)

Beinn Dearg is the highest hill in the Inverlael Forest, just south of Ullapool and together with the nearby Munros of Cona Mheall and Meall nan Ceapraichan makes for a long but satisfying day in remote country. The car was left at the car park in Inverlael and Chris and I started walking at 9.20 am. The weather was warm and cloudy, although after lunch the sun came out. The walk in followed a track up Glen Squaib, initialling through forest, and then through open country. By then the track had become a path and ran all the way to the bealach between the 3 Munros. It was a long way to this bealach and the walk seemed to take a long time, although as we neared the bealach there were dramatic views of the cliffs and crags of Meall nan Ceapraichan and Beinn Dearg. We reached the bealach at 12.45 pm and had a well deserved lunch break, before tackling the steep and rocky ascent of Beinn Dearg. A wall ran up the ridge and a path followed the wall, although it was hard work on account of the rocky and bouldery terrain. We reached the summit at 1.40 pm and we were greeted with a wonderful view. This took in An Teallach, the Fisherfield Forest, the hills of Coigach and Assynt, Seana Bhraigh, Ben Klibreck, Ben Wyvis and the remote hills of the Alladale Forest.

 

Chris climbing Beinn Dearg

 

Cona Mheall from Beinn Dearg

 

Cona Mheall (980m)

We descended the ridge back to the bealach and traversed around towards Cona Mheall. A path took us towards our second Munro of the day, and although the ground was bouldery in places, it wasn’t difficult. We reached the summit at 3.05 pm and stayed for 15 minutes. The views to Beinn Dearg and Am Faochagach were especially fine.

 

Beinn Dearg from Cona Mheall

 

Chris climbing Cona Mheall, with the Fannaichs behind

 

Meall nan Ceapraichan from Cona Mheall

 

Meall nan Ceapraichan (977m)

We descended back to the bealach and only had a short and easy ascent to the top of Meall nan Ceapraichan. This was a bit of a slog, however, as I was feeling tired by this time. We got to the top at 4.15 pm and stayed for 10 minutes. Dark clouds were amassing over An Teallach, the Fisherfield Forest and the Coigach hills. The rain hit us on the descent and was heavy for a while, although it became more showery and the sun came out in between showers. Chris set a cracking pace on the descent and I had trouble keeping up. I did admire the upper reaches of Glen Squaib, as it seemed it seemed a rugged and desolate place that was the haunt of the Golden Plover. Chris’ pace meant that I descended quicker than I would have done on my own and we reached the car at 7.05 pm, a total time of 9 hours and 45 minutes. We celebrated the end of a fine day with some soup and a small bottle of beer.

 

Dark and clouds and haze from the summit of Meall nan Ceapraichan

 

A dramatic view of Meall nan Ceapraichan and Beinn Dearg

 

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Ben Tee (903m) 3rd June 2010

Ben Tee, as seen on the approach

Chris our I started the ascent from Kilfinnan at 11.30 am,on a hot, sunny morning. A path climbed the steep hillside and we found it a brutally steep start to the day. Views soon opened up across Loch Lochy to the Glen Roy hills but we can to climb about 200m above Kilfinnan before we got our first view of Ben Tee. It looked a long way off and it was. The angle of the slope eased off and the ascent continued on the path, making for fast progress. However, it became apparent that the path wasn’t going where we wanted to go, so we left it and took a more direct line for Ben Tee. The going was a bit tussocky but it wasn’t too bad but the ground levelled off for a while and we gained little height. Just before the climbing started again we stopped for a bite to eat, with views up to Ben Tee and across to the Loch Lochy Munros.

Loch Oich and Loch Ness from the summit of Ben Tee

 

Looking west towards Knoydart from Ben Tee

 

Creag Meagaidh from Ben Tee

 

The Glen Affric hills from Ben Tee

The final ascent didn’t seem to take very long after our little break and we reached the summit at 2.40 pm. The view was fantastic, from Skye to the Cairngorms. Other prominent hills were Creag Meagaidh, the Monadh Liath, the Glenfinnan hills, the Loch Quoich hills, the Glen Affric hills, Ben Wyvis, the Easains, the Grey Corries, and some unidentified hills in the both southern and northern highlands. We stayed for 20 minutes but I wanted to stay longer and it was a real wrench to tear myself away from such a fantastic view. There was a clear path at the top of the hill, which we followed down but this soon disappeared, and we ended up descending too far to our right. We traversed around more towards our ascent line and aimed for the lower path, which we could see in the distance. It was a steep final descent on this path to the car, which we reached at 4.40 pm. This was 5 hours 10 minutes after setting out and we both felt it had been an excellent day.

 

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