After Wednesday’s “day off” up Vorlich, I decided to mix up the schedule a bit and climb Ben More and Stob Binnein on the Thursday, adding Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean to the day. Leaving the remaining three Crianlarich hills to the Friday.
This turned out to be for the best as the originally planned Day 3 round (from Chabhair to Tulaichean) would have been a killer! As it was the Thursday meant 24km and some 2080m ascent to get round More, Binnein, Ardrain and Tulaichean, across trackless, steep terrain. I had arranged to meet my Mum & Dad and the kids at the Kingshouse, Strathyre by 17:30, and spent the whole day chasing the clock to try and get all four hills completed in time. All that effort for a fresh pair of boxers!
Used the bike on Friday morning to cycle in along the bulldozed road through Glen Larig. No punctures this time! This is a lovely part of the southern highlands, and although it’s only an hour away from the Central Belt, really has a feeling of forgotten remoteness. It was also Rob Roy’s stomping ground. I passed his old house! No one was in. No chance of a cup of tea then!
I dumped the bike just below Beinn a’Chroin to collect on the way out, and then had to walk up the glen to reach Beinn Chabhair. By the time I was on the summit, what little cloud there was had broken up and the rest of the day gave hazy views out across the surrounding hills. The south-easterly was if anything stronger and colder however, so there was little incentive to linger.
These two days together felt like big days. I can still remember the first time I climbed Ben More from the Crianlarich unrelentingly, steep side. Well, the other side isn’t that much different it turns out.
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