Monday 14 June 2021

More Munros : Beinnglas Farm to Tyndrum

Munros this section :
Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)
Beinn Narnain
Beinn Ime
Ben Vane
Beinn Buidhe (Glen Fyne)
Beinn a' Chleibh
Ben Lui
Ben Oss
Beinn Dubhchraig

Sadly I'm not due a rest day yet, at least I sort of have a bed at Beinnglas, in a wooden cabin.  I make a late start, I feel tired and the tendon in my right calf hurts, I will try to walk it off.  To start with, the long way up Ben Vorlich, on a good track, then what seems like an endless stone stair down.  The weather has turned, there are clouds, and it rains as I ascend towards Beinn Narnain.  I plan to camp high on saddle, this seems a bit dubious, will it be too windy? - I remember poles snapping in the wind back in 2019.  But in fact it is OK.

The endless stair down from Ben Vorlich.
Next day an early start, starting from high up makes Beinn Ime an easy climb, and I make the second summit of the day, Ben Vane, by 11am, but it's slow getting down.  At the bottom I have some easy going on a nice gravel track, but it stops in the middle of nowhere, the plan is a kilometre or so off trail to join a road, it looks OK on the map, but the reality : cliffs - after a lot of searching I eventually find a way down, almost to sea level, I still reach my planned camp spot by 5pm, however the plan was to pitch the tent then climb Beinn Buidhe with a light pack - well, how long can it take?  A long time as it turns out... it is nearly nearly 9:30pm by the time I get back, good thing the sun sets so late here.

Beinn Buidhe late in the day.
One more day, then I can have a rest.  It starts with an easy green lane up Glen Fyne, then I head off piste for several km, this is a little worrying but works out OK.  I climb up to a high saddle, then walk packless up Beinn a' Chleibh, retrace my steps then take my pack the other way from the saddle, up Ben Lui.  There are many people at the summit, including a nice chap who gives me chocolate, indeed this group of mountains seems a good source of free stuff, I find no less than three pole tips over the course of the day.  From Ben Lui, a nice ridge route takes me over Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig, then there's a long trail down to rejoin the West Highland Way, which I follow to Tyndrum.  Here there is of course beer and a burger, in a busy and not terribly hiker-friendly pub - they tell me off for removing my shoes!  Worse is to come at the campsite, as a trio of drunken louts shout, sing and swear at each other until the police remove them at 1:30am.  Good thing I don't have to walk tomorrow.

A typically delapidated fence crossing point.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

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