Crianlarich Weekend

We stayed at the Crianlarich SYHA hostel and were a group of 9: Susan, Jane, Gillie, Alan, David, Iain, Graham, Hamish and Robert. The hostel was very clean, tidy and warm although the drying room didn’t work very well.

On the Friday Graham walked the Graham Meall Buidhe and as he finished he saw Gillie and Alan making a very late start on Creag Mac Ranaich in Glen Ogle. They finally arrived at the hostel after 8.00pm having completed the Corbett. Iain and Robert walked Beinn Mhanach.

For all those walking the weather was good with sunny intervals, any cloud well above the tops but a strong wind.

Saturday’s weather was completely different. The cloud was down and as we headed off to our respective start points it was sleeting and about 1 deg C. Susan, David, Iain, Alan and Robert were planning to do Beinn Heasgarnaich and Creag Mhor however as we climbed Heasgarnaich the rain set in and the wind picked up so we only did that hill before retreating to the car. However, with the tricky navigation it still took 7 hours.

Hamish, Gillie and Graham headed to Glen Etive to walk the Corbett Stob Dubh. As the weather deteriorated Hamish and Gillie turned back but Graham pushed on to the top but said the conditions were horrible and the hill very steep, particularly with snow on the ground. He was the last back to the hostel having had a tough day and meeting a tame stag in the carpark and then encountering a drone hovering above the road on the wayup the Glen! Gillie and Hamish were delayed for 1.5 hours getting back by an accident on the A 85.

Jane headed off to do three Corbetts to the east of Tyndrum but like the rest of the group stopped after the first one, An Casteal because of the weather and headed back to the hostel.

We all went to the Ben More Lodge for supper on Saturday evening.

Sunday dawned slightly warmer and dryer so David, Iain and Robert drove round to Beinn a Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich behind Ben Cruachan and had a pleasant walk mainly in the cloud but with no rain and little wind.