[Trip Index] [Munro Index] [Home] 28th May 2002   Geal Charn A' Mharconaich Beinn Udlamain Sgairneach Mhor Map These four hills are on the western side of the Pass of Drummochter, just south of Dalwhinnie. The area seems to be permanently in cloud and torrential rain for I remember sitting in the café in Dalwhinnie two years ago with Trisha, after doing Carn na Caim, watching the rain sheeting down outside. Still, it started off ok today, dry but with the higher summits in cloud. Trisha dropped me off in the car park by Balsporran Cottages (9.40) - an isolated farm/B&B - and I crossed the railway line and headed off along a cart-track west then south-west. Setting off along the cart-track After a short distance a path leaves the cart track and heads off up the NE ridge of Geal Carn through heather, grass and then rocks - it was boggy lower down but became rockier near the top. In the early stages the top of the mountain looked quite clear but soon the lower edges of the cloud were closing in and visibility came and went. At one point I took a picture thinking I'd reached the top because the land had levelled off - there were cairns overlooking the eastern edge, and the cloud was obscuring anything higher. I soon found out there was a bit more yet though, but it wasn't difficult and I reached the true top at 11.10. Windy there, but dry. Summit of Geal Charn Easily descending Geal Charn's southern ridge along a clear, stony path I had a good view of Loch Ericht when the cloud cleared a bit (although for some reason I thought it was Loch Laggan at the time). It was easy walking and then at the bottom I turned eastwards to begin my plod up the A' Mharconaich ridge - a boggy, steepish slog. Once atop the ridge, however, it was a nice amble over a rounded, mossy, cloudy ridge up to the summit which was topped with a windbreak rather than a cairn (12.25). The broad ridge to the top seemed very like the one I'd traversed a few days earlier on Ben Wyvis. Loch Ericht on the way from Geal Charn to A' Mharconaich The cloud cleared from time to time and let me see where I was headed next - Beinn Udlamain, the Gloomy Mountain! It was an easy gentle descent and reascent following a line of fence posts; an obvious path and firm, stony terrain. Looking towards Beinn Udlamain the route appeared as a graceful curve upwards from left to right up to the top, following the ridge. It turned out to be a nice, undemanding amble but as I reached the top more cloud closed in (this was the highest peak) and it began to rain. On the way up I told the mountain that I'd call it Jolly Mountain in my memoirs if all went well, as I didn't think it deserved its gloomy sobriquet. Beinn Udlamain From the summit of Beinn Udlamain I followed the fence posts south down the mountainside and at the bottom turned East towards the slopes of Sgairneach Mhor. As I was crossing the boggy bit at the bottom it began to thunder, which was a bit unnerving, myself being rather exposed up there. Looking at the map now I realise I could have called it a day at that point and made off down the Coire Dhomhain back to the road - but it didn't occur to me at the time. You can't keep fishing the map out in the rain or it starts to disintegrate. I wouldn't have liked to finish without the last peak anyway. So, beset all round by cloud, heavy rain, hail, a roaring cold wind and thunder, I slogged up the steep western flank of Sgairneach Mhor. I was feeling a bit tired by then or maybe it's just the cold and rain that sap the spirits. The rain did ease off after I'd passed the steep lower slopes, however, leaving me to peer vainly through the mist for any recognisable feature. It's fairly level there and though it sounds unnecessary I did have to resort to the trusty compass to find the summit, which is marked by a concrete trig point. At the top I was rewarded for my efforts by the rain stopping and the cloud clearing a bit while two Tornado jets barrelled past, one after the other, following the A9 north. Both were below me. Sgairneach Mhor summit A nice amble across the top then and on down the NE spur. This levels out and approaches a small hillock which is followed by a larger hill - the Sow of Atholl. I turned NNE away from the path just before the hillock and descended through heather to the Allt Coire Dhomhain - no sign of a path but once you've reached the stream and crossed it there's a cart track which takes you all the way back to the road, leaving you about 2 miles south of your starting place. It was raining steadily on the way down and I was fairly wet when I reached the road (4.20). Called Trisha on the mobile - she was quarter of a mile down the road in a layby and a bit grumpy when I got her to come the extra bit to pick me up, moaning about the difficulties of turning right and getting into and out of the bit I was waiting at. Never mind, eh.