Gradient profile of route - Beinn a' Chulaiste
[map]
Total distance walked: 10km
Total ascent: 642m
Time: 1115 – 1545 Saturday 09 August 2008
Well, well. The only two reasons to climb this hill are (a) for the views it affords of Glencoe and the majestic peaks sweeping upwards from the road, and (b) for The Tally. When you set off and the cloud base is at 400m and the drizzly rain is horizontal, you know you’re just in it for the bag.
Susan (not a regular hillwalker) put a brave face on it as the drizzle began to dampen us and our spirits as soon as we left the car at King’s House Hotel. Crossing the West Highland Way we struck off along a faint muddy track that followed the Allt a’ Bhalaich up into Coire Bhalach. Some highland cows and their calfs guarded the east side of the stream, so we struck well to the west until past them.
Deciding against heading directly for the steep slopes of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste’s south face, we followed the stream to about 420m before turning west and heading uphill. We stopped in the shelter of a large boulder to eat lunch and watch the wind blow the rain UPHILL in the coire.
The final climb was relatively easy, meandering as we did along the broad flank. We saw nothing but cloud all around us, so the conversation had to suffice to encourage us uphill.
With no difficulty we reared up to the trig point. We didn’t hang about long as it was a little windy and damp, so we set off west to Stob Beinn a’ Chrulaiste to vary our descent route. Once we’d dropped to this little knoll at 639m the clouds began to thin below us, allowing views if the road arcing through the glen. The best view we got of any mountain was the path from Lagangarbh rising into Coire na Tulaich on Buachaille Etive Mor before steepening to near vertical as it vanished into the clouds.
The path from the stob followed the top of the crags to the south, which enlivened the walk somewhat. Before long we were below the cloud base with the West Highland Way track in view. Once past the crags, rather than follow the ridge’s easy slopes we headed straight down the steep southern side, which meant some gingerly steps amongst scree and ferns before we reached the track, about 4km west of the hotel car park.
We trudged and marched along this separately; whenever I stopped to let Susan catch up I was immediately swarmed by thousands of midges – even in the persistent drizzle and rain. Swarming almost as much as the midges were the walkers doing the West Highland Way. I silently pitied them their misty trudge up the Devil’s Staircase and the subsequent interminable descent to Kinlochleven.
Filed under: Bags | Tagged: Beinn a' Chulaiste, corbett, corbetts, glencoe, hill walking, mountain, mountains, munro, munros, route, scotland
