Ben Cruachan

Wednesday 19th July 2006

This was a long day mainly due to a late start. I caught a train from Crianlarich towards Oban, getting off at the ‘Falls of Cruachan’ station, however the train didn't leave Crianlarich till 10.39 so most of the morning was over by the time I started the walk. Add to that the very hot temperatures and we have a long, strenuous walk, but one that will always be remembered due to the sheer magnificence of the mountain climbed. Starting from the station I probably immediately made a mistake by going up a service road for the power station, crossing the railway line I found myself on a narrow, overgrown and very steep path that didn't seem to have had anyone on it in years. Despite everything to the contrary the path continued up the hill beside the Cruachan burn into cooler, clearer air and the road that leads up to Cruachan Dam.

After the steep ascent in sweltering temperatures, I followed the service road up to the eastern end of the dam and continued beyond the road on a footpath beside the half-full reservoir before turning steeply up the hillside. The hot weather and a full rucksack made this climb virtually impossible and left me in a poor state where I would stumble a few steps, stop for a rest, and then took a few more paces before stopping again for a rest. Through stubborn determination I somehow managed to drag myself all the way up onto the top of the ridge and once I finally got there I just collapsed.

Since I couldn't go anywhere, even if I'd wanted to, I had my lunch while gazing out over the stunning scenery all around me. The views weren't perfect as the haze that I had encountered the day before was persisting, but the haze failed to prevent me from seeing the amazing views of the imposing bulk of Ben Cruachan behind me and the shadowy mountains on the horizon eastwards. Dragging myself back into action I climbed over Stob Garbh and up to Stob Diamh, my first Munro of the day. Gazing eastwards I saw a Munro top, Sron an Isean, only a short walk away and I couldn't resist it, so abandoning my rucksack on the Munro I leapt down the steep rocky path and bagged the top before coming back to the Munro enjoying the steep rocky ascent.

With the heavy rucksack back on my back I slowly made my down the narrow rocky ridge across to Drochaid Ghlas and with the terrain now becoming rockier I was finally beginning to enjoy the walk. Slowly I made my way up the tremendous ridge climbing all the way up to the top of Ben Cruachan, and what a mountain! What a massive hulking behemoth! This mountain must rank with the best of them as it is a huge mass of rock erected in a delightful, conical, mountain shape. If anything deserves the title of mountain rather than being merely a hill then this is it. I was disappointed to have to leave the summit but it was past five o'clock so the day was already old and I still had a long way to go. Reluctantly I left the summit and descended a fabulous rocky slope to Bealach an Lochain before climbing up onto Meall Cuanail (which was another good rocky path). Ahead of me now was a long, grassy descent leading all the way down to the dam, but was I bothered? No, the rucksack was now mysteriously very light as I joyfully bounced down the hill. On reaching the dam I descended the grass slopes beside it to the service road where I picked up a path on the opposite side of the burn descending on a much better path than I had climbed.

Joyfully, I descended through the trees and rhododendrons returning to the road a little before eight o'clock, not long before a bus was due to Oban. This was perfect timing for a perfect walk, except for the hot weather, heavy rucksack and the late start, but with terrain as brilliantly rugged as Ben Cruachan, I could forget any problems. Any walk on Ben Cruachan is a perfect walk.