The Geal Chàrn Group

Thursday 6th June 2013

Despite the summer now starting to give way to Autumn I am still writing about my holiday in Scotland more than three months ago, and I have reached the best day of the holiday. I’d had a good night’s sleep (the best I had under canvas all holiday), but I’ve got to wonder whether the way I did it really helps me get closer to nature: I was completely wrapped in my down sleeping bag, with ear-plugs in my ears and a blindfold over my eyes. This may not have been what I’d intended, but it certainly helped me to wake up refreshed and ready for a glorious day's walk over three mountains and past two lochs. The weather was fantastic, without a cloud in the sky, as I packed up my tent and climbed the short distance from where I’d camped to the top of the pass, Bealach Dudh, between Ben Alder and Geal Chàrn. Before this day, for various reasons I’d only climbed one Munro, Ben Avon, on this holiday, but now with excellent weather, an excellent place to start from and feeling a lot more refreshed than earlier in the week I had no excuse, so immediately I headed up towards the hills north of the pass. I climbed Ben Alder, south of the pass, the year before so this was now my opportunity to climb the Geal Chàrn group of mountains.

From the top of Bealach Dubh I climbed the slopes of Leacann an Brathan avoiding the top of Sgor Iutharn to head steeply up to the vast summit plateau of Geal Chàrn. This plateau would have been really difficult to navigate in poor weather as even in the good weather that I was enjoying I had problems finding my way across the featureless plain to the summit. Views were restricted by the vastness of the undulating terrain across the plateau so I couldn’t see the summit, and when I did find a cairn this wasn’t the Munro. I needed to look at a map to work out where to go and eventually I found the summit cairn in the western corner of the plateau just above the cliffs of Coire na Coichille. It felt great to be at the top of a mountain again on a gloriously sunny morning, especially after all the problems of the past week. I hadn’t realised how much I missed the feeling of being at the top of a mountain where countless hills could be seen dotted all around me as far as the eye could see. Ben Alder was an obvious draw across the valley, but the other two Munros in the group drew me on.

The fourth Munro in the group, Carn Dearg, was east, back towards Culra Bothy, and not in the right direction that I was heading. Instead I headed west onto a narrow ridge that led me onto the dramatically small top of Aonach Beag, my second Munro of the day. The views towards these Munros were spell-binding and arrested my attention the whole time I was traversing the ridge between them. I was in a dream as I sailed along the ridge between these mountains with my rucksack for the first time on this holiday actually feeling light. From Aonach Beag a gloriously narrow and more prolonged ridge led me to the final Munro of the day, Beinn Eibhinn (pronounced Ben Avon, coincidentally the name of the other Munro I’d climbed on this holiday). The view towards the mountains west was now unhindered and I couldn’t help noticing the difference between those mountains and the ones to the east. The mountains of the Western Highlands are more rugged, craggy and pointed than the smoother, flat-topped, heather-clad mountains of the Cairngorms, and to me the best mountains in Scotland are those to the west.

I stood transfixed at the top of Beinn Eibhinn not wanting to leave, but I knew that I had a long walk-out, so despite it being only noon I began my descent over the Munro Top of Meall Glas Choire all the way down to the valley bottom. The start of the descent was dull, but after lunch on the rocks of Creagan na Craoibhe I had a thrilling ride down the steepening terrain weaving around the outcrops and into the heather-filled valley. This was great fun for me as I really love long descents off hilltops down pathless ridges and this one brought me down to a delightful path beside the Uisge Labhair that I had been on the year before and took me all the way to Corrour Shooting Lodge and Loch Ossian. I had thoroughly enjoyed my time last year at Loch Ossian, so it was wonderful to be able to revisit the area, even if only in passing. I took the path along the southern shore of Loch Ossian past a stunning rhododendron collection where, although many of the flowers were not yet in bloom, others, particularly red-flowered ones, were putting on a tremendous display. I had a lovely walk in the sunshine past the rhododendrons and beside the loch all the way to the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel.

After passing the hostel and Corrour station, I headed over the hill and down to Loch Treig on a route that I’d taken last year coming back up to Loch Ossian after climbing the Easains. This steep drop brought me down to the shore of Loch Treig where I rounded the southern end of the loch and after passing Creaguaineach Lodge I made my way beside the Abhainn Rath to Staoineag Bothy. This was a magical day where I saw some truly great scenery that I have to say was better than anything I’d seen in the Cairngorms National Park. I will always be drawn to the Western Highlands as I’m convinced that’s where the best mountains are, and fortunately my visit coincided with great weather and I had the energy to enjoy it. However, by the time I reached the Abhainn Rath I was really tired and weary after a long day, but the bothy was a welcome sight and despite having the place to myself I had an enjoyable evening reading my Kindle and playing patience by the light of the setting sun. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.