Armed with my newly purchased Harvey Superwalker map (waterproof) I set out to try for a circuit of the 4 Lui Munros. The plan was to follow the track from Dalrigh towards Cononish, would the huts really be green? Would I find my fortune in gold? As luck would have it, no, but the huts are really green, oh and the weather turned pretty poor as well, low cloud and snow restricting the run to a couple of up & downs, 12 or so miles & 4000' of ascent.
Set off towards Cononish, leaving the track just before the green huts up the steep lower slopes of Beinn Dubhcraig. After 1000' or so the gradient eased to runnable. Continue to climb but towards cloud and snow, occaisional sun beams breaking through giving some hope of clearer weather.
About 2500' didn't look good, unfamiliar ground, snow, cloud, took a 5 min break to orientate and plan. Common sense took over and about turn away from the snow & clouds and back to the track.
Ben Lui looked interesting in the distance, brown/green slopes leading to a white cauldron like Coire Gaothach 1000' plus above. On the way towards Lui occaisional cloud breaks revealing glimpses of Beinn Dubhcraig & Ben Oss summits. At the base of the climb ran upstream alongside the Alt Coire Laoigh to find a dry crossing point, didn't fancy starting out wet. Across the stream a trod winds up past several waterfalls just before the jaws at the entrance to Coire G and back into snow and cloud. The Coire is strewn with large boulders around streams which were lying under a few feet of snow to trap the careless walker, their prescence only realised by the muffled sound of rushing water.
Climbed up into the Coire as far as I dared, stopping to build a snowman & for a wine gum or two. Phone started taking pictures on its own in the rather wet conditions, took it out my pocket and tried to point it at some of the Coire features, a couple of the pictures that came out are in the Galleria.
After a few minutes set off down the snowy slopes, 2 slips and 1 fall but no submission, fall being cushioned by the spare clothes and litre of juice in my backpack, at least there was no-one around to see it.
On the way back ploughed straight through the Alt Coire Laoigh to clean the shoes and leggings before a leisurely hours jog back to Dalrigh. Although short of the planned route the near 5 hour run was well worth it as a recce to appreciate the terrain for better weather. Map a good purchase, as well as the 4 Lui Munro's it has all 7 Crianlarich Munro's, from Ben More to Beinn Chabhair.
No comments:
Post a Comment