Planned a 3 munro route, Beinn Dubhchraig, Ben Oss & Ben Lui and left the Vale slightly late in weather not to forecast or my liking, low cloud which didn't look like shifting. Parked at Dalrigh just before Tyndrum and set off on the 3 miles of farm track towards Cononish. Cloud below 2500'.
From Cononish head SE up the pathless steep lower slopes of Ben Dubhchraig, after about 1000' of ascent you cross a fence and the slope eases and you can run a bit. The next 1000' took me into the clouds, pausing just before visibility dissapeared to orientate myself to the map, go South it said. Tied the compass to my backpack and climbed into the mist occaisional fenceposts giving comfort that I was going in the right direction. Soon passed a small loch where I should take a left (South-East)for the last 300' of climb, pleased to pick up a path zig zaging to the top.
Beinn Dubhchraig summit "cairn" in the mist.
To reach Ben Oss you first return to the Lochan then take a left (West), follow more zig zags as you drop a few hundred feet to pop back under the clouds at 2500' and the Beallach before the climb up Ben Oss. Stopping every few hundred yards to try to pick out a route up Ben Oss. Begin to waver as route finding in the mist time consuming & tiring, maybe call it a day after Ben Oss, leaving Ben Lui for a better day.
Loch Oss front, Loch Dochart rear.
Managed to avoid going over the knoll just in front of Ben Oss by contouring round South West above Loch Oss.
Back into the clouds now and find a flat area from where the streams flow into Loch Oss, leave the path and head North to pick up the ridge and found what turned out to be a path leading to the summit. Getting brighter on the way up, patches of blue sky appearing above.
Ben Oss summit cairn with Ben Lui summit peeking out behind!
Met a couple of hillwalkers on Oss summit, stopped for a chat and some food as the clouds melted away below, views opening up, Ben Lui back on the agenda.
Route finding easy, lovely run down to the Beallach dropping 1000' in just over a mile to the head of Corrie Laoigh for the climb up Ben Lui, 1400' in just over a mile. Faint tracks at first improves with height as it picks up the Coire Gaotach rim.
The final 300'.
Reached Lui summit, breathless from the exertion and the views. You could touch Cruachan and Loch Awe. The Arrochar Alps from Lui, usually the other way round. Two problems, didn't want to leave, but when I did, what route?
The way back?
Watched some walkers picking their way towards the northern top up over Stob Garbh and decided it was too rocky to descend, went back to try Stob an Tighe Aird, the bail out from that being a longer run back to the head of Coire Laoigh.
Descent from the Northern top looks a bit steep!
The path down Stob an Tighe Aird snow covered at the top but managed to pick my way round and between patches of snow and onto a clear path down into Coire Gaotach 1200' below dislodged a boulder on the way & watched it career down the steep slopes below.
View of Lui Summit just before dropping into Coire G. Walkers can be seen on my descent track, lower left.
Slithered down into the Coire and a refreshing wash in the streams. From here the run down is familiar from March's recce. Back in the glen stopped for another wash and some food before the 5 mile run out through Cononish.
The day was a reward for perseverance when it would have been easy to give up after the first hill. An interesting contrast from navigating in mist to spectacular views.
Total of 15 miles & 5600' of ascent, felt harder and a bit longer probably due to stop / start navigating in the mist. A few more pictures in the Galleria.
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