Gleouraich & Spidean Mialach

Over the Great Glen and on to Loch Quoich and distant hills. This was a good day out all be it a bit harder than I had anticipated. The first hill wasn't too bad but the second seemed to tantalisingly always a bit farther than expected. Still early in the year and the fitness will come with more outings.

 

The drive from Perth took a couple of hours but the views as we neared the foot of the hill were lovely.  Even in this quiet corner there were neat houses tucked into the forests and loch shore. Parking beyond the dam at a the sight of a little river hydro scheme we found a good stalkers path to take us to a flatting sub summit before we headed past a shelter of sorts and on to the first summit.

 

 

 

Things got interesting going for the second summit, for despite being apparently near it was nowhere near as near as we would have liked to think, and as one Munro book notes there is a 'considerable' drop between the two peaks. But one good thing about the distance was that we headed out of a rather gloomy patch of weather and into brighter sunshine.  The descent between the two summits was interesting with snow in the northern corries and a loud ring ouzel warning us not to come too near.

 

 

The path to the top of our second summit petered out a bit amongst big slabby rocks that were tricky to walk over. However, this is good ridge walking and the views north the 'back' of the Glen Sheil south ridge of seven or so Munro's makes for a wonderful viewing. It was a pity that the cloud cover was quite low because on a clear day I think the views here would be pretty extensive.

 

The descent off Spidean was a good grassy stroll and as things hadn't been too wet it was actually quite enjoyable, not to steep and a bit of give in the ground. We headed for LochFearna and by skirting round the flank or small spur to the north west of the loch we were able to head into Coire Meal where we found yet another good stalkers path that conveniently took us to the road, the last bit through a patch of quite vigorous rhododendron.  Iain recalled that the big hydro scheme here had flooded much of the lower glen and covered the original 'bighouse' to which the rhododendrons and some large trees owed their presence.