Over The Hill

When Ian and I walked this route earlier this year in April, it was a bright, cool and crisp clear spring day, and there were even traces of snow still lying around on the Cam Chreag ridge. Today promised to be just as clear but minus the cool wind, it could even get a little warm later in the day, definitely a day for the hills.

Your legs and lungs soon get into the swing of things on the short steep sections of the good track as you leave Auchtertyre and head up Gleann a'Chlachain towards the southern ridge of Beinn Chaorach. At around the 400m height it's time to leave the track and take to the grassy lower slopes of the southern ridge and make headway northwards over the open hillside towards the skyline, which was by now a clear blue with just a few patches of high drifting clouds, the day was living up to its early promise.

Soon we were approaching the rounded Trig Point which still survives on the summit of Beinn Chaorach and making ourselves comfortable for a leisurely break and to enjoy the extensive views the clear visibility offered. as all around us we could see the distant tops, as far as Ben Nevis to the north, and westwards to the Cruachan range.

With one Corbett behind us, we made the descent towards the 638m bealach at the head of Gleann a'Chlachain and onwards to the long ridge-line that is Cam Chreag. The ground here is a little rougher than the approach to Beinn Chaorach, but is still a pleasant climb, and the views from the 880m summit are, I think, even better than those from Beinn Chaorach, as they seem to present a more remote and rugged outlook, especially over those hills to the north and east of the summit.

Standing at the summit on the northern end of the Cam Chreag ridge, it is a fair bet that you will doubt which is the true summit, the northern top, the centre top along the ridge, or the further southern top, as it is almost impossible to visually distinguish any height difference between them. And all this therefore makes it a must to continue along the ridge, with all it's humps and bumps, visiting each summit contender in turn, just to make sure that the OS have got it correct, which off course they have, as you arrive at the southern end you can then see that there is indeed a very slight difference in the levels along the ridge.

However, it is not a fruitless walk, as the ridge itself offers some great views over the nearby Stob nan Clach and Creag Mhor and onwards along the length of Glen Lochay, to the Lawers range beyond; but, probably the best view is right at hand, the northern crags of Beinn Challuim, which drop dramatically from summit level to the Allt Challuim, almost 500m below.

An eastwards descent from the southern top over grassy slopes, followed by a slightly rougher crossing of the new forest plantation takes you to a rather rough forest track, which if followed south, gradually improves as you approach the forest boundary, and once through the gate, continues as a good track which traverses the hillside to rejoin the outbound route back to Auchtertyre, and the completion of a very nice round of two Corbetts.

With the fine weather, and equally fine company, this was a very good day to be out and about in the hills - Thanks everyone.