Over The Hill

Driving north on the A9 between Perth and Blair Atholl on Friday afternoon I was reminded once again of the beauty that lies within our mountains as the autumn colours on the forested hillsides blazed a myriad of golds, browns and greens that seemed to change with every bend in the road; a fitting spectacle to mark the start of a great weekend in the hills.

And Saturday morning saw us high on the Drumochter Pass just north of Dalwhinnie and leaving layby 94 (what a great idea numbering the laybys, it makes finding the start point of a walk so much easier) and heading along the hydro track and alongside the aqueduct to the dam at Loch Cuaich (Note: My keyboard skills are not wanting; the mountain and coire take an H whilst the river and loch do not, i.e. Chuaich and Cuaich), a pleasant walk of 4 kilometres to the base of the heather covered slopes of Meall Chuaich.

Leaving the hydro track behind and crossing the Allt Coire Chuaich is where the hard work begins, as you wind your way uphill through the heather, interspersed with some boggy sections, towards the rockier minor top of Stac Meall Chuaich, at 822m. A 90 degree turn takes you onto the shoulder of the ridge which now heads directly towards the flat summit plateau, but not before some clambering over its rocky surface as what path there is disappears into the maze of broken rocks.

There is no mistaking the highest point on the flat summit area as a huge cairn marks the spot; a cairn that has been meticulously built with interleaved rocks and slabs, as opposed to a "pile" of rocks which is the more common method of construction. It was around this fine cairn that we settled for a break and some refreshments, and off course, to take in the views on this rather pleasant autumn day.

Lunch over and in a slight change of plan, we decided to split into two groups, so while one group headed back down the hillside on the reverse of the uphill track, two of us continued north from the summit down a broad but very rocky ridge aiming to descend to the northern end of Loch Cuaich and return along it's northern shoreline to the dam and hydro track.

For whatever reason, this side of the mountain proved to be a veritable haven for wildlife, with mountain hares scurrying out from the rocks as we crossed over them, ptarmigan and grouse rising in flight before us, and of course, the deer; we spotted a huge herd down at the base of the hillside, though, strangely enough, we did not hear any stags roaring, unlike last week when we were on Stob Coire a'Chairn and Am Bodach.

We met up with the others back at the stalkers hut alongside of the Allt Coire Chuaich, where we sat for some time on the edge of the wooden bridge and just enjoyed the day, and where I found myself being watched by this strange little fellow lying in the water below the bridge; a quick paddle and I had retrieved him, and he now resides with me, my own little "Chuaich Man" - you can see a couple of photos of him opposite.

A great day on a lovely hillside - Thanks everyone.