’Click here to see the route map in new window. Arriving on the sleeper at Corrour, i had managed to sleep much better this time thank you. An easy walk was all i wanted though, and the easiest walk left was that up Carn Dearg (and Sgorr Gailbhre). I was particularly keen for a straightforward walk as there was a sprinkling of snow at the station, which would be surely much deeper at Munro height. After the usual bimble to the Youth Hostel where i managed to offload most of my gear, the path sets off ominously across some boggy ground directly opposite.

After my previous experiences, this worried me. It needn’t have. This is as boggy as the track gets as you pull up past a couple of other muddy bits to the memorial stone known as Peter’s Rock. This is apparently a memorial to a local lad who tragically fell through the ice according to someone i met in the hostel last time.

Ahead, there’s a not impressive grassy slope. It’s wet, but not so much that it’ll suck off your boots like the opposite side of Corrour Station. There’s no path, or at least, I didn’t see the path (definately not the same thing). Just head on a rough bearing to the wide ridge across rough ground that becomes a pleasant high walk once the ridge is attained.

Today there was knee deep snow on the ridge. This was heavy going, but infinately more pleasureable than the greasy slush lower down. There was even the need (barely) for the crampons to get some snow time, especially on the nicely packed summit snow. Feeling lazy, i decided that one Munro is enough in one day and headed on back in roughly the same direction i came from. Newly armed with crampons i decided to follow the snow, most of which was grippy and ideal for crampons. Further down, the snow became deeper and softer. I kept losing lower limbs in deep drifts, which wasn’t bad in itself. It was the combination of knee deep snow with knee deep water/bog beneath that was worrying. Peat grikes were full of snow drift, so you never knew how deep you’d go and once you’d gone, if you’d stop or keep on sinking into a different substance. I regretted not plodding on over Sgorr Gailbhre.

After many a sinking, i arrived back at Peter’s Rock thankful of only one bootful of ice cold bog water. It was too early, but i was still welcomed at the hostel. Talking to the warden, Nick, and his dog (Tomrigg – named after a previous warder). I’d only been here six hours and i was already talking to dogs. There were only a few of us in the hostel that night. Including a snoring Frenchman who was pelted in the night with socks by those he kept awake. Some More pics of the day.

Spot the Hostel?

The "Ben"

Click here for route map.

On leaving the train, it was a quick walk to the Youth Hostel where I was greeted by Nick and told where i could store my gear till the evening. I took a quick look at the composting toilets and wasn’t keen but decided it was better than the bothying equivelent of a size 10 heel hole. I popped into the hostel for water and was well impressed with how warm it was, I was looking forward to getting back here this evening.

I felt rather rough too due to the poor night’s sleep, so a shortish walk was probably the best bet. The weather didn’t look great either. I followed the new estate track before an obvious but faint path led up the boggy slopes of Beinn Nan Lap. Once the main slope was cleared, the wide ridge gave good walking and i regretted not bringing my other map so I could carry on over the summit and down to Strath Ossian before returning along the loch. So i dutifully took my own summit photo on top of my first Munro, looked at the lack of view and returned the way I’d come. There was barely a path, but it was easy walking until the boggy bits were reached again and then i spared my boots by travelling most of the way down on my arse. I met my first and only walker on the descent of the hill, a guy called Ian whom i would meet later in the hostel. I saw nobody else on the hills for the entire trip, something unheard of further south.

Walking was civilised today, with a proper lunch stop at the Station House where i was served some proper food too. It’s a new building, with all the facilities, but unusually for a new building it fits in to it’s suroundungs. Apparently, it was built to serve the hoarde of workers who were building the huge lodge at the far end of the Loch. But today it was quiet here, with only a couple for company. Before i left though, it did fill up with walkers waiting for the next train.

Once i’d dragged myself away from the real fire at the Station House,it was then a ‘quick’ ‘round of the Loch that i most definately underestimated in distance. If nothing else, i managed to get a decent leg stretch in on the first day, and definately much more of a walk than i’d expected this morning. Some guys were camping in the forest, so i stopped to rest my feet and chat to them for a while. The first of many Munro baggers I’d see this weekend. One was also a Munro virgin, so we celebrated a bit and then i was on my way to the Youth Hostel.