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With the Ben Cruachan Horseshoe climbed the
previous day (Saturday), Sunday was the designated going home day. But
with such superb weather across the Highlands, I didn't want to go straight home - Dougie and I decided to go for Cruach
Ardrain above Crianlarich, before taking the evening train home.
So we didn't have too much time to spare, because neither of us owns a car.
Cruach Ardrain is the only hill you can reasonably climb straight from
Crianlarich itself, so we dumped our excess baggage behind the Youth
Hostel and set off up the forestry tracks. It was a very hot day, but
not as bad as in the morning, perhaps. I hadn't been up the forestry
route in about a year and was glad to find that I still remembered the
route.
We climbed the long metres onto Grey Height and then worked up towards
Meall Dhamh. While it took considerable effort to reach, we still had
another 200 metres to go until Cruach Ardrain!
The two resounding features of this trip were firstly the weather, but
also the amount of time spent talking about the upcoming High Tatra
trip. The mountaineering club has organised a week in this range and
most time ended up being spent talking about what we're going to do on
the holiday... And I can't wait! Also talk of other mountain ranges too,
in the future, maybe.
But the weather was so good - one of those brilliant days that I now
associate with being high on the hills in the Southern Highlands. It's
so worth it.
Anyway, it was an easy going day. Nothing hard, just a quick jaunt up
and down a hill... We headed down to Crianlarich, initially a bit edgy
about making the train in time, but reaching the bottom in perfect time.
I was lying down on the station platform and Dougie sneaks away... Five
minutes later I hear the clink-clink of bottles and the legend of a man
had brought two bottles of Millers which were promptly drunk on the
train! Legend!
What an awesome day.
Accommodation!
Going up
...and Down
Panoramas
Cruach Ardrain 90° zoomed: S to W. Ben Lomond, West
Crianlarich Hills, Glen Fyne and Beinn Buidhe
Cruach Ardrain 90° zoomed: W to N. Tyndrum Hills,
Etive Hills, Strath Fillan, Bridge of Orchy Hills, Breadalbane
Cruach Ardrain 90° zoomed: Breadalbane, Ben More and
Stob Binnein
Cruach Ardrain 90° zoomed: Loch Earn area, Ben Ledi,
Balquhidder, Campsie Fells, Loch Lomond
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