Participants - Me and Ben
Where - Sgorach Mor, 601m/1,972', Sub-2,000' Marilyn, Map 56, NS 097850
The forecast said that the best weather would be around the western coastal fringes so I headed to Cowal, an area with a number of Marilyns. It is also an area of the country with lots of trees so there is always a danger that an intended route might be closed due to forestry activities. I feared the worst when I arrived at the track end to find stacks of newly cut logs and lots of warning notices. However, none of them said "keep out" so Ben and I set off up the forestry road.....
We soon encountered a lorry piled high with logs coming down the track and soon after were passed by a couple of logging machines going up but all their occupants gave a smile and a wave; it was good to find one company that did not impose a blanket ban on pedestrian access whenever work was taking place. After about a mile and just after passing a picnic bench, a rougher track branched off to the right and we took this. It was marked on the 1:25 000 map but not on the 1: 50 000. Looking back down the path there were glimpses of Cruach Neuran across Glen Lean- it is another Marilyn that I haven't done but looks a much more testing prospect than Sgorach Mor being completely surrounded by forest.....
There were also glimpses of Loch Tarsan where there seemed to be a lot of work going on at the dam....
Higher up, where the path made a sharp right turn, we left it to go up a short, steep fire break which took us out of the trees and onto the hill. The going was quite good- grass mainly- and after passing the top called Sgorach Beag, the main top of Sgorach Mor came into view.....
Face on it was quite rocky but much grassier on its northern side and it didn't take long to get to the top where I almost got Ben to stay still long enough to get his photo taken (Isle of Arran in the background distant).....
The weather was calm so I decided on a break for some food. Oh dear! Ben is very nosey and also loves food; the concept of a rucksac that contained both interesting and edible things was too much for him and it was clear that I was not going to get any peace. So I had to pack everything away again and prepare to head down; further training required! Meantime, if you see us on the hill, secure your rucksac!
Although the sun had disappeared by this time and a veil of cloud had moved in the atmosphere was very clear and I could see the hills of Jura and Mull on the western horizon. This is a zoom shot of the Paps of Jura.....
I wasn't sure what all the hills were in this part of the country although I eventually realised that the right hand one of this pair had to be Beinn Mhor which I had climbed a couple of times from Glen Masson.....
On the way down there was a good view of Loch Tarsan.....
The walk took around 3 hours 30 minutes and after a quick visit to a cafe in Dunoon for a hot chocolate and a slice of apple pie to make up for my missed lunch on the hill it was back to the ferry. There was a bit of a sunset over the Cowal hills on the trip back.....
3 comments:
I`ve hardly scratched this area Neil.Think it`s the ferry fare that puts me off :)
Had planned to tale the bike over last year but just never got round to it.
Did you start at NS 093 827 ?
Alex.
Hi Alex, yes that's where I started. It's a wide forestry track with plenty paking at its foot. The hills in this part of the country are quite rugged; I think that the best of them in terms of views is Cruach na Capull approached from Inverchaolain to the south. Neil.
for western ferry crossing there are some outlets which sell tickets at a reduced cost :) One of them is the shop approx 1.5 miles before the ferry :)
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