Participants: Just me
Where: Sgorr Racaineach, 404m/1325', P34, TuMP, OS 51, NN 755 244, Crappich Hill, 468m/1534', P38, TuMP, NN 748 248 and Am Binnein, 480m/1575', P41, TuMP, NN 744 252
Glen Lednock, north of Comrie, is one of the closest "Highland" areas to where I stay. There are lots of smaller hills to explore and this ridge, in the south-west corner of the glen, looked really attractive when I saw it from Sir David Baird's monument hill walk last year. There was a fine view of it from the car window on the drive north.....
A good track, only part of which was marked on my old map, ran from the parking spot at a farm entrance across the ridge then partly along the lower western slopes of the hills. It really helped, as these hills are rough with many rock outcrops and the more outflanking I could do the better. My first objective, Sgorr Racaineach- the right hand one of the two pictured- certainly looked a tempting hill when viewed from the starting point.....
Across the glen, a snow covered Ben Chonzie was in view most of the walk. At points I could see down to the car park for it; it was full with other cars lining the verge on either side. A rough guess- 30 cars. I had my ridge to myself and probably got better views as the top of Chonzie was in cloud a lot of the time (feeling smug!).....
Sgorr Racaineach must get visitors however as it had a substantial cairn. The view south was to Ben Halton and Mor Bheinn with a snow covered Ben Vorlich beyond and Loch Earn in the distance.....
Crappich Hill was next......
I descended to the track again to avoid crags and then picked up a faint path which avoided the worst of the heather and which took me all the way to the metal pole that marked the highest point.....
There was a much better view of Ben Vorlich from here, the hills at the head of Loch Earn are the two Balquhidder Corbetts, Creag MacRanaich and Meall an t-Seallaidh......
There was a much better view of Ben Vorlich from here, the hills at the head of Loch Earn are the two Balquhidder Corbetts, Creag MacRanaich and Meall an t-Seallaidh......
The helpful path disappeared so it was a case of a bit of heather bashing to Am Binnein (the rounded top in the centre of the photo).....
The approach.....
Another view of Ben Vorlich.....
The lowest point in the ridge allowed a view down to Glen Lednock with the Corbett Creag Uchdag to the left and part of Ben Chonzie to the right.....
Ben Vorlich again.....
And a view back from Am Binnein over Crappich Hill to the lowlands. The atmosphere was clear, the Lomond Hills in central Fife are on the left with most of the Ochil Hills to the right.....
I dropped down the hillside to the south where I followed sheep tracks across the hillside to avoid having to reclimb some of the humps and bumps and picked up the track where it ended/started. A fine ridge and I guess that few people do it.
1 comment:
Done C.H. and enjoyed it. It's amazing how busy the Munros are now but you can easily forget that Scotland has large groups of dedicated
hill-walkers and crowded car parks every weekend when you do the lesser hills. Two different worlds entirely.
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