Sunderland Walking Club Crianlarich, May 20th 2016 onwards Accommodation/Information Crianlarich SYHA, Station Road, Crianlarich FK20 8QN Hostel Tel: 01838 300260 Glen Dochart Caravan Park Luib, Crianlarich, Tents and caravans Perthshire FK20 8QT Tel: 01567 820637 There is a range of accommodation available in the Crianlarich and Tyndrum Hotels/B&B/Self Catering area which can easily be viewed via several good internet sites. Tyndrum Information Centre Main Street, Tyndrum, Tourist Information Centre Argyll the Isles Loch Lomond Stirling & the Trossachs FK20 8RY Tel: 01838 400246 Maps OS Landranger 50 – Glen Orchy OS Explorer 377 – Loch Etive and Glen Orchy OS Outdoor Leisure 39 – Loch Lomond North Harvey British Mountain Map – Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Outdoor Atlas Meeting place Meet 9.15am at station car park. Note: Due to the nature of the arrangements for this week - several cars being used, people spread across a wide range of accommodation, and variable mountain weather - it is not practicable to plan a daily schedule of walks in advance. The walks for each day will therefore be decided on the morning at the meeting place, and will depend on weather conditions and availability of volunteer leaders. It is the responsibility of each individual to be at the 9.15 a.m. meeting in order to ensure they have input into the decisions on which walks they would like to see take place. Suggested routes Because of the large potential walking area around Crianlarich, the following are only a small sample of the walks available in this area, and they can all be modified (shortened or lengthened), depending on the people in the party and the weather. An excellent website for further information on walks of all standards is www.walkhighlands NOTE: Munros are marked with * Crianlarich - Glen Dochart - Tyndrum Ben Lui* and Beinn a’Chleibh* Distance: 6 miles Ascent: 3,300ft (1006m) Park at 239278, follow the path to the river Lochy and find a suitable place to wade across and head for the underpass at GR239276 where the Eas Daimh flows beneath the railway. Follow the path up through the trees with the burn on the right and head towards Ciochan Beinn Laoigh to reach the North ridge of Ben Lui. Follow the ridge to Ben Lui summit and then continue South West to Beinn a’Chleibh (Bin a Chlayv). Head off the end of the ridge and descend towards the forest, picking up the track back to the railway underpass at GR243267. Ben Oss* and Ben Dubhchraig* Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 3,288ft (1002m) Park at 343291, cross the A82 and follow the tarmac road to the Drochaid Bhan (white bridge), cross over and follow the path up the right hand side of the Allt Coire Dubhchraig and climb up through Coire Dubhchraig to the main ridge. Turn left on the ridge and head to the summit of Ben Dubhchraig (ben doo-craig), then return by following the ridge along to the summit of Ben Oss. Again, return along the ridge to the point where it was first attained and descend via Coire Dubhchraig back to the car. Beinn Challum* Distance: 7miles Ascent: 3,000ft (914m) Park 357277 near the A82. Go up through Kirkton Farm and follow the patchy path to the summit of Beinn Challum (ben cha-lam), return the same way. An Caisteal* and Beinn a’Chroin* Distance: 9 miles Ascent: 2,600ft (792m) Park on the A82 at 368238. Cross the bridge and follow the path up Twistin Hill to reach the summit of An Caisteal (An Castail). Continue along the summit ridge SSE then NE to Beinn a’Chroin (Ben a Kroin). Follow the ridge to the end and then descend N into Coire Earb and follow the west bank of the River Falloch back to the cars. Cruach Ardrain* and Beinn Tulaichan* Distance: 9 miles Ascent: 5,165ft (1574m) Walk along the A82 Glasgow road to 382245. Cross the stile and the railway bridge, then head over muddy terrain SE for Grey Height. Continue along the ridge over Meall Dhamh to Cruach Ardrain (Kroo-ach ardrain). Take the ridge south to Beinn Tulaichean (Ben Too-leach-an). To return, either head back the same way, skirting the summit of Cruach Ardrain, or across to the Cruach Ardrain-Stob Garbh col then descend NW to a forestry track which comes out on the A85 a little to the east of Crianlarich. Beinn More* and/or Stob Binnein* Distance: 7.5 miles Ascent: 4,379ft (1335m) Park at 414258 near Benmore Farm. If preferred, there is a lay-by a little to the east on the north side of the road. Cross the stile and climb SE to the summit of Ben More. Continue to the col then climb Stob Binnein (stobinyan). Return to the col and go NW down to the Benmore Burn and follow it back to the road. Note either Ben More or Stob Binnein can be completed on their own, either by climbing as described above, or ascending via the Benmore Burn. Bridge of Orchy area Stob a’ Choire Odhair* and Stob Ghabhar* Distance: 11 miles Ascent: 4,550ft (1387m) Park at Victoria Bridge 272418. Walk along the road to Forest Lodge, take the track westwards to 257425, then the stalkers’ track up the east bank of the Allt Toaig. Cross the Allt Caolain Duibh burn and follow the broad ridge northwards to the summit of Stob a’Choire Odhair (stop a corrie oor). Descend west to the bealach, continue uphill westwards for a few hundred yards, then pick up the Aonach Eagach ridge and follow this to the summit of Stob Ghabhar (stop gowar). Descend via the SE ridge to the stalkers track. Beinn Dorain* and Beinn an Dothaidh* Distance: 8 miles Ascent: 3,600ft (1097?m) Park at Bridge of Orchy 297396. Climb up by the south side of the Allt Coire an Dothaidh to the col. Turn south for Beinn Dorain (ben doa-ran), then return to the col and take a diagonal NNE line to the summit of Beinn an Dothaidh (ben daw- ee). Return to the col again and then descend back to Bridge of Orchy. Arrochar area Ben Arthur (The Cobbler) Distance: 7 miles Ascent: 2,959ft (902m) Park at 294050 and take the well trodden path on the opposite side of the road which zig zags up through the forest and then runs along the north side of the Allt a’Bhalachain burn. At 268058 take the path which branches off WNW to the summit of Ben Arthur. Return either by the same route or via Lochain a’Chlaideimh. Ben Vane* Distance: 7 miles Ascent: 3,000ft (914m) Park at or near 324098, walk back down the road and take the Hydro Board track to Coiregrogain. From here follow the ESE ridge up to the summit of Ben Vane, return by the same route. Ben Vorlich* Distance: 6 miles Ascent: 2,959ft (902m) Park at Ardlui station (318154), take the second underpass to the south of the station and climb the heather slopes up to Coire Creagach. Take the NW side of the stream and ascend to the main ridge NNE of the summit, then turn left to reach Ben Vorlich. Return the same way. Ben Narnain* and Ben Ime* Distance: 7 miles Ascent: 4,000ft (1219m) Park at 294050 and take the path ascending steeply from the road, up through the forest and climb the broad ridge over Cruach nam Miseag and on to the summit of Ben Narnain. Continue NW to Bealach a’Mhaim and then on to the summit of Ben Ime. Return to the Bealach and then take the path south to Lochain a’Chlaideimh and then follow the well worn footpath down the burn back to the road. Loch Awe Cruachan Horseshoe Distance: 8.5miles Ascent: 4,900ft (1494m) Park at the Falls of Cruachan railway station (080267) on the north side of the road. Follow the track steeply up the east side of a burn to the Cruachan Dam then follow the track along the West side of the reservoir, taking the left hand path at the end, up to Coire Dearg. From here there is the option to include Meall Cuanail and return to Coire Dearg or just head straight up to Ben Cruachan*, then follow the ridge along to Stob Diamh* (Stob Dyv) and descend back to the dam via Stob Garbh. From the dam, retrace the route back down to the station. Longer and shorter variations of the route are possible. Beinn Eunaich* and Beinn A’Chochuill* Distance: 8.5 miles Ascent: 3,871ft (1180m) Park at 137287. Follow the track to Castles then climb north over Stob Maol to Beinn Eunaich (Bin Ayneech). Descend W to the col then continue along the ridge of Beinn A’Chochuill (Bin Cho-chil) and make a way south to the easy track which continues back to Castles. CRIANLARICH HILLS The Crianlarich Hills stretch out along Glen Falloch from Inverarnan at the head of Loch Lomond at one end to the town of Crianlarich at the other and offer 7 superb Munros including Ben More and Stob Binnein the highest peaks in the area. The Crianlarich hills can be reached by Glasgow in around an hour via the A82 and from East via the A85. The region can be split up easily into 4 good days’ worth of hill walking although it has been heard that some people have completed the entire load in one day. We dont recommend this is you would like to be able to use your legs afterwards! At the north east end of Glen Falloch to the east of Crianlarich itself sits Ben More and Stob Binnein the highest in the range and makes a great day out.