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Glen Fyne to Tyndrum. |
Corbetts ->Section1->Glen Fyne/Tyndrum
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Glen Fyne to Tyndrum. |
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Section
1 Ben
Donich Section
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 Meall an Fhudair from Beinn Damhain, the snowy hillis Beinn Laoigh.
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At the head of Glen Fyne, other than striking Beinn Bhuidhe, the hills are rather nondescript, low and rolling. The most significant of these is Meall an Fhudair which just about makes it into the Corbett list. However this hill is almost always climbed from Glen Falloch, and most visit the well known viewpoint and Inverarnan hangover cure of Troisgeach and do not bother with the last mile of bog to the slightly higher summit. The main top is also a superb viewpoint, swapping the bonny braes for a gunsight view down Glen and Loch Fyne.
Meall an Fhudair is another uncelebrated hill, between the glories of Laoigh and Arrochar, but I really like this hill. I had a good day of bright winter sunshine, lighting up the golden braes of the Lomond trench, interspersed with sharp black snow showers giving a good covering when near the summit.
First Troisgeach is tackled by the knobly and entertaining ridge above the pub at Inverarnan, gained through oak woods by a hairpin hydro road, then when on the bleak boggy plateau the views down Lomond are left behind as a way must be steered through the knolls and lochains towards the far west summit. From here , when the latest storm had passed, a very fine rear view of all the Arrochar hills as well as Glen Fyne was presented. Later the Laoigh group emerged from the squall. Here on this lowly perch you are granted a grandstand view of all the goodies in the west end of Munros Tables section 1.
Glen Fyne from the summit.The return was varied by dropping down rough slopes to the Lairg Arnan a drove road of old, now a wild boggy glen, forgotten by all but the hydro. The drovers would be heading for Inverarnan stance and then the pull over the corpse road to the Trossachs, Stirling and finally the tryst at Falkirk. Others would pass by the north of the hill over from Dalmally. Many roads would meet at what is now the eccentric inn at Inverarnan. Which is where most ascendees of Troisgeach/Fhudair head on return to the glen. My party was not an exception to this rule.
Loch and Ben Lomond from TroisgeachWhile you are up at the Larig, try adding the rough little hill, Beinn Damhain to your day. I was lucky to attend Rob Woodall's Graham completion party up there on a crystal day of intense cold. We watched an eagle pass through the Larig as the malts were passed around. Later we saw the last of the sun on Fhudair as we passed the icy Lochain Damhain to the slippy hydro road. The old fire at the Inverarnan was very welcoming that day.
Traveling down Glen Lochay a very steep hill rises to the south blocking off all hope of a view of Beinn Laoigh. This is Beinn Chuirn, which is a sort of small Beinn Laoigh with the big eastern corrie.
Beinn a'Chuirn has got a certain modern notoriety because of its gold mine, just above Cononish farm. I don’t know the current status of the mine, it variously opens and shuts depending on the price of gold. The mine taps into a reef of quartz that also runs over Beinn Udlaidh and is clearly visible from Bridge of Orchy. I have seen drilling equipment on this hill also. The river, later to become the Tay is often panned for gold, and has been long before the modern miners arrived.
Most ascents start from near the now rather major tourist centre of Tyndrum, ‘capital’ of the Highland bus tour. That is what the big hotels are for. Drinking hill bashers should head for the Inverey bar, always full of Munro baggers, West Highland Wayfarers and in season, skiers. I was staying here and after a foul night three of us headed up the forest road from the Lower Station towards the farm and mine at Cononish. Most start from Dalrigh, an area of moraines and scattered trees. Thanks to a forest fire that threatened Tyndrum itself, the knolly plain is again visible. The West Highland way passes tiny Lochain nan Arm. Robert the Bruce reputedly threw his claymore into this lochain after being repulsed by the Lorne MacDougals in 1306. He was lucky to lose only his sword here.
Beinn Chuirn from Ben Challum. Eas Anie is frozen (left, above the gold mine.)
From the farm a steep ascent was made up to the head of the gorge containing Eas Anie, a fall that can give good ice climbing. My companions had disappeared up some of the nearby Munros, by now. The ascent was uncomplicated, and unlike the other two, I got a view of sorts. The route back was to follow the ridge to Tyndrum and descend by the lead mines. The first descent was very steep, hanging above Glen Lochay, another ancient battlefield, and I rested halfway down sitting on a ledge watching the traffic far below. The map show forestry on the next hill, Meall Odhar, this is easily passed, following the old fence. This ridge should always be passable, the trees are far apart along the line of the old fence. After a pleasant walk along the ridge, in far from pleasant weather the rough descent was made by the leadmines. Crude zig zags pass down the spoil heaps beside an evil slit, the site of the lead vein that made a fortune for the local landowner in the late 18th century. Although rough, this is an interesting way down. However there is a sharp transaction from the angular screes of mine waste to the forest bogs beside the Railway.
My companions returned soon after having had a proper going over on Beinn Oss. There sometimes a good reason for Corbett bagging.
Beinn Chuirn and Meall Odhair
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revised April 2005
