Beyond the 'Rest and Be Thankful': Glen Kinglas

http://www.crux.u-net.com -> Corbetts ->Section1->Glen Kinglas

Section 1 Ben Donich The Brack Beinn Bheula The Cobbler Beinn an Lochain Beinn Luibheinn Binnein an Fhidhleir Meall an Fhudair Beinn Chuirn Beinn a'Choin Stob a'Choin Ceann na Bantigherna Ben Ledi Benvane Meall an-t-Seallaidh Creag MacRanaich Beinn Each Meall na Fearna Creag Uchdag Creagan Na Beinne Auchnafree Hill Section 0 Section 3 Section 2 Section 6 Return to Corbett index Return Home.

Beinn Luibheinn (left) beside Beinn Ime, as seen from the Cobbler  Beinn an Lochain  901m  3021'*  Probably named after Loch an Restil  Map  Beinn Luibheann  858m  2811'  Luibheann.Small plant , Which small plant?  Map  Binnien an Fhidhleir  817m  2680' Fiddler's Hill  Map

Beinn an Lochain. 901m

Beinn an Lochain is probably well known as the ex-munro. There are two tops and it was believed by the early SMC that the OS spot height of 2992' referred to the lower of the two summit tops. They were wrong on two counts. The two tops are of near enough the same height and were never as high as 2992'. The modern OS has 901m. It is still a very fine hill, dominating Glen Croe and master of the Rest and be Thankful pass.

Beinn an Lochain and Glen Croe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amongst its virtues, brevity of approach means that it is a very quick ascent and ideal for breaking a journey north. In the rare event of a good winter, the narrow Northeast ridge and dripping flanks and mossy gullies will provide plenty of entertainment, sadly Cowal is not a place for winters.

The North east ridge is the way up and a good path, not too horrifically eroded winds up between the craggy bluffs of the ridge to the summits in under a couple of hours. An advantage of a winter ascent, is that the way round trouble may not be obvious and you will have to work it out for yourself. Many make a round, dropping down the south ridge and then onto broad steep slopes back to the Rest and Be Thankful.
Other routes are guarded by trees or should be avoided unless indulging in winter mountaineering. For the latter the mossy wet crags above Loch Restil should prove entertaining.

Its still a popular hill and I was quite surprised to meet nobody when climbing it on a summer Saturday. The weather forecast had something to do with it, I expect, an early start was required in a forlorn attempt to race a storm. The gales and rain struck when I was halfway up.

It was during the Sydney Olympic Games, and I had watched the coxless four and Steve Redgrave do there stuff on a portable telly before a brief sleep and dash from Ardgarten campsite to the Rest and Be Thankful (named after a seat inscription in the 19th Century). I had hoped to hear the 100m finals on the way up, but the rain and wind prevented this, but I did get to hear the Zelezny / Backley javelin battle upon my return.

A swollen burn was not the best start, and the bogs soon got the feet damp. I soon saw that there was a big path and also that the going was going to be steep, small scrambly walls and boggy bits quickly led up to 600m where the ridge levels out and the rain started. Below headlights pushed at the gloom, there was a lot of traffic. Could it be that the previous weekend's fuel shortage caused everyone to be out this weekend? There were very few parked cars, just one by the old Butterbridge at the foot of the ridge. Of more relevance was the rising wind and the strange shapes in the cloud caused by eddies. Could be rough up there.

After a buffeting on the horizontal, the wind was lost to big crag step in the ridge. Gullies fell away to the A83 on both sides, the road is bent sharply about this great prow. Gullies rose into the clag through hanging gardens, and an easy path slanted up to the right, across the line of a great landslide, removing any vestige of difficulty. I enjoyed the shelter.

The last bit of the ridge was not so clever, narrow, but walking and exposed to the storm. The narrow well drained path still avoided all difficulties, (This ridge must be repeated in winter) before dodging one of the tops and suddenly fetching up by a large well worn cairn. It really is a quick ascent. Out with the blackcurrant tea and map. Did I realy want to stay up here and squelch westward to Stob an Eas. No, a quick descent and visit to an Arrochar tea room was called for. (Arrochar was dry, and I enjoyed a stroll up Cruach Tairbert in the afternoon).

Hopefully a winter ascent account will be posted here before long.

Another description of an ascent of Beinn an Lochain

Beinn Luibhean 858m

A fine wee hill that is ignored by just about everybody. The SMC Corbetts book gives it a very brief mention, and it does not often appear in the literature. To be frank, it suffers from the neighbours. It is a top of Beinn Ime and is dwarfed by its parent, which is usually climbed from the other side. Then there is the Cobbler and Beinn an Lochain within easy reach. Of course you can climb Beinn Luibhean with any of these hills, and if one sacrifices the joys of the classic approach to the Cobbler, and are prepared to slog it from Glen Croe, a fine horseshoe can be done over Beinn Luibhean, Ime, Narnain and the Cobbler. 

My day on this hill was a quick afternoon ascent on the way to an Easter weekend in Ardgour. Beinn Luibhean presented a good opportunity to get to grips with a rugged steep hill and to warm up for the rigours of the West. The Rest and Be Thankful road takes care of a lot of the climb and the distance from the bend in Glen Kinglas to the summit was not great. At that time the plantation was still standing and the glen grazed by sheep. The shepherds have gone and its deer forest, so the going is probably harder now. It looks rougher from the road now, a few years after the change.

 

Munro baggers have worn a path between the burn and the forestry fence but this is left soon after where the last trees stood to make a rough but mostly rock free ascent of the north ridge. It always looked as if the rain would start at any time but it stayed dry, but with a cold wind. The summit upon a small outcrop of wind weathered juggy schist, which gave some entertainment, sadly the other two sides were grassy.

The view is hemmed in by big hills especially Ime and the Cobbler. , but you get a grand view of the dinky toys racing over the pass below, maybe a fishing boat upon Loch Restil. Beinn an Lochain is impressive from here.

 

Logically I would have continued over Ime and the even more obscure Beinn Chorranach , but with the constraints of the Corran Ferry timetable pressing I chose to descend the rough craggy slopes to the Bealach a' Mhargaidh I returned easily and quickly to the plantation edge.

Binnein an Fhidhleir 817m

Still to be climbed.