Munros + Corbetts - 2009

19 March 2009 ............. Beinn Mhanach

This is a rather inaccessible munro at the western end of Loch Lyon, surrounded by other munros and corbetts, but not really attached to any of them.

I got to it by cycling up from Auch on the A82, just north of Tyndrum. Actually to say I cycled up the track is somewhat inaccurate - this track has 10 river crossings - or perhaps I should say this track goes through 10 rivers - it doesn`t cross them, it goes through them, or along them, and is a nightmare if there is water about.

Some of them you can cycle through if you brassneck it - but hit a boulder halfway across, and you`re in the water and getting very wet feet. Most of them you can`t cycle - so you need to boulder hop. I managed to get across all 10 with almost dry feet on the way up, but failed on the way back, and got very wet.

The actual climb is quite short - up onto Beinn Chuirn, down to the coll, and up to Beinn Mhanach. I came back the same way.

The only snow I met was on the east side of Beinn Chuirn, where there were was about a 50% cover in the form of large old snow patches. When I did it, most of the hills were fairly clear of snow up to about 900 metres, but above that, the amount of snow built up quite quickly with increasing height, particularily on the east sides. Ben Dorain was completely bare on its south side, but the north and east were quite white, and would still be hard work. Beinn Mhanach had some cornices along the north side.

Incidentally, although it is not shown on any of my maps, I think that there might now be a track right round the south side of Loch Lyon from the dam at the east end, right round to join on to the track up from Auch just along from the west end of Loch Lyon. I have cycled part of it, and the track from the dam is a much better track than the track all the way up from Auch.

There is also now a track right along the north side of Loch Lyon from the dam at the east end, right up to the SE side of Beinn a` Chreachain. Again, it doesn`t appear on any of my maps.

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