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OS Grid ref: NN 62671 79186
Lat/Long: 56.883839, -04.254070
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The rain continued overnight but began to ease by morning. After
breakfast the cloud level was still low and there was slight
drizzle but I decided to start my walk as the forecast was for
rain increasing. I set off around 06:30 and walked past
Balsporran Cottages and over the level crossing.
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I continue slowly up the track towards the low cloud base then
crossed over a relatively new bridge which I think was being
constructed the last time I was here in 2019. Continuing slowly
upwards I crossed over a couple of newly constructed culverts
then came to the parked tracked excavator that had put them in.
The drizzle continued as I climbed upwards and into the mist but
I did get some glimpses of the distant pass summit ahead. After
a zig zag and long poles to mark the route in snow, but no snow
today. |
Machine on the track. |
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I reached near the pass summit & checked my Garmin GPS and found
it had switched off. I have no idea how that could have
happened. Before leaving the pass track I put my cape over my
waterproofs as the rain was increasing. There was still quite a
climb to go and I trudged up amongst the rocks and grass. I was
part following my previous walks gps track but found a worn path
along a similar route. However it drifted away and I had to cut
across open ground to relocate the main ascent route. Near the
summit there appeared to be 2 cairns so I headed for the right
one which I think is the highest 410 m (1,350 ft). |
Geal-Charn summit cairn in the mist. |
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It was now quite windy and after taking a couple of photos I
started down. There was no obvious path so I followed my gps
route on screen. I was still in cloud with nothing to see but
eventually I saw a cairn and stone shelter below and checked it
out. It meant leaving the main path but continuing a bit further
got my first view of the valley and A9 far below. |
Cairn. |
The descent was now quite steep and I needed to be very careful
on the wet grass. It was safer going when I reached the stoned
track and not far below met the first people of the day, a
couple on their way up. I was relieved to reach the track I’d
used on the way up and continued down to Balsporran Cottage. I
saw the lady coming out with her dog and asked if it was OK to
photograph a sundial by the door.
The rain continued all
afternoon and became quite heavy. Fortunately it hadn’t rained
too heavily on the walk. Geal-Charn turned out to be 917m
(3,008ft) so I’d done a Munro. |
New bridge. |
Sundial. |
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