Upperward Mountaineering Club – August 2021



Why can’t every Munro be like Beinn Bhuidhe? A scenic 5 mile walk/cycle in on a good tarmac road to start the day off, followed by an easy to follow track up a lovely wooded glen ( with even an exciting wee scramble thrown in for good measure) and finished off with magnificent 360 degree views encompassing more than 50 other Munros while traversing a classic ridge. As if this was not enough, the return route for the cycle out was all downhill and (wait for it) ends at a brewery with a tasteful outdoor seating area to tempt you in to finish your day off in style.

            That then describes in one short paragraph the joys of climbing Beinn Bhuide, the Yellow Hill, that was the destination for the August meet for the UMC. The start point from the walker’s car park at the head of Loch Fyne was already quite busy by the appointed meeting time, where Dougie awaited the rest of the group after spending the night there in his home-crafted campervan. Although still a bit overcast, the day promised much and temperatures were steadily rising as we cycled up Glen Fyne, towards Inverchorachan. About 1km short of this now abandoned cottage, a sign requests cyclists to leave their bikes and hitch them to the specially provided, old-west style hitching post. Ideal.

            The short walk to Inverchorachan helped get the legs ready for the climb ahead which by all accounts was steep and unrelenting. The first stage was through head high ferns on a well trodden path on the south side of the little stream above Inverchorachan. Near the top of the wooded area we encountered what is known as the ‘bad step’, a short tricky scramble with a steep drop off down into the gorge below. Exciting.

Once above the woods the track was easy to follow, albeit a little boggy in places, leading eventually up a steep, eroded gully and onto the summit ridge. The views from this point are tremendous in all directions. A direction indicator like the one atop Tinto would have been a great help in identifying them all. The summit was a short stroll along a good path to what was once a trig point.

            Our return route retraced the outgoing path back to the bikes. The descent of the ‘bad step’ was even more exciting than ascent but successfully negotiated.

            The downhill cycle back down Glen Fyne was all the more pleasant with the thought of the brewery at the end. What a way to finish!!

            The next walk is the Torridon Weekend in a few weeks time (Sept 24-26) which will incorporate Jenny’s last Munros – Bidean a’ Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor – on the Friday. Best of luck for the weather Jenny.