Hills: Carn Ban Mor (Munro Top), Meall Dubhag (Munro Top), Mullach Clach a’Bhlair (Munro)
Date: Sunday 13th November 2011
Company: Just myself
Distance: 23km, Ascent: 1000m
Time: 6Hrs 25Mins
Dog friendly: Yes

I realised yesterday that I had not set foot in my local hills, the Cairngorms, this year. I therefore set off this morning to ascend Mullach Clach a’Bhlair and also neighbouring Meall Dubhag - one of Hugh Munro’s original 283 Munros (now a Munro Top).

I parked in the car park located 1km North of Auchlean.

Click here to see a map of the route undertaken

From the car park, I walked along the tarmac road towards Auchlean. A short distance before reaching Auchlean, I took the Upper Glen Feshie path.

Upper Glen Feshie path:


Looking back to Glen Feshie:


I found the ascent today quite arduous owing to gale force winds funnelling down the coire. Every step forward was a bit of a struggle.

Looking back to Glen Feshie:


I last ascended the path next to the Allt Fhearnagan in 2004. I think the path is now much better than it used to be.

Looking back towards 783m top:


Approaching the top of the Allt Fhearnagan:


As I made my way towards Carn Ban Mor, low cloud started to blow in. It was really disappointing that this low cloud continued to cover the tops for the next few hours!

Summit shelter on Carn Ban Mor:


From Carn Ban Mor, I made my way towards Meall Dubhag. Quite a few hags and bog en-route to this summit – I maybe didn’t take the best line, thanks to the mist.

I wasn’t sure if the cairn or a rocky mound was the highest point on Meall Dubhag, so I visited both.

By now the strong wind and low cloud were soaking my camera case, so it went into my Ortlieb dry-bag for a couple of hours.

Summit cairn of Meall Dubhag:


From Meall Dubhag, I skirted the top of Fionnhar Choire and then made my way across to the 953m top. A short distance beyond the 953m top, I re-joined the main track. I then followed the track to within a few hundred metres of the summit of Mullach Clach a’Bhlair. On reaching a small cairn next to the track, I made directly for the summit.

Summit cairn of Mullach Clach a’Bhlair:


From the summit of Mullach Clach a’Bhlair, I returned to the main track and then followed the main track back to the track junction. I then began my descent towards Glen Feshie.

After losing a couple of hundred metres height, I began to escape the low cloud.

Descent alongside the Allt Coire Chaoil:


It was a bit annoying to look back and see lots of blue sky above a relatively thin layer of cloud.

Cloud-topped Mullach Clach a’Bhlair:


Descent to Glen Feshie:


Descent to Glen Feshie:


I was quite looking forward to the walk out along Glen Feshie. I wasn’t disappointed.

Walk out alongside the River Feshie:


River Feshie:


Last couple of kilometres to Auchlean:


Walk out to Auchlean:


Glider:


By the time I reached my car, my legs were feeling a bit tired.
These Munro thingies are definitely higher than Sub2000 Marilyns .