Date: Thursday 3rd December 2015
Company: Just myself
Distance: 4km, Ascent: 300m
Time: 1Hr 25Mins
After a half-day at work today, I made my way south for a weekend based in Crianlarich. En-route to Crianlarich, I managed to squeeze in a Sub2000ft Marilyn.
I arrived at the start of the walk at 14:45. I therefore had approximately 1.5 hours of light available for the walk. I parked opposite Ballochargie at the start of a recently resurfaced forestry track.
Click here to see a map of the route undertaken
From Ballochargie, I followed the forestry track uphill.
Start of track at Ballochargie:
Ascending the forestry track:
On reaching a track junction at circa 210m, I took a right turn and soon thereafter followed a grassy track uphill.
Beyond the forestry track:
The reasonably pleasant grass track was soon exchanged for the remains of felled trees and bracken. I am not convinced I took the best way up.
Looking down from above steep ascent:
Beyond the bracken, I picked up a narrow path leading all the way to the summit.
Inversion covering Crieff:
Looking North:
Heading towards the summit of Torlum:
As I wanted to get back down before dark, I didn't hang around for long at the summit. I decided to follow the narrow track back downhill but subsequently avoid the steep descent through the felled trees and bracken. Instead I hoped to pick up the start of a forestry track at the edge of the forest.
At the summit of Torlum:
Looking towards Loch of Balloch during descent:
My descent route was really unpleasant. I was relieved to reach the start of the forestry track as it was now getting dark and raining heavily. However the forestry track became so overgrown with 8 to 10ft high bushes that I had to abandon it and force my way down through more bushes to reach another forestry track.
I really would not recommend following my route. Ordnance Survey need to review the tracks marked on the map as some of the tracks marked on the map are now completely overgrown.
Onto a forestry track:
Not the most pleasant of walks given the lack of views, heavy rain and awful terrain encountered but good to summit another new hill.