Walks of a lifetime
Here’s a towering crest-top adventure that’s usually kept well under wraps. Jeremy Ashcroft lifts the lid on one of Scotland’s greatest mountain routes.
The rocky 4km summit crest of Ben Cruachan is magnificently poised high above deep-cut corries and steep, precipitous crags. It is the sort of place that normally would have a huge fan club among mountain aficionados and would be constantly eulogised on blogs and forums. Even among guidebook writers it seems to be downplayed. This must be due to one of two things: either everybody is keeping it schtum, hoping to preserve the secret for themselves; or it suffers from a type of Cinderella syndrome. The Cinderella angle is sort of excusable as the view from its accessible southern side is, to say the least, dull. Combine this with the dam and hydro plant, and it doesn’t exactly appear the most attractive mountain to climb. If on the other hand it is people keeping the secret to themselves, this is inexcusable, as Ben Cruachan’s summit crest is up there in terms of quality with the likes of Aonach Eagach, Liathach, and – dare I say it – An Teallach. It’s not technically as hard as the others, but this doesn’t matter one jot (and if you’re not into nerve-stretching scrambling this is actually a positive). It still provides a highly elevated crest-top walk, so you’ll need a head for heights; and there are spots where you’ll need to lay hands on rock for balance. But overall the positions it carries you through are exciting rather than nerve-racking.
Like other famous Scottish crests, Ben Cruachan’s greatness owes much to its surroundings – and what a situation it’s in! At a good chunk over the 1000m contour (and with no close neighbours to block the view) the prospects from the top are outstanding. Loch Awe with its myriad islands stretches away to the south, surrounded by an eye-catching mix of ancient woods, glittering lochs and low, rolling hills. To the north, the deep fjord of Loch Etive deeply penetrates an utterly wild landscape of towering mountains. This mix of stunning setting and accessible adventure puts the horseshoe walk around Ben Cruachan up there with the best the Highlands has to offer.
1 NN079268 Parking is limited at the start, so either get there early or arrive by train. From the road (opposite the power station) the path heads under the left-hand arch of the railway bridge and gains the east side of the Allt Cruachan. The path climbs steeply up through the trees and then eases slightly as it reaches open hillside. Continue up the east bank until you join the dam access track. Follow the track across the burn and up to the dam. There is a path around the west side of Cruachan Reservoir, but ignore this as it avoids the introductory summit of Meall Cuanail. The reservoir is part of a pumped storage hydroelectric power station that provides back up supply to alleviate power spikes across the national grid. The main station is hundreds of feet underground below the reservoir in a massive chamber the size of a couple of football pitches. The various tracks and tunnel entrances scattered across the hillside are all part of the same scheme.
2 NN078281 Gain the open hillside above the west side of the dam and then climb west to the subsidiary summit at the base of the south ridge of Meall Cuanail. The climb up the south ridge splits the main climb of the day, with Meall Cuanail’s summit providing a welcome break.
3 NN069295 There is a short descent from the summit of Meall Cuanail, which in turn leads to a broad col. Cross the col and head north up the narrow south ridge of Ben Cruachan. It provides another steep ascent, but the crest has an entertaining path that weaves its way up through the boulders that litter the crest.
4 NN069304 Reaching the summit of Ben Cruachan is a real treat, as the crest reveals itself fully for the first time and you get to see what all the fuss is about. It maintains height well, only dropping below 900m at one point, and although poised above big drops on both sides it is wide enough to be walked with just the odd section where hands might be needed. Follow the crest to the mid summit of Drochaid Ghlas.
The view from the top is outstanding.
5 NN083307 The ridge splits at Drochaid Ghlas, with a subsidiary ridge heading off left. It is critical that you do not take this ridge as it is a truncated spur that heads the wrong way and steepens into a craggy nose. Take the right-hand ridge and head east (take a bearing if in doubt) to gain the second Munro of the day: Stob Daimh.
6 NN094308 The ridge splits again at Stobh Daimh and the south ridge (right-hand ridge) is followed by the horseshoe walk. It provides another narrow, but entertaining crest and is followed direct to the shapely summit of Stob Garbh. This is the last summit of the day, and it also provides a magnificent view back to the main crest for a recap of the ground you’ve just covered.
7 NN096299 Descend south down the ridge towards the col at Lairig Torran. Before you actually reach the col, break off right and descend the easy rounded ridge towards Cruachan Reservoir. Skirt the shore of the reservoir and join the access track beside the dam. Take the track on the east side of the burn round the loop to regain the footpath at the side of the Allt Cruachan. Retrace your steps down the path to the start on the A85.