Not just one!  Not even 2!  Beinn a Ghlo https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/beinn-a-ghlo.shtml  has no fewer than 3 summits to play with.

Do you feel lucky?  How much of gambler are you?  Roll a dice.  Does your answer divide by 3?  Then you’re on for 3 summits.  Divide by 2?  Maybe you should settle for 2 summits, skip the last one and retire gracefully down the Allt Bealach an Fhiodha and invest the 2 hours you just saved in the pub instead.  (You’ll still have earned it.)  That third and final summit Beinn Gabhar translates as “Hill of the Goat”.  Draw your own conclusion!

But not just a gamble.  Also continuity.  This will be my own third visit here and I would dearly love to see more than the figure of Sandy striding about 50m ahead of me.  I reckon the views must be pretty impressive but not for nothing does the Gaelic mean “hill of the mists”.  Roll that dice!

Continuity in various other ways also.  As in a couple of recent walks we will have an A team and a B team (maybe even a C team if your answer only divides by one!).  Think I’ve already decided which one I’m in.

Start point is at the end of the public road signed for Monzie and leading from Bridge of Tilt via Fenderbridge.  Parking is in a rough layby on the left just beyond a cattle grid near Loch Moraig (which you can’t see!)

This is a long day, whichever way the dice falls, but we have good long daylight also.  So let’s meet at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock kick off.  That should see both/all 3 teams arrive back at the pub about 5pm.

Anyone up for a shy retiring Corbett?  Bein Mholach https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/beinn-mholach.shtml sits “off the beaten track” but can be approached using reasonable tracks most of the way.

Starting point is the parking area before level crossing, near Dalnaspidal Lodge – which just happens to be where the walk started last time.  Let’s meet there at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.

Numbers look like being down this Sunday cos of other distractions so please let me know if you’re up for this.  Usual shout-out if you’r offering or looking for a carshare.

The observant among you will have noticed that this week’s walk has changed from the original one in the programme.
The walk is a couple of Corbetts that anyone who has driven up/down the A9 over Drumochter will have see – but not necessarily noticed. Meall na Leitreach and The Sow of Atholl.
Meall na Leitreach – a moorland plateau whose western flanks drop steeply to Loch Garry – provides a quick and straightforward hillwalk from Dalnaspidal Lodge. The ascent provides good views to the north looking through the Drumochter Pass.
The Sow of Atholl – also known by its Gaelic name of Meall an Dobharchain – is a familiar sight to travellers through the Drumochter Pass, presenting steep slopes to the north and east.
Both walks start from Dalnaspidal lodge and should each take about 2.5 hours this give us the opportunity to be flexible with the walk depending on weather, fitness and enthusiasm.
There is parking on the approach road to Dalnaspidal Lodge, just before the level crossing over the railway. Let’s meet there at 10.00 for a 10.30 start.
As usual if you want to carshare get in touch and we will see what we can do.
As a reminder EWG has both a website and a Facebook page which have details of the programme and the walks.
https://easywalkinggroup.co.uk/2018/11/20/walks-for-2019/
https://www.facebook.com/Easy-Walking-Group-208038396036513/

Sunday’s walk goes in for a bit of lateral thinking.  Think Schiehallion then think about looking AWAY from Schiehallion across the other side of the B846.   What’s more, think Schiehallion and all its glorious views but without the boulder field at the top!  Views so good that you are looking DOWN on the spot called “Queen’s View”.  Plus you get not just one but two Corbetts and a barytes mine to play with!  Even the weather forecast looks good (for walking – not sunbathing) and there’ll almost certainly be an attractive fringe of white on the big stuff nearby – Schiehallion, Lawers and Beinn y Ghlo to name but three.  Feeling spoiled yet?

Yes, it’s the unpronounceable Meall Tairneachan and the slightly easier Farragon Hill. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/farragon-hill.shtml

The start point is at the foot of the Foss Mine track just off the B846 between Aberfeldy and Tummel Bridge. There is no parking on the start of the track itself, but there is limited space on the verge of the main road nearby so carsharing highly recommended.  Shout out if you have a spare seat or want one.

Let’s meet there at 10 o’clock for a 10.30 start.  That should see us back at the cars and heading to a pub (name tbd) by 5 o’clock.

Well Bill’s off to London to try and stop the lemmings dragging the rest of us over the cliff, so you’ll have to put up with my less erudite spiel.

This Sunday’s walk is up the Angus Glens. A fantastic circuit of Glen Lee taking in pretty Loch Lee and then climbing steeply past the Falls of Unich and the Fall of Damff to cross open moorland and descend the track on the Shank of Inchgrundle. 

A shorter, less strenuous walk would be to visit the first waterfall and return the same way.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/loch-lee.shtml

The weather seems to be relatively settled so we could have to good views. Let’s meet at the car park at Invermark, near the head of Glen Esk at 9.45 for a 10.15 start.

Magical, majestic, soaring, vertiginous, awe inspiring, craggy, towering.  All adjectives that you commonly find in front of “cliffs”.  They are amazing phenomena.  No fading out to sea like a beach does or the wishy washy compromise of a tangle of rocks.  Cliffs are uncompromising.  They make a statement.  Here endeth terra firma.  Here starteth your journey into the unknown vastness of the wild seas.

And, of course, Arbroath Cliffs was a famous film star of the 1930’s.  Only kidding.  But he should have been.  An opportunity missed by Hollywood I feel, though the moniker did enjoy a certain popularity in the 60’s.  Cliff Mitchelmore, Cliff Hanley and of course, Bachelor Boy?

Sunday’s walk will, of course, live up to all these adjectives.  https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/arbroath-cliffs.shtml

7 miles of captivating scenery and well worth carrying a camera for – though, in truth, you’ll never quite capture that mysterious essence.  Possibly also worth bringing a geology book.  Or you can bluff it.  Who will know?

Let’s meet at 10.30 for an 11 o’clock kick-off at the start point which is at the north end of the road along the front at the north end of Arbroath; there’s a car park at the far end of Victoria Park, near the public toilets.

Can you let me know  if you’re planning to be there cos it’s a semi-linear walk and we may want to leave a car at both ends rather than rely on public transport?

And who knows what a fortnight after Sunday will bring?  Now there, indeed, is a cliffhangar.

Most of the regular faces have allowed themselves to be seduced by other pleasures or duties this coming weekend.  So I’m taking back control!  (Read Animal Farm, if you haven’t already, to see where this’ll lead!)

Some slight modifications to the Basic Law –

1. Not everything which goes on 2 legs is evil.  But anything which doesn’t feel like collapsing onto 4 legs from time to time is suspect.
2. Anything which has wings is indeed a friend – but only if they offer to carry your backpack
3. No animal shall kill any other animal – unless their navigation skills have meant a 10 mile detour when self defence shall permit that course of action in order to avoid further ASB.
4. Animals shall be permitted to wear clothes – indeed for some, it is highly desirable.
5. No animal shall sleep in a bed – or at least not while on a walk.  Heather is OK at any time.
6. No animal shall drink alcohol – preposterous
7. All animals are equal  –  I rest my case

Taking back control means I fancy a shorter drive time (and of course also that no one else gets a say in that) so Sunday’s walk will be the lovely Ben Cleuch Circular

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map3_4af.shtml

Starting point is Upper Mill Street which branches north from the main road towards the west end of Tillicoultry.  All animals should meet there at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.

Probably best if you email me or text my mobile to let me know you’re coming. 

Shout out also if you’d be on for carsharing.

Bill m: 078 77 8888 19

Bill is sunning himself in Seville (14 degrees and inexpensive wine) so you’ll have to do without his entertaining rhetoric.

Sunday’s walk is around Pitlochry. A way-marked walk heads across open moorland to cross the Bealach na Searmoin, offering great views, to reach Killecrankie. The return walk is past the Soldier’s Leap and along the River Garry and Loch Faskally. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/bealach-route.shtml

Meet in the car park in the centre of Pitlochry – Turn left opposite ‘The Auld Smiddy Inn’ and the car park is straight ahead. It is Pay-and-Display so take some coins with you. Let’s have a leisurely start and meet at 10.00 for 10.30.

As always if you are interested in offering / looking for carshare let me know.

Hi,

Great to see everyone on 13/1.  Sorry I couldn’t keep up!  Pix available on the group Yahoo site of the starting line-up, proof that the Last of the Summer Wine did eventually reach the top and finally a lost boot (ladies or child I think) and lost car key.  Both last seen taped to the signpost at the carpark end of the bridge.  Seems to be the place for it.

Sunday coming (27/1) it’s the Luss Horseshoe featuring Beinn Dubh – though there’s a good  chance that it will be renamed Beinn Geal this weekend.  (Look it up.)  https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/beinn-dubh.shtml

Weather forecast right now looks terrific but we’ll keep an eye on it so check emails closer to the time.  But if it holds good and still has snow on the tops then the views should be fantastic.

Starting point is the car park in Luss.  Looks like it may be chargeable so bring a couple of coins.

Let’s meet there 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.

Usual stuff about carsharing etc.

Hope to see you there/then.  No excuses about HMRC!

Hi All.
Anybody interested in climbing Mount Toubkal in Morrocco in early October? I’m organising a trip to Morocco lasting roughly ten days. It will take in a bit of trekking, a few nights in Marakech and a trip to the Sahara Desert.
Cost including flights and accommodation (pretty basic) from Edinburgh expected to be between £550 and £650. I am having a briefing night with the organiser to discuss the trip in Edinburgh on Thursday 31st January at 7pm in the Wetherspoons Booking Office Pub. Come along if you are interested in finding out more or get in touch with me. If anyone doesn’t want to climb Toubkal they can come and do a lower level trek in the Atlas Mountains. I’ve done Toubkal before. It is a great trek.
Cheers All.
Bill Cook