Carn Gorm

24th October

A walk cut short by the first winter weather of 2010.

Carn Gorm (1029m) - Karn Gorrum -"Blue Hill" (not to be confused with Cairn Gorm)

I've slowly been picking off the mountains in the Loch Tay / Glen Lyon area.  With Sameshrie away for the weekend I had plans for a long day out picking off 4 peaks in one walk, starting with Carn Gorm from Glen Lyon.  I had an early start for the 1.5 hour drive to Invervar.  On entering the beautiful glen, fast becoming one of my most favourite corners of Scotland, I was greeted with stunning Autumn colours and a sign warning drivers to watch out for red squirrels. 500m down the road, as if on cue, said beasty scampered across the road and up a tree.

The small car park already had a couple of cars there and another arrived as I was getting my boots on.  A couple of guys got out and kitted up.  They set off in the same direction as myself up a leafy farm track through a forest and eventually out onto the open hillside.  Soon after leaving the forest I had good views to the mountain tops that I had intended visiting later that day.  All of them with a good covering of snow above about 800m.  As I carried on up the valley the weather started to turn and it soon became time for full water proofs.  This is where I made a bit of a navigational mistake as I missed the river crossing to take me to the path that led up the shoulder of Carn Gorm.

Carrying along the path and regularly checking my map made me realise I was on the wrong side of the river and need to head west quickly in order to get up onto the shoulder of the hill.  This meant a quick drop down to the river and then a long steep slog up the other side.  This was really hard going up a steep valley side across tussocky grass, bracken and heather.

Finally I reached the top of the shoulder and picked up the path that led to the summit.  Very soon there were larger patches of snow.  The patches became larger and closer until I was hiking through 3, then 4 then 5 inches of snow.  By this time the wind was howling in from the north and it really started feeling bitter.  As I was getting onto the last part of the climb I met a bloke coming down with his black Labrador.  He told me he'd been intending doing the round of 4 tops, but a white out on the top had caused his dog to think better of it!  He also mentioned the trig point was on it's side.

I carried on through the snow and eventually found the summit cairn.  A little further north was the trig point, on it's side, just as the guy had said.  I stopped to enjoy the view for a short while and picked out my route down and round to the next mountain.  The looking north I saw a large dark grey squally mess heading my way!  With the biting cold wind and white out conditions I thought better of it.  I thing the Labrador got it right, so I turned and headed back the way I came.

About half way back down I looked back to see clear blue skies and all the mountain tops.  Ah well, not to worry.  Better to turn back and not risk it, plus it gives me a reason to visit Glen Lyon again soon.


Stat's
Distance: 9.84km
Ascent: 1239m
Time: 4:03

Munro Count: 1
Total Count: 18 of 283