A Reunion, A Fell-Run and Two Munros

We left the house Saturday morning just before 9am and I said goodbye to everyone in Crianlarich. What a great group that was!!! So much fun and laugther all week. Truly a fantastic time even without a single new munro. No disappointment at all.

The sun was blazing from the sky and it was easily the best day so far. I couldn't wait to get up into the hills. AH! Got some food, dropped my bag at the hostel and picked my friend up at the bus stop. Hadn't seen her in ages. Must have been like 7 years maybe? We both weren't sure. Amazing to see her again and in Scotland even, which we both love above all.

Dropped her bag too and set off through the Crianlarich Community Forest, then up a boggy path with Cruach Ardrain as our first goal. The sun vanished pretty soon behind high dense clouds, but it was still a very enjoyable day.
We climbed up to the ridge over the Grey Height and Meall Dubh, but before the last steep climb up to the munro top my friend had to drop out. She was just too exhausted, but didn't mind waiting for me while I kept on going to the top. Said I was gonna be back in an hour, an hour and a half maximum.

An Caisteal and Ben a'Chroin

The last and steepest bit of Cruach Ardrain

After the next steep bit the path split and I could clearly see Ben Tulaichean and the path leading to it. It looked so close and so easy, would've been a shame not to take it whilst I'm here. So I literally ran down and over the bealach and climbed it as fast as I could, reaching the top huffing and puffing after 26 minutes. Couldn't enjoy the view very long since I had another munro to climb. The one I was initially here for. So I had only a very short chat with one of the guys up there, ran back down and over the bealach and climbed up to the path junction again. 50 mins round trip. Wow. Guidebook said 90. Cool.

Would've mightily regretted not bagging Ben Tulaichean

One happy climber with Cruach Ardrain in the background

But my strength was waning. Climbed the last 150m or so to the top of Cruach Ardrain with legs burning, took another quick look around and walked back down as fast as I could since I was nearing the hour and a half mark and didn't want my friend to start worrying.

Hurrying back to Cruach Ardrain

View from the top: Ben More left, Stob Binnein right

Just before the top a two-sided view of Ben Tulaichean

As it happened she hadn't even looked at her watch and had just enjoyed the nice view relaxing and thinking about this and that. Phew. After a short break we started our descent and were back in Crianlarich at 5pm both quite knackered.
Had a victory-cider on one of the benched outside the shop and tried cooking a quick meal in the tiny hostel kitchen while two other groups where chopping stuff and stirring pots on 6 of the available 8 hobs. I'm always too lazy to cook a meal that takes longer than 10 mins in a hostel. Those guys must have spent an hour or so. Don't get it.

We chilled on a bench outside with the rest of the cider and went to bed quite early after a long exhausting day.