main route summary A good track in and grassy ridges make for excellent running over four munros. Ben Lui is a spectacular mountain with excellent views and due to its shape, is easily identified from other peaks. The route is finished off with a brilliant run down through muck, forest and water. |
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main route outline
Getting there
On the A82/A85, 1km south east of Tyndrum, there is a junction is marked Dalrigh, turn in here and sharp turn left into a large car-park with some information baords. Beinn Dubhchraig Leave the car-park and aim westwards along a good track, initially past some houses. Turn right, keeping to main track, over a wooden bridge, past the junction with the West Highland Way and under the railway bridge. Follow track for 3km until just before the green buildings of Cononish are reached, where there is a wooden bridge over the River Cononish. Go across this bridge and aim south uphill over wet grassy ground. After crossing a fence line and 300m of ascent the gradient easies and Beinn Dubhchraig comes into view. Continue uphill on grassy ground following the occasional iron fence post to reach the lochans at 900m. Turn south-east and follow path over some boudlers to Beinn Dubhchraig's cairn. The view south down to the hills around Loch Lomond is particularly lovely. Ben Oss Return to the lochans and follow path around the south side of the lochans. Aiming west, the path zig-zags through boudlers down to the bealach. The path then widens, but travels over lower ground, therefore at some point leave it and aim uphill over grassy ground to reach the northern shoulder of Ben Oss. The last section prior to the summit is an easy trudge over fine gravel. From the summit, it still seems a long way to Ben Lui ! Ben Lui From Ben Oss, initially aim south, following a faint path over grass and occasional boulders. Gradually the path, which disappears now and then, turns west and the wet ground of the bealach at the head of Coire Laoigh is reached. The path becomes more obvious as the bealach is crossed and starts to climb and turn north. At around 1000m, there is a path heading north east, this is an exit route down Ben Lui's east shoulder, there is some plane wreckage down here. On approaching Ben Lui's summit the ground becomes more bouldery and is a place to take great care especially in windy conditions. Stop here for a while and take in the views and, if in winter, watch the climbers coming up Coire Gaothach. Beinn a'Chleibh Aim north-west towards the north-east top, then turn west-south-west downhill.The ground initially is loose, then grassy and possibly wet and slippy. Follow a well defined path scarred up the north eastern arm of Beinn a'Chleibh. This munro has a small cairn and some fine views out towards Ben Cruachan. Return Return to the bealach between Beinn a'Chleibh and Ben Lui, then follow the initially steep path into Fionn Choirein. Leaving the boulders behind, the ground becomes grass covered but can be extremely wet. Don't bother looking for the path marked on the OS map, just run down the path on the east side of the burn. Into and through the forest is fast and great fun - expect to get mud covered ! Cross the Eas Daimh where it meets the burn coming down from Fionn Choirein - this can be tricky in spate. Further down cross the railway and wade across the River Lochy - an opportunity to clean all the muck off ! Reach the car-park where you've hopefully arranged a lift or left a bike to get back to Dalrigh. |
