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Ben Lawers Ridge, Map 378E; 24th July 2004 & 13th August 2007

Route: 2150m=7060' ascent; 17¾ miles; 9¼ hrs

Route: A rather long walk which is best split in two, doing Meall Corranaich, Meall a'Choire Leith and Beinn Ghlas on one day, and the other hills from Lawers as part of a circuit of Lochan nan Cat.
Apart from the length of the walk, the only difficulty is the 400ft descent northeastwards from An Stuc which, despite the path, is very steep, loose and craggy. This is a strong incentive to do the route in an anti-clockwise direction. It would also have the benefit of leaving Beinn Ghlas, Meall Corranaich and Meall a'Choire Leith as optional extras. The main drawback is that one is then walking into the prevailing wind for most of the time on the ridge.
The walk back to the start is rather long and tedious. I have not come up with a satisfactory solution other than dividing it into the two walks described above, or finishing at a different place from the starting point. However, the circuit can also be done from Camusvrachan in Glen Lyon. This would save about 2 miles walking and 125m of ascent.
Access: Note that the Visitor Centre car park has been re-located to the west side of the road and is well-hidden from sight. It is by far the easiest place at which to park on the road between Tayside and Glen Lyon. When travelling up hill from Loch Tay, the parking is on the left through the fence beside a well-camouflaged aquamarine notice for "Lawers National Nature Reserve" at NN60873778, about 10m before the path on the right for Ben Lawers, which is signed "Nature Reserve".
Weather: 24/7/04: Very wet, fairly windy, cloud at around 3000'. 13/08/07: Somewhat drier, less windy, with cloud at 4000', and so less time was spent consulting the map and navigating than on 24/7/04.
Equipment: Take poles for the descent NE from An Stuc.

24/07/0413/08/07 Place on route Ht(m)AscentDistance Grid RefReception
07150805 Parking by Nature Reserve near former Visitor Centre. 430   00.0 milesNN60873778Orange
   Path N on W bank of Burn of Edramucky to
path split just after end of nature reserve. 		6602501.15 milesNN61643926 
  –0900 Path N to bealach NW of Beinn Ghlas 8655252.15 milesNN62094077 
08200920 NW to M Meall Corranaich 10697302.5 milesNN61604100No Orange
08550945 Path N along ridge for ½ mile over rise to point 1018.
Branch NNE where ridge path disappears,
then N/NNW down to bealach. (Path re-starts
above burn between Meall Corranaich and
Meall a'Choire Leith but is initially faint.) 		7757303.95 milesNN61404316 
09101005 N to M Meall a'Choire Leith 9268804.45 milesNN61234391No Orange
09251015 Return S to bealach 775 4.95 milesNN61404316 
10001050 Return SE/S/SSS/S to M Meall Corranaich 106911756.4 milesNN61604100No Orange
10151105
-1110		 Descend ESE to bealach 865 6.75 milesNN62094077 
  – 
1120		 Either (13/08/07)
Ascend ridge SE on patchy path to M Beinn Ghlas
Or (27/07/04)
Follow path NE round N face of Beinn Ghlas to col.
(The path is strong & well built, once found. 		 
1103		 
1415		  
7.1 miles		  
NN62534050		 
10451140 Path NE to bealach 995 7.6 milesNN63024119 
1105
-1115		1200
-1210		 Main path NE to M Ben Lawers 121416357.95 milesNN63534144Orange
   Due N to col 1025 8.35 milesNN63584207 
11301225 N to T Creag an Fhithich NN635422 104716558.45 milesNN63584224 
11401235 NNE to Bealach Dubh. (View of Lochan nan Cat here) 942 8.67 milesNN63644258 
12001255 NNE to M An Stuc. The descent NE from here
down path is steep and difficult especially when wet.
(Perhaps possible to descend N then contour round.) 		111818509.05 milesNN63914315No Orange
12201305 NE to col. (Again, view of Lochan nan Cat here) 991 9.2 milesNN64104331 
12351320 NE to M Meall Garbh 111819759.55 milesNN64434374Orange
13101345 Follow fence/path NE/E to Lairig Innein 834 10.45 milesNN65744405 
13401415
-1420		 E/ESE/SE to M Meall Greigh 1001215011.55 milesNN67384382Orange
14151445 SW to dam on Lawers Burn at track end by sheilings 610 12.55 milesNN66184273 
15051535 Track SE/S/SW to dam at track down to A827 550 15.2 milesNN64403947 
   Track W at 550m to "intake" NN63573895 (24/07/04)
or ascend above Creag Dhubh at 660m (13/08/07)		 550 15.8 milesNN63573895 
16301640 Descend to old wall at nature reserve boundary.
Contour W back to car park by former Visitor Centre		 430 17.75 milesNN60873778Orange

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