Introduction

The weather was once again awesome but my walking cohort for the day had decided to lie in his pit for another 4 hours. Undeterred I set off alone for a big day out in the Crianlarich hills.

I was really going for it Cruach Ardrain, Beinn Tulaichean and then right across to Beinn Chabhair..... not to be recommended. It was far too big a day and I was knackered for most of the next week and my Saturday night conversation was limited to subtle nods and blinks interspersed with 10 minute snoozes.

At the top of Cruach Ardrain I introduced myself to the other climbers at the summit and bizarrely discovered they were the same chaps I met at the summit of Ben More 5 weeks earlier....... they assured me that it hadn't taken them this length of time to make their way across.

Route

• Since I was heading across to the other hills to the west I started at the layby on the A82 (Online multimap). This route provided great views of An Caisteal all the way up. The books recommend the starting point of GR382245 about 1km outside Crianlarich.

• Follow the obvious pathway (SE) alongside the River Falloch. The path splits after about 1km, follow it down to the river and then climb (west) the steep grassy slopes beside the forest to reach the main ridge at Grey Height (GR 394227).

• From Grey Height a track runs roughly South-East over Meall Dhamh (GR 398217) leading all the way to the summit just over 2km away. The track does go up and down a bit but it does get you there in the end.

• The views from the summit of Cruach Ardrain (1046m, Sheet 56 GR 409212) are superb Ben More and Stob Binnein to the North East and An Caisteal and Beinn a' Chroin to the West.
  

• From Cruach Ardrain return SW past the 2 cairns, then it's a straight forward walk south along the ridge to Beinn Tulaichean (946m, GR 417916).

• Since the route home is the same as the route up, you may well wish to follow the lead of Bert&co and ditch your rucksack on the way down from Cruach Ardrain. (A practice that I never feel entirely comfortable with.... always expecting to return to find my rucksack minus my car keys.)