Sunday, June 15, 2014
Cul Beag
Having two cars here offers new possibilities for walks. We've been up Cul Beag ("Cool Bayc") before (just the one top) in a loop from the Achiltibuie road. Today we parked my car on the Achiltibuie road and drove back to a lay-by on the A835 in Greger's car, in order to traverse the mountain from east to west.
We clambered down the bank to this remnant of the old road and then followed a stalkers' path across increasingly boggy moorland, lingering for a while above Loch nan Ealachan where I'd recently seen a distant reed bunting. Had it moved on? No, eventually it flew up in display (Later: do reed buntings have a display flight? Well, it flew up anyway!) and gave me a new species for my hill-walking list. Foraging from fence-posts was a willow warbler with noticeably bright legs. But we weren't lucky with the red grouse or heron I saw here before.
Faint, plaintive calls advertised the presence of golden plovers; this one was standing guard, well over a hundred metres away.
Cushions of sphagnum moss and yellow tormentil made splashes of colour. Frogs were everywhere; less expected was a small lizard, which shot under a rock before I could snap it.
A golden eagle was spotted circling in the distance and when it landed we took some optimistic shots.
A steep climb brought us to the lower top of Meall Dearg, where we ate lunch. Greger walked a few paces off to take a photo and came back to report two ptarmigan flying off down the hill. They often don't go far, so I went to peer over the edge.
A small noise like a whimper made me look to the right to see a female bird, perhaps warning an unseen chick. I took a couple of pics and retreated.
roadway.
We saw two more female ptarmigan with chicks, both practically on the path and neither appearing particularly bothered by our presence.
As we crossed the col with its tiny lochan, a ring ouzel flew over scolding. Finally we got to the top of Cul Beag and spent some time admiring the view. From the summit cairn we followed a crumbling, slippery path down a very steep slope where walking poles were a definite asset.
Measuring the long drop to the col on the photo with my school protractor (yes I still have that, and a set square and a pair of compasses) it's 30 degrees; but this can only be approximate because of relative position, and in any case Greger says he's sure some parts were more like 45!
Back on the road we walked with shaky legs towards the nicest sight there is after a day in the hills - your car! You just feel so grateful to it for still being there, and not getting pinched or blown up or something.
As we drove away, I got cramp in my ankle (never had it there before) and a common sandpiper flew in front of the car and down to the loch. Later: Why do we do it? I don't feel as if I can ever go up a hill again!
// posted by Christine @ 3:31 PM 
