I was going stir-crazy when last weekend came to be. The weekend i'd promised myself away... to the hills! So, a trip to Dalmally via Crianlarich was altered, due to some kind of weird kid-camp event in Dalmally involving all the accommodation being booked to a weekend in Crianlarich. The hostel there is decent enough, so this was okay, and off I went, Friday to Sunday.

Friday rolls round. Not getting to bed overly early, I take the 11.30 train to Glasgow, to catch the afternoon train, getting in at Crianlarich at about half 2. As before, I am impatient to take to the hills, and hence I do. Destination: Cruach Ardrain. And the connected hill, Beinn Tulaichean.

Off I toddle up the road, up the track and up the hillside. The spirit of the weekend makes itself known as expected; when I reach the start of the ridge—always, it seems, the hardest part of the climb, through the squelchy lower ground—the rain falls from the sky, and the wind caresses me gently. So, time to test my stuff, and on goes the waterproof jacket and trousers. I was to be impressed by my so-far unused trousers, which got an outing all 3 days and seemed to do what it says on the tin.

Anyway, walked up a pleasent ridge towards the nicely shaped summit of Cruach Ardrain. As I was nearing it, the sun came out with some rain still in play, and there was the beautiful scene of the shapely top alongside a rainbow. First rainbow I've seen which doesn't seem it is above me. In any case, judging I had enough time to get back at a decent hour to check in, I skirted the top and headed for Beinn Tulaichean, in reality just the far end of a fairly gentle connecting ridge.

Not long after I was back, heading for the top. Up to the top. Very nice. Down the other side, and towards my bed. Back via the other arm of this little armchair formation (they seem to be all over the place, in this area at least), the arm nearest Crianlarich. Over a Top, and down the side of the hill, squelch squelch squelch. This was a familiar sensation by the end of the weekend, and I think I broke myself in lightly. Down beside a stream, caught the road through the forest and back to town, off a little path that comes out just beside the hostel. Great.

The next morning, duly fed and watered, I was up for the big day. The objective was to go up Ben Lui, Beinn a'Chleibh, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig. An hour's walk up the road (the worst part of getting around by foot) takes me to the start of the Cononish glen, and there is a long and pleasent walk up through and to the hills. I finally end up at a stream/river at the foot of Ben Lui (where does the transition lie?), with Ben Lui's imposing mass towering above me. The bugger looks steep. An impressively shaped steep-walled corrie is the main visible feature, and also forms this route up.

So, to cross a stream. With it being wet, I was never going to be walking across the stones, but I thought I could cross at this point. Oops. It was quite reasonable, water only going up to a safe point on my boots, when there is the fateful wrong step, the water just a little too deep, and I'm over with a soaking right foot. Before the day's walking. Bah.

So, up a path to the corrie, and then up some rocky slopes. The imposing walls tower above you; I ended up going up the south-western one. After meeting up with a couple of amiable guys (although everyone seems amiable in the hills) I wander up the direct path up the ridge. It seems to be a nice path, a little exposed, but the rocks were dry and the weather seemed to be holding, so off I went. Unfortunately I paused at the wrong moment, unsure of what lay ahead and whether I could confidently reverse the next bit if I didn't like that, and my nerves went. Off back down this path to follow the more gentle path that curves around the hillside.

This path peters off in a boggy watery area, beside the wreckage of an old plane. Seeming to be at the end of the path, I went up towards the ridge. After clambering up the grassy slope I eventually met up with the path along the ridge to the summit, but in the meantime the mist descended, and I was rather unsure as to quite what I'd meet on this ridge at the limit of my vision. Anyway, there was a path, and up to the top I went, a shorter walk than I was expecting at this point in these distorting surrounds. I could see the cairn at the top, and the 3 or 4 connecting paths; that was about all.

Back down it was, and I came to one of those instinct-disagrees-with-compass moments; of course as always the compass is right, and I followed it. I chose not to go up Beinn a'Chleibh, what with taking a long time over Ben Lui and the weather not being so great, so I headed off to Ben Oss. Big long connecting ridge/plain/thing, and up the long slow slope of Ben Oss. Fortunately the clouds lifted, and I could actually see where I was; the shape of Ben Lui I found rather impressive.

Up to the top of Ben Oss, nice walk, and down and over to Beinn Dubhcraig. Up the steep but short path there, a little walk and up to the summit. Nice views from there and Ben Oss, you can see a ridiculous number of peaks all around you. Hope to climb many of them in the future. So back down a bit, and I descend beside a stream to the head of the glen. This is one of these paths beside a stream which is sometimes nice and rocky and gives lovely views of waterfalls and so on, and sometimes is an elongated stretch of mud and water surrounded by forest. Squelch squelch squelch, I make my way down by the stream. Squelch squelch, after an eternity make it to the bottom, across a bridge and squelch squelch squelch over to a track under the railway and off to the road. Now the worst part of these days, an hour squelching up the road back to the hostel. After 10 hours walking in the hills, this is decidedly unpleasent, and just must be endured.

Good atmosphere in the couple of nights I stayed at the hostel, chatting with folk. Went out for a couple of pints with the folk in my room on Saturday night, escaping the loud interactions of a bunch of kids, about to do some duke-of-edinburgh expedition or some such. Good. And to bed with the certain knowledge that tomorrow entails a slow morning followed by a train home.

Get up, not in a hurry to do anything. Slowly amble along until I check out. Wonder what to do. There are two trains home, this being a Sunday. The first is at about 2, the other about 7.30. So, I have about 5 hours to waste. Wander about for a while. Boring. A gander at my map. I noticed some points of interest on the far side of the river and railway, the route to which coincides with the route to a Munro I hadn't considered. So, off that path, let's see where it takes us.

I'm exhausted. Feet ache, etc. Twinge in my left leg. Wander up this path. Got to waste X hours. Ah soddit, let's see if I can drag myself up to Ben Challum. I can always turn back, eh. So, to the end of the path along the hillside, gaining some height thereby. Then up, squelch squelch, I reach a stream and go up roughly alongside it. Nice stream. Upon hitting the fence, a path appears—and suddenly the hillside seems to be rather busy, too busy maybe—and I squelch up that. Argh, tired, drag myself up, squelch squelch. Splat squelch. Gets a bit muddy, eh. I think it's well over half way up, height-wise, when a hill actually appears. Not very impressive, after just going up such a long gentle slope.

Still, a hill begs to be gone up, and go up it I do. Funnily enough there's a lot more strength in my legs when I can see something that looks like the top, or near enough. In this case, not the real top. Up the path we go. Misty again at the top. I can see a cairn or three, but turns out there's a little ridge, a little dip and up to the real top, where there were some views to be garnered. Only realised this when I took out my second map, as the other one ran out.

So, up and down, squelch squelch. Tried to hit the track along the hillside, but missed. Skirted past the end of it it seems, and made my own way back through the ferny slopes. Hard going, seems like an eternity, finally made it to the railway bridge, and back over the water onto the road. A short walk back to the town, and off to the station. To wait 4 or 5 hours on the second train, the first being passed. An annoying lack of money for food/drink at the station cafe resolved itself via a very handy cashback from the village shop, and some much appreciated (but pretty crappy (but not too expensive)) food, steak+kidley pie and such, and a much welcome coffee.

Quite some time of waiting with my weary limbs and sore feet. This, however, passsed quite pleasently, the station does have views of a few hills, some green stuff, and I proceeded to sit and finish reading On The Road, a book I have finally got around to reading. Not exactly life-changing, I perhaps expected it to mean more, but on the other hand I also think I should have read it earlier.

Home, zonk. Chippie round the corner seems to do edible chips. My bed is as welcome as always after even a short trip away. Bye bye.

PS: Pictures will follow in due course. Didn't get many good shots, but I'll put up something ASAP.