Climbing the Munros, ticking off those summits that make it into the hallowed Tables, is a very popular pastime, especially with members of the Moray Mountaineering Club. Having a weekend meet largely focused around the completion of the list is not unheard of. But this was different. This was Penny The Wonder Dog’s Munro Completion Party. It also happened to be the completion of Graeme Morrison’s third round but he was under no illusions about who the star of the show was. A third Munro Round may be a laudable achievement but Graeme, much like Tintin, Shaggy and Charlie Brown, was destined to play second fiddle to the canine antics of his furry friend.
Crianlarich was the destination. The name adorns so many road signs around Scotland that one could be forgiven for thinking that it is a teeming metropolis. The major city in the centre of the country that people must flock to in droves, following the signs from Glasgow, Stirling, Pitlochry and Fort William. It is true to say that it was once served by two railway lines and there is currently a bypass being built around it. But large town it is not, and most travellers will drive through it in less time than it takes to play a Ramones song. Two attractions it does boast are Stob Binnein and Ben More. Both very fine hills in their own right, easily identifiable from afar by their height and distinctive shapes Stob Binnein with its uniform slopes and flat top looking like the perfect volcano and Ben More’s great hulk rising above all other local hills like the mystical “Misty Mountain” in the maps that decorate Tolkien’s books.
They also have a central presence that not only makes them highly visible from many other hills but also gives them the impression of creating a dividing line between distinct areas. To the southeast are the Trossachs. The lower but nonetheless steep and craggy hills that boast Ben An, home of many a rock climb put up by the legendary Creag Dhu of Clydeside. Loch Katrine nestles between the hills, famously the source of Glasgow’s drinking water, where Victorian engineers built the infrastructure that ultimately saved countless lives in the sprawling industrial squalor. These hills once hid the reivers and bandits who plundered the drovers markets of Flanders Moss, but nowadays are frequented by day trippers, motorcycle clubs and coach tours who take advantage of such pretty scenery so close to the cities of the Central Belt.
To the southwest the European sounding Arrochar Alps centre around the Cobbler, one of the most impressive and distinctive of Scottish hills, with three very individual summits and brooding cliffs of mica schist, as if giving the finger to its neighbours, boasting about how mountainous a mountain can be yet not be a Munro.
To the west lies Ben Lui, arguably the most beautiful hill in Scotland. What it lacks in height, bare rock and steepness it more than makes up for in pure aesthetic perfection. The glimpse of its inner sanctum, the snow filled Central Gully, that the motorist sees from the A82 when conditions are right is a view to truly take the breath away. West of Ben Lui are the forests of Argyll and the huge snakelike watery expanse of Loch Awe and north, beyond Glen Orchy lie the Black Mount, rising up towards Glen Coe.
To the north rise the great grassy hills of Glen Lyon. High by Scottish standards, some above a thousand metres, but none as high as the appropriately named Ben More. These then give way to the wide expanse of Rannoch Moor and then to Lochaber to the highest of the high.
But back to Crianlarich, this central point that the club gathered for the weekend. The scenery is distinctly West Coast but every drop of rain that falls on Ben More will eventually flow through Perth on its way to the North Sea. Stob Binnein may form a watershed but only between the Tay and the Forth. The mighty Atlantic is beyond the reach of these hills.
By far the majority of the group followed Penny, climbing her two hills by an unusual linear traverse from the south by Inverlochlarig over the tops and down to our accommodation for the weekend, at Inverardran.
Brent headed off towards Tyndrum to climb Beinn Odhar, the steep pull up the slope giving him time to ponder whether the Carpenter on the Mount with his many followers had taken loaves and fishes with him. He then followed this summit with a further four hills, returning to Crianlarich, reportedly knackered!
David also had good reason to be knackered, after climbing Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean (a fine day’s walk in themselves) before climbing up to the bealach between Stob Binnein and Ben More, climbing the former and then the latter to join the party for the pooch.
Talking of which, we have a rare opportunity to hear from the pooch herself. Through a ground-breaking process of tantalising trans-species translation the following is an account from, well, not quite the horse’s mouth, but the dog’s mouth:
“Hi, Penny TWD here. It’s not often I get to tell my side of the story, so here is a brief account of my hillwalking career. I started doing Corbetts with my dad in October 2008 when I was seven months old as he was keen to complete all 221 of them. The ones he had left were all far away or quite long days. In May 2009 I went to Skye, what a wonderful place. On the Saturday me, my dad and Simon went up onto the Cuillin Ridge. It was quite scary but we did my first four Munros that day. Next day we did two more. My paws were very tender next day. After that we went out most weekends to new places all over Scotland. What fun I had on these days out, sometimes with just my dad, other times with the Moray Mountaineering Club. My most scary day was when my dad and a bad man called Jake put me in a big bag and tied me in with several devices. Then my dad climbed up a hill called the Inn Pinn. He was much more scared than I was. Eventually my dad made this plan so I could climb all 282 Munros. So five years and many superb hill days later the day came for this event. I was accompanied by 24 humans to keep me entertained today. We walked very slow today due to some of them having too much to drink last night. When we got to the top they were all taking photos of me with my dad and mum. I was presented with a special engraved dog bowl which said “Penny, The Wonder Dog Munroist 2014”. I would like to thank all these humans who turned out to celebrate this special occasion with me today and for me tomorrow is just another hill day.”
MMC members at Inverlochlarig
Brocken Spectre on Stob Binnein
Graeme and Penny TWD at the summit trig point
Group photo at the large cairn near the summit
Gie’s a piece o’ yer pie
Well, what can a meet report writer add to the above, other than to comment on the food and drink… The group was treated to some very fine Millionaire’s shortbread and Granny Duncan’s finest tablet on the summit of Ben More, which went very well with the many bottles of sparkling wine that were flowing. Upon return to Inverardran, a magnificent cake baked by Rachel went equally well with Graeme’s 1974 Glen Rothes whisky.
Post-walk celebrations
Magnificent cake
The following day the assembled group travelled in all directions. Some headed north and west to seek out hills in Glen Etive, others went east to Aberfeldy in search of adventure, while yet another group strove to discover some deep south hills in order to accomplish a similar quest as The Wonder Dog…
Dan, Graeme, Shona, Sheena, Donnie, Penny and Jake sett off to climb Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin… “As predicted, just another hill day! The morning dawned foggy but this soon lifted and by the time we reached the car park on the south side of Loch Earn there was even some sun. Graeme spotted a wooden tractor in the field, but the rest of us saw some brown cows… and he drove! Up the hill, past the big house and the hydro plant and out into the open hillside. It didn’t take long to reach the summit – and unlike Graeme’s previous assent, no “wee jaggy things” required. Graeme, Donnie and Dan went over to the smaller eastern top to admire the view. Then off to Stuc a Chroin. It’s a steep ascent, which prompted Shona to decline “I’m sixty (err… I forget the exact figure) years old, I should be at home knitting!” Anyway the summit was reached, we admired the views and then set off home. Just another 280 Munros to go for Penny, and just one for me :)”
At the summit of Ben Vorlich
Author: Joe (with excerpts from Penny TWD and Dan)
Photos: Ray, Andy, Dan and Shona