Weather/Conditions: Some cloud above the summits and blue sky on what was a hazy and warm day
Distance/Ascent/Time: 10km / 920m / c. 5h
Accompanying: Dad, Steve, Fiona, Eva

I climbed Beinn Tulaichean on the 4th August 2002 with Dad, Steve, Fiona and her Au Pair at the time, Eva. The weather was fair with blue sky and cumulus. There wasn't much wind and visibility was at about ten miles, it was a hazy summers day.

We began at Inverlochlarig on the south side of the mountain and took the track through past Inverlochlarig Burn before turning off up the mountainside. With no path it was pretty hard going and rather unrelenting. A combination of being small and having a seemingly endless steep slope to climb made the going difficult. Climbing on a warm and humid day didn't help.



Eventually dad said he was going back, so as he headed down, we went upwards and in my mind it only got even more difficult. At one or two parts the ground flattened out, although at others I was using hands to get up steeper bits.

It took a lot of burning muscles and much exerting but a few final pulls up last sections brought us to the summit. We all made it there pretty much together and the views were fantastic at the top. It was a little hazy and a little overcast but great nonetheless. Although we didn't have views over endless miles to distant mountains, what we could see was breathtaking to me.



After a while spent at the summit and well deserved rest, another hill walker came along (the first we saw) who asked if we wanted to do Cruach Ardrain with him, something which I wouldn't have turned down had I known what he was implying, because I didn't remember being asked this. Upon learning of this afterwards, I was a little pissed off afterwards for not having gone to another peak, but I suppose there isn't much you can do about it. I certainly would have loved to have done two Munros in one day.

After leaving the summit we walked onto the bealach, although not going to Cruach Ardrain - we would just head down. We descended the east side of the hill, where it is just tussocks of grass and into Inverlochlarig Glen. My feet were painful although they felt great again once I'd put them into Inverlochlarig Burn - we all sat on rocks, feet in water and it really took the pressure off my feet - once the boots were on and we'd got walking I really felt the difference. We headed back to Inverlochlarig on the track with feet felt fine and met dad on the way.