{"id":1317,"date":"2019-12-25T17:46:50","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T17:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prwilliams-photography.co.uk\/?p=1317"},"modified":"2020-01-14T21:44:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T21:44:17","slug":"xmas-day-on-the-delightful-meall-nan-tarmachan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prwilliams-photography.co.uk\/?p=1317","title":{"rendered":"Xmas Day on the delightful Meall nan Tarmachan."},"content":{"rendered":"

Santa delivered on Xmas Day, snow, lights winds and good visibility but snow conditions underfoot starting to deteriorate.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Munros Completed : Meall nan Tarmachan (76)<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Weather conditions were very good, no wind at all, mild but cloud cover was about 800m+ with visibility about 200-300m in the cloud. I was determined to make most of the conditions so didn’t want to miss the opportunity even though it was Christmas Day. To my surprise about 4 cars turned up in the morning. I was the only one doing the Tarmachan route anti-clockwise though, and actually only saw one person all day, whom I met about halfway round the route, who was doing it clockwise.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t leave until 08:50 slightly later than intended though it is still dark until about 08:30 at this time of year. The route is not easy from a navigation point of view and I was surprised about how much the route undulates once on the ridge. There is a well built track for the first part starting from the bottom of the Lawers car park. The wide track takes you all the way to a footbridge for the first part, then cross and turn up across heather for 100m to gain the wide track again. It finishes at a bridge where you turn North up the slopes. Once across the heathery slopes the ascent steepens to gain the ridge on Beinn nan Eachan & near the top it was quite steep and a bit hairy in places. Conditions underfoot were not good, as the snow was starting to melt lower down so I often found myself stepping through the crust and then fall up to ankle\/shin depth, which became very tiring. Fortunately on the ridge, it was more packed though still not fully frozen to bound along.<\/p>\n\n