UKH

East of Glen Shee is the rippling expanse of the Mounth, a huge upland plateau with a subtle spacious feel all its own. With 13 Munros all told, and never dipping below 800m between them, this is a place to really get into your stride. But its high points are in some respects the least interesting feature of the range. The Mounth is all about glens and corries, glacial gouges biting deep into the plateau: Glen Clova; Glen Callater; the monumental corrie of Lochnagar; Glen Muick's mighty Creag an Dubh Loch. That looks like the makings of a classic wild weekender. But if you're pushed for time then this shorter route nibbling at its southwestern edge gives a fair flavour of the Mounth. With the Glen Shee road right at their feet the grassy dome of Glas Maol and the neighbouring scree heap of Creag Leachach are among the more accessible of the area's Munros. Thanks to this, no doubt, the most popular approach takes you through Glen Shee's uninspiring ski centre. But at the risk of coming over all superior this really is a wasted opportunity. Better by far is this eastern route from pretty Glen Isla. It's a longer day with a wilder feel, and as a bonus you get a good look over the huge hole of the Caenlochan Glen too, another key Mounth landmark.

14.19 miles, 22.83 km, 1,011m ascent, 7 hours. Blairgowrie or Kirriemuir

Read more at http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=879

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Mate and I did almost exactly this circuit a while back on a very windy autumn day. Truly marvellous route. No comparison with the quick dash up these hills from ski slopes. We said then that we'd have to go back and head north and east round the head of Caenlochan. One for the better weather in the spring/summer.

In reply to allanscott:

Nice one. Caenlochan might be worth a look in winter too, quite impressive eh?

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Did much the same route - although we went over the Corbett Monamenach to drop down to Auchavan. Straighter line and saves walking the track to Tulchan Lodge twice.

In reply to kinley2:

I just couldn't be bothered with that hill - looked fairly uninspiring. But you're right it does make a straighter line

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:
While your (rather churlish sounding) amendment to your route card claims that avoiding the drudgery of an extra hill is a timesaver your route is about 1.5km longer, compared to the direct route being 190m more ascent.

Not much in it really.

I think bemoaning rounded uninspiring heathery lumpen hills while describing routes in the Mounth is a bit ironic tbh.....kind of seems to miss the essence of what the area has to offer.

In reply to kinley2:

Churlish? I thought I was just being honest. We don't have to pretend every hill is equally worthwhile surely.

Amendment? Not sure what amendment you mean.

Timesaver? Maybe you're faster uphill than me. If so you're probably right, there can't be a lot in it.

Lumpen? Not having bothered to climb it I can only go on distant appearance, but it looks an order of magnitude less inspiring than Glas Maol etc. There's no grand sweeping plateau, or cavernous corrie, so none of the special the essence of the mounth at all... it's just a rounded hump. It's got to be way less interesting than the rest surely? Or am I missing something?

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:


No - I suppose route salesmen just need to concentrate on protecting their dignity by justifying their trips round the "less inspiring" munros with phrases like "The rolling uplands west of Glen Shee may lack in-yer-face scenic grandeur, but they make up for it with a sense of wild emptiness and the liberation of wide open spaces."

I'm fairly sure your initial route card didn't mention that you couldn't be arsed crossing Monamenach. Point 6 of the route card now suggests you thought about it but were bored. I could be wrong but I think you've amended that since first posting.

Extra 1.5km or extra 190m ascent? Maybe about 4 minutes difference for a slob like me?


Yes. You can start with the extra wildlife that tends to accrue when you leave the munros due to the lack of walkers (who pay the wages of guide book authors and thus mould their master's routes). You can continue with the views up Caenlochan from the northern rim of the hill.

If it had been above 914.4m then as a route salesman you'd have been up and over it with flowery phrases to justify your route I'm quite sure.

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:
Despite the somewhat harsh treatment, I agree that it's worth going over Monamenach. It may just be another rounded lump amongst many other rounded lumps, but it makes sense to do it on that circuit, and the views back up the glen are good.

In reply to Scomuir:

Maybe I'll give it a go next time

In reply to kinley2:

I'm struggling to respond sensibly to some of that.

I don't remember amending the route after publishing, I'd normally only do that if it needed an update or to correct something. But perhaps you know better than me what I get up to.

Munros etc? You must be confusing me with a different route salesman. I'd rather waffle about small interesting hills than any number of bigger comparatively duller ones. But if it's both smaller AND duller then it is likely to slide down the must-do list a bit.

Perhaps every hill has its good side. I might even find time to go up Monamenach one day (on skis, after a good dump of snow?). But if I simply didn't bother with it last time then I'd rather say so in the sales pitch than pretend to some higher reasoning.

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

I've done this route a couple of times, but in reverse, and it definitely felt more logical to go over Monamenach first than round it (and OK, so I was Corbett bagging the first time!) But I can understand why it might not appeal at the end of the day, though, when it might just seem like more heather n' bog after Mallrenheskein and Black Hill.

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:



Sorry Dan - got a bit more narked than I should have with that response.

Perhaps I'm wrong - I did read your route card, and if I'd read point 6 as it currently stands (with its preference for walking further rather than staying high and how boring Monamenach looks) I wouldn't have bothered mentioning that the more direct route carries on easily over Monamenach.

It seemed to me that it had been amended after 12 Jan.


It seems to me with the Mounth that the good side is the top plateau of the Mounth - visiting all the red triangles of Munros with long and often convoluted routes to rather undignified bumps is a distraction - the attraction is being up high on a wildlife rich high environment, not the bumps.

In reply to kinley2:

I've definitely not been tinkering with it that recently or I'd remember!

Agreed, the bumps are the least interesting part of it

In reply to kinley2:
>.

Surely not . I didn't know that was possible.

In reply to malky_c:

You may find it hard to believe but it does happen.

...happily more often at work where it is less important than with regard to Scottish Hillwalking.

...but even in important issues.