A' Mharconaich and Geal Charn [Drumochter Pass] Route Information

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A' Mharconaich & Geal Charn [Drumochter Pass]

Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

745 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

3.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

11.53 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

42	Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch

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A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

Easy route starting from high altitude.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Dalwhinnie

From Dalwhinnie (A9) travel S 11km to parking on west side of A9 road at Balsporran Cottages.

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 745 metres. Allow 3.5 hours to complete this 11.53 km route.

In winter months please check the local snow conditions at sais.gov.uk.

The hillphones service can inform you of stalking activities in the area.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Park near Balsporran Cottages on the A9
		NN62837921	Distance	Altitude 422 m

1	Follow path W under railway
		NN62187907	Distance 0.74 km	Altitude 460 m

2	Ascend WSW to summit of Geal Charn
		NN59657826	Distance 2.70 km	Altitude 917 m

3	Descend SSW to bealach at the head of Coire Fhar
		NN59267663	Distance 1.75 km	Altitude 737 m

4	Ascend SSE to summit ridge of A' Mharconaich
		NN59617574	Distance 1.00 km	Altitude 945 m

5	Follow ridge NE to summit
		NN60437629	Distance 1.11 km	Altitude 975 m

6	Descend N 500m
		NN60427680	Distance 0.52 km	Altitude 860 m

7	Continue descent NE on ridge
		NN61637814	Distance 1.87 km	Altitude 550 m

8	Head N to cross stream and reach path then NE to return to approach route
		NN62837921	Distance 1.83 km	Altitude 422 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Southeastern Highlands
by MWIS (PDF format)

East Highlands
by Met Office

Beinn Bheoil
by Metcheck

Images of A' Mharconaich & Geal Charn [Drumochter Pass]

Descending Beinn Udlamain towards A' Mharconaich. The mountain to the left of the summit is Meall Chuaich

Image by Bill Wales

A'Mharconiach form the the bealach between Beinn Udlamain and Sgairneach.

Image by Graham Young

Geal Charn(Drumochter) from A'Mharconaich.

Image by Graham Young

A'Mharconaich and the Sow of Atholl from Geal Charn

Image by Gareth Pratt

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

Where to Stay

We currently have no
sponsored accommodation listings for this area.

Rating & Reviews

Rating & Reviews

Rated:

from 3 votes

Click Stars to Vote
Your Rating

Written by Paul Richardson on 10 Mar 2008:

A great short round in reasonable winter conditions. Variation of route for strong westerly wind days: Walk up the glen rather than over Geal Charn. Excellent path above the Allt Coire Fhar. Climb A Mharconaich first from the col, then return to col and walk over Geal Charn. Descend the long, easy, WSW spur. Advantages: Much less walking into the headwind, and avoids the stream crossing if in spate.

Written by Mike Watson on 17 Oct 2005:

Filled in an afternoon on a trip up the A9. Probably a good trip for beginners as underfoot conditions fine and no steep ascents. Low cloud spoilt views and turned it into a navigation exercise.

Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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