Start 0930h + Finish 1715h = Total 7h45, 24.5km, ascent 1290m
Cycle in 0h30, 5km, generally flat
Walk 5h55, 14.5km, ascent 1220m
Swim stop in Loch Lyon 0h40
Cycle out 0h30, 5km

Summits today:
BEINN SHEASGARNAICH - Munro
STOB AN FHIR-BOGHA - Deleted Munro Top
CREAG MHOR - Munro
MEALL TIONAIL - Simm, Subhump, Corbett Top

Enjoyable bike&hike clockwise circuit over two grassy Munros rarely tackled this way. Roughly similar distance + ascent numbers cf guidebook ‘trade routes‘ but cycling saves time and effort. Plus no road walking and a lower bog factor to boot! I reckon cycling saved 1hr compared to no bike and at 24km it’s doable all on foot if you wish. A couple of streams on the loch side track might get your wet feet after rain e.g. the ford crossing Allt Fionn a’Ghlinne. Good weather today though meant I enjoyed extensive vistas from these central peaks with Bens More, Challum, Lui, Cruachan and Nevis prominent.

Drove the entire length of scenic Glen Lyon’s narrow single track road to park next to Lubreach Dam headwall, south side. A short steep section of the hydro road is in really bad condition; just driveable by non 4x4s today, maybe not in future without repairs. Alternative parking options exist north side.

Dumped the bike just beyond the Allt Airigh a’Phuill, when roughly level with a green building with rusty brown roof across Loch Lyon on the opposite side. Ascended Sheasgarnaich’s pleasant grassy pathless broad north ridge. The grass is longest and the gradient steepest lower down but the ground’s always even making for quick progress. Tackling Creag Mhor I opted for a southern track neatly sidestepping the col bogs then gained the Sron nan Eun ridge fairly easily via some steep grassy ramps and gullies. Made quick progRez’s on short grass over Creag Mhor to Meall Tionail then down, steepening a bit at the end.

Back at the bike there was just enough warmth from the low hazy sun to permit a dip in Loch Lyon at one of the appealing mini ‘beachlets’ I’d seen cycling in. Interesting geology’s exposed at shoreline; metamorphic rocks formed by intense plate tectonic activity during a collision with North America 400+ million years ago e.g. boulders with crazy tight convoluted strata also a weird dense black ‘pumicey’ rock I haven’t seen elsewhere studded with numerous protruding cubes of some harder mineral (garnet schist?)