Schiehallion ... and a too-easy ascent

FOUR WEEKS AGO I complained about THE path up Criffel. Today I am complaining about the path up Schiehallion ... but for different reasons. It would be an understatement to say that Schiehallion is a popular hill. Even the Ordnance Survey appears to like Schiehallion, for it is the only Munro with its summit on three maps. Its popularity is partly due to its central position, but more due to its striking appearance. It stands slightly apart from its neighbours, and its distinctive, graceful cone can be picked out from as far north as Ben Nevis.

Schiehallion may also be the most famous mountain in the history of science. In 1774 the Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne, used it to measure the Earth's mass from the deflection of a plumb line held at various points on the mountain. Schiehallion was chosen because it is reasonably symmetrical, making the centre-of-gravity calculations easier, and it has steep northern and southern faces, allowing platforms to be tucked in close to the centre of gravity of the mountain, thus maximising the induced deviation. Amidst all the elevation readings, it was noticed that a line drawn to connect points of equal height made things less confusing. This may have led to the invention of contour lines.

Many hillwalkers choose Schiehallion as their final hill to complete a round of Munros. There have been more than 50 Schiehallion completions (including my fifth round in 1992), making it the seventh most popular final Munro.

Use Ordnance Survey maps 42, 51 or 52. Schiehallion has a long east-west whaleback shape, and the east ridge is the popular way up, starting from the car park at Braes of Foss, on the minor road running from the B846 to Kinloch Rannoch.

The downside is that popularity comes at a price. The footpath is a muddy mess, definitely not a pleasure to climb. However, following acquisition of East Schiehallion by the John Muir Trust in 1999, action was taken to tackle the problem. A new route, further south of the old quagmire, has been built on firmer, drier ground at a cost of 817,000. Noticeboards at the start of the path show the extent of the Trust's land, with a red line denoting the new path, claimed to be like the sturdy stalking paths of the 19th century. It is narrow with an easy gradient – 12 degrees, compared to 20 degrees for the old path.

I do not like the "corridorisation" of a hill, with a well-made up path seemingly as the official way (in previous visits I had avoided the popular route), but there is no doubt that the Trust has done a grand job.

At 1,083m/3,553ft, Schiehallion is not a little hill, but the car park lies at a height of 330m and almost effortlessly the two-mile path takes the casual hillwalker and visitor south, then south-west across the lower moorland, before gently climbing to a height of 900m. The scar of the old path is healing fast, though the line can still be seen from the car park.

For some, the climb to 900m may take as little as one hour, leaving just one mile west to the summit and less than 200m to climb. And therein lies the basic problem. The path is just too good, perhaps lulling the casual hillwalker into a false sense of security.

The truth is that the last stretch, by now above 3,000ft, will take longer than imagined. The terrain changes to rougher quartzite ground and the summit ridge is deceptively narrow, with sheer drops at the bouldery summit, and all the while with the prospect of adverse weather.

Peter and I were there at the end of December and the final section was none too pleasant. Returning to the 900m mark and the top of the path, what did we see? A group of ill-equipped walkers, most without rucksacks (and hence no spare clothing, no food) and poor footwear. Some of them looked quite miserable, unable to comprehend the sudden ending of the good path and the change in the weather. I am glad to say that another couple did turn back, wisely admitting that they were under-equipped.

While there will always be stupidly unprepared folk climbing hills, the John Muir Trust should put up a notice at the car park about the inherent dangers of this apparently too-easy ascent.

Factfile

Map Ordnance Survey map 42, 51 or 52

Distance 6 miles

Height 750m

Terrain Superb path climbing to 900m, then stony ridge to summit

Start point Car park at Braes of Foss (map ref 753556) off the minor road running from the B846 to Kinloch Rannoch

Time 4 to 5 hours

Nearest town Aberfeldy

Nearest refreshment spot A good choice in Aberfeldy