High up on the heather-covered hillside, the views as I headed up towards the Dubh Lochan were pretty impressive. The normal Challenge "trade route" between Lochs Ossian and Pattack is up the Uisge Labhain, over the Meall an t-Slugain and down the Allt a' Choirel-reidhe by way of Culra; but I really do think that this is the superior route. However, I suspect that few consider it when planning their route, because there is a noticeable lack of paths between Loch Ghuilbinn and the Dubh Lochan. And here, for once, the map is telling the truth. Where paths are shown, there are paths. Where paths are not shown, there are not paths. Well, not human paths, anyway. There are tolerably good deer tracks which can be followed for much of the way; and where there are no tracks to be followed, contouring across this open hillside was not a particularly difficult chore. I certainly enjoyed this part of the route, and even though I had just opted out of a 3-Munro ridge that was really needed for my High Level crossing (not to mention the optional ascent of Carn Dearg, and The Fara) I was none the less in good spirits.
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