Thursday 23rd April - Ben Lawers Circuit

The throbbing in my leg woke me just before the alarm went off. A quick check outside confirmed that it was rain I could hear on the camper van roof, with cloud level not much higher than that. Oh well, I can at least head up Beinn Ghlas and see how things go. There is a nice slow descent from Ghlas to Lawers, and if my leg is too sore I can always escape back off round to the van using the stalkers path… such was my thinking as I climbed up into the mist on the shoulders of Beinn Ghlas.

With a cold damp westerly and cloud obscuring views, there wasn’t much to stop for and I soon made the top of Lawers. By the time I was half way across to An Stuc the cloud lifted giving fine views from Glen Coe in the west, along the Nevis range over the Grey Corries, Ben Alder, Drumochter, to the still snowy heights of the Caringorms and Glen Shee hills to the east.

From Meall Greigh I dropped down to the dam at the top of the Lawers Burn and took the Land Rover track back west along the 600m contour towards the van waiting at the visitor centre car park. This proved too much for the leg, and it seems it’s the combination of flat hard surface with a shallow descent that really aggravates. It was with some relief that I left the track to head across the moors to meet the Beinn Ghlas path just above the NTS Nature Trail, and back to the van.

A quick drive back down to Killin, grab some food supplies and back to the campsite for a huge meal and some more leg rubbing!

Ummm… perhaps I really do need to rest properly for a couple of days and let this leg thing get better.

A view down from the Lawers ridge, on the way to An Stuc

Wednesday 22nd April - 2 Meall'urs & Meallghaordie

After a rest day on the Tuesday, largely spent poking and rubbing my sore leg, I decided to have a go at the two Meall‘urs to the north-west of Beinn Ghlas – Meall Corranaich and a’Choire Leith.

I headed up from the visitor centre, the ascent from the bealach between Ghlas and Corranaich making an interesting way up. Making good time and heading back the same way I came, my thoughts were full of whether or not to go for the full Lawers circuit. With my leg still feeling a bit sensitive I decided that this was probably not the best course of action.

Sanity prevailed and with the best part of the afternoon still in hand I drove round to Glen Lochay to add Meall Ghaordie to the days tally. Uncannily the top which had been clear all day, clouded over two minutes before I arrived, and cleared two minutes after I left!

Monday 20th April - Meall nan Tarmachan

What with the gammy leg, I decided to mess with the schedule again, and perhaps give myself an easier day than the full Ben Lawers circuit. So I set off up Meall nan Tarmachan, thinking that I could do this one and add the two hills to the north west of Beinn Ghlas in as well.

The leg wasn’t having it though. Progress on the way up was quick enough, albeit uncomfortable. The descent however was really quite painful. Something wasn’t right.

By the time I got back down to the van, my left lower shin was all swollen up and really didn’t look very nice. As frustrating as it was I needed to take some time off to rest up, in the hope that my leg would mend.

Sunday 19th April - Ben Chonzie

Lewis and I set off for Ben Chonzie. Not the most interesting of ascents, however the weather was the best of the trip yet. The broad grassy shoulders of the summit ridge gave the perfect spot for lunch and generally lounging around enjoying the view.

The descent was quite painful as I seemed to have pulled a muscle on my lower left leg. Not sure if this was related to the knock I took from that stile yesterday, but ever since then my leg had been sore, stiffening up over night. Oh dear.

Saturday 18th April - Ben Vorlich & Stuc a'Chroin

A relatively easy day up the other Ben Vorlich and its near neighbour Stuc a’Chroin. Low cloud eventually burnt off by midday to give a perfect blue sky afternoon.

Unfortunately I clunked my knee a cracker off the top of a stile on the way down. This was sore. This was really bloody sore! What a stupid design of stile, it was way too narrow – who put that there! Rubbing my knee and cursing loudly, I surreptitiously opened the unlocked gate next to the stile and walked through.

Silke and the kids came up that evening. We had a BBQ and then all squeezed into the camper van. Kids loved it.

Thursday 16th & Friday 17th April - Crianlarich Hills

After Wednesday’s “day off” up Vorlich, I decided to mix up the schedule a bit and climb Ben More and Stob Binnein on the Thursday, adding Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean to the day. Leaving the remaining three Crianlarich hills to the Friday.

This turned out to be for the best as the originally planned Day 3 round (from Chabhair to Tulaichean) would have been a killer! As it was the Thursday meant 24km and some 2080m ascent to get round More, Binnein, Ardrain and Tulaichean, across trackless, steep terrain. I had arranged to meet my Mum & Dad and the kids at the Kingshouse, Strathyre by 17:30, and spent the whole day chasing the clock to try and get all four hills completed in time. All that effort for a fresh pair of boxers!

Used the bike on Friday morning to cycle in along the bulldozed road through Glen Larig. No punctures this time! This is a lovely part of the southern highlands, and although it’s only an hour away from the Central Belt, really has a feeling of forgotten remoteness. It was also Rob Roy’s stomping ground. I passed his old house! No one was in. No chance of a cup of tea then!

I dumped the bike just below Beinn a’Chroin to collect on the way out, and then had to walk up the glen to reach Beinn Chabhair. By the time I was on the summit, what little cloud there was had broken up and the rest of the day gave hazy views out across the surrounding hills. The south-easterly was if anything stronger and colder however, so there was little incentive to linger.

These two days together felt like big days. I can still remember the first time I climbed Ben More from the Crianlarich unrelentingly, steep side. Well, the other side isn’t that much different it turns out.

Wednesday 15th April - Finally on the move

Three days in and six Munros climbed so far. Still can’t face thinking any more than a couple of days ahead.

Got off to a great start on Monday with the weather fine, if a little hazy and a cold south-easterly that’s been blowing ever since.

Lewis helped me up the first top, Ben Lomond, and after a quick picnic on Lomondside, I headed round for Beinn Bhuidhe. Leaving the van at just after 15:00 parked at the top of Loch Fyne, it had been my intention to cycle in the 8km to Inverchorachan, before starting the climb.

About 1km down the road, however, I got a puncture. There was an audible hiss as I pulled the smallest thorn out from the middle of the back tyre. Needless to say I had no tools or repair kit with me, everything was back at the van. Sod that, ditch the bike, and get a pace on to walk in to the bottom of the hill. Made the top by 18:00, and got some rather concerned looks from those on their way off the hill as I was marching up. With two hours of daylight left, and a further hours drive back round to the already paid for campsite, I got there just after nine.

The second day the weather had turned a bit dreich. Low cloud and a biting south-easterly meant that there wasn’t much point in stopping. A viewless round of Vane, Ime and Narnain. I had planned to take in Ben Vorlich as well, but the toll of yesterday evening's sprint up Bhuidhe and the lack of any prospect of a view decided that it could wait for tomorrow.

In fact, this turned out to be for the better as it meant I could have a relatively easy day Wednesday and was off Ben Vorlich by 13:30. At least the cloud had lifted, and the effort up was rewarded with some good albeit hazy views of the surrounding peaks. I could see the next group of hills just sitting across the top of Loch Lomond.

So no food poisoning as yet, and the weather’s set to stay dry for the next few days. Plan is to try and get an early start tomorrow and start on the Crianlarich hills.

On the first top, and a photo opportunity for Maggies.

284 Munro's...

Well here I am just a few hours away from driving round to Loch Lomond, trying to squeeze in amongst the weekend campers, to get an early start up Ben Lomond tomorrow.

The sun is beating down outside and it looks as if the weather over the first couple of days might actually be quite nice - at least not gales and horizontal rain.

The van is packed with way too much stuff, and if it makes it over the speed bumps down Preston Road without one of the suspension struts collapsing, I'll take that as a good omen.

Over the last weeks and months, while talking the idea of this trip over with different people the over-riding reaction was one of support. You must be mad - but support nonetheless.

Many thanks for that support and for any donations made to Maggie's Care Centers;

http://www.justgiving.com/nonstopmunromadness/

I'll try and post progress reports up here as I stumble up and over the Highlands, as and when I can. The posts might be a bit sporadic depending on connectivity. Progress might also be a bit sporadic... but then I guess that's just part of the adventure!

A view back down Stob Binnein's SW ridge last November.