Friday 22nd May - Current tally 89 Munros climbed.

Another full week, with a real mixture of weather conditions, everything from snow and sun to mist and rain, with a gale force easterly mid-week as well.

Had a really great day walking over Bidean nam Bian in Glen Coe, on Thursday 14th. The descent down into the Lost Valley from the bealach between Bidean and Stob Coire Sgreamhach still held a lot of snow and felt vertical on the way down! So much so I had to descend facing inwards. The snow was all soft and sugary though so kicking steps wasn’t a problem.

The descent route down into the Lost Valley
from Stob Coire Sgreamhach, 14/05.

A big round on Friday to get both Buachaille’s done on the same day, with gusts of around 60 mph on the summit ridges not helping! Cloud levels descended during the day as the rain and wind intensified. It’s difficult to tell just how strong the wind was, but at one point I did lose my footing and ended up with my feet above my head thinking “This isn’t good, someone could get hurt up here…” Needless to say I managed to right myself and pressed on in full Scott-of-the-Antarctic style (i.e. at 45 degrees)!

Storm clouds gather over Rannach Moor,
view from Buachaille Etive Mor, 15/05.

Murdo came up on the Friday 15th night and we headed to the Clachaig for some beers. It was pretty much as I remembered it from way back, absolutely jumping! The Aberdeen Angus Cheeseburger was fantastic - and I’d already had my tea before I went!

A bit of a trudge up Creise the following day with cloud level just scrapping the car roof! Still it was good to have some company again, although we saw nothing of the hills we walked over.

Sunday was a complete contrast again, with high clouds well above the summits and the sun even came out! Great day and managed four Munro’s down the bottom of Glen Etive.

Tuesday saw me in Glen Nevis, with two rather wet days spent traversing the Mamores, an atrociously wet day on Aonach Beag & Mor, and a fine day to finish off the week traversing the Carn Mor Dearg Arete and over Ben Nevis. First time I’ve been along the CMD Arete, and fantastic it was too! I had a shave and a pint to celebrate!

The mist starts to clear along the Carn Mor Dearg Arete,
looking towards the Ben, 22/05.

13/05 - Sgor na h-Ulaidh
14/05 - Bidean nam Bian & Stob Coire Sgreamhach
15/05 - Buachaille Etive Mor & Beag
(Stob Dearg, Stob na Broige, Stob Dubh & Stob Coire Raineach)
16/05 - Creise
17/05 - Ben Starav, Beinn nan Aighenan, Glas Beinn Mhor
& Stob Coir an Albannaich
18/05 - Meall nan Eun
19/05 - Binnein Beag, Sgurr Eilde Mor, Binnein Mor, Na Gruagaichean,
Stob Coire a’Chairn & An Gearanach
20/05 - Sgurr a’Mhaim, Am Bodach, Stob Ban & Mullach nan Coirean
21/05 - Aonach Beag & Aonach Mor
22/05 - Carn Mor Dearg & Ben Nevis

I start to head east next week, along the Grey Corries to Loch Treig and into the Ben Alder wilderness before popping out on the A9 at Drumochter.

Tuesday 12th May – Number of Munros climbed : 62

Weather much improved since the tail end of last week. Last three days have been fantastic with little wind and generally clear skies. How nice it is to arrive back at the van not dripping wet!

The family came up for a visit over the weekend and we ended up hiring a caravan. This meant I got to sleep in a proper bed for the first time in about 4 weeks!

Lewis was determined to get out and climb something, so when the rain finally stopped lashing down around Saturday lunchtime, we headed to the Glen Coe ski centre to venture up into the clouds. Once at the top of Meall a’Bhuiridh, fairly deep snow and deteriorating conditions meant that a trip across to Creise was out for the day.

By complete contrast the following day was calm and after the low morning cloud burnt off, was clear. Lewis joined me for the Ballachulish Horseshoe, which turned out to be a fantastic day despite having to cut through forestry plantations Indiana-Jones style to make it back to the van!

Willie Chalmers also came up this week to join me for a day, keen to do something in Glen Coe. Taking advantage of the availability of the extra car, we agreed on a traverse of the Aonach Eagach ridge. I hadn’t been along here for years, but it was fantastic, every bit as exhilarating as I remembered it, and we had a cracking day for it. Despite best intentions to avoid the Clachaig Gully footpath, we ended up descending down that way, which turned out to be the hardest and most exhausting part of the whole traverse!  

 08/05 - Black Mount (Stob a’Choire Odhair & Stob Ghabhar

09/05 - Meall a’Bhuiridh

 10/05 - Beinn a’Bheithir (Sgorr Dhonuill & Sgorr Dhearg)

 11/05 - Beinn Sgularid & Beinn Fhionnlaidh

 12/05 - Aonach Eagach Glen Coe (Sgorr nam Fiannaidh & Meall Dearg)

 

View from the summit ridge of Stob Ghabhar (Black Mount) 08/05.         All four seasons rolled into one.

Lewis at the top of a quite wintery Meall a’Bhuiridh, 09/05.

Photo opportunity at the top of Sgorr Dhearg, 10/05. Ben Nevis in the background in white.

A view out to Mull from the top of Beinn Sgulaird, 11/05. 

Looking back along the Aonach Eagach from Sgurr nam Fiannaidh, 12/05. 

Thursday 7th May – Tally stands at 53 Munros

Stop, I can’t be writing something up for every day! I wanted to try and escape the tyranny of the keyboard for a while!!

From now on I’ll endeavour to post weekly summaries with a selection of the weeks pics – assuming that it’s stopped raining long enough to actually take some, and cut down on the verbage a bit.

Feels like I’ve had a bit of a battering from the wind and rain this week. More often that not I’ve ended up with a real soaking. Which has meant hours of fun in the evenings trying to get all my gear dried out, within the confines of a small camper van – ummh nice!

01/05 - Schiehallion
02/05 - Ben Lui Circuit (Dubhcraig, Oss, Lui & a’Chleibh)
03/05 - Ben Cruachan Circuit
(Eunaich, a’Chochuill, Stob Diamh & Cruachan)
04/05 - Ben More on Mull
05/05 - Ben Challuim
06/05 - Bridge of Orchy I (Mhanach, Achaladair, a’Chreachain)
07/05 - Bridge of Orchy II (Dorain & an Dothaid)

Thursday 30th April – Rannoch Forest

Stuart McGuinness joined me for the day, taking in two Munros that sit just to the north east of Rannoch Station. It was great to have some company for a change and it was hard to restrict ourselves to just a couple of pints the night before!

Both Carn Dearg and Sgor Gaibhre had the potential to offer spectacular views across to the west to the Black Mount and Glen Coe hills, and to the north into the Ben Alder wilderness.

Not today. The usual mix of low cloud and persistent wind, with a little heavy rain thrown in made the 20 km more of a trudge than a joy. The long ridge of Sron Leachd a’ Chaorainn leading to the first Munro, Carn Dearg, was shrouded in mist. Only when we dropped down to 720m on the Mam Ban between the hills did we get a glimpse over to Loch Ossian.

So much effort for seemingly so little reward! Still Stuart seemed to enjoy it...

Wednesday 29th April – Carn Mairg Circuit

I had had fine views across from Meall Garbh on the Ben Lawers ridge of this group of hills sitting at the eastern end of Glen Lyon. Big rounded summits with high level walking between them, with the route round barely dropping below 850m.

Low cloud, poor visibility and a strong easterly were to make the route harder work than it should have been. The path kept on petering out, leaving you on a rounded shoulder with little variation in terrain to guide you. Map and compass all the way round to Carn Mairg itself.

While walking along the Meall a’Bharr ridge towards Carn Mairg, a long line of deer shot across my path appearing from and disappearing into the mist on either side of me. A fantastic sight, doubly so because it was so unexpected.

Then sitting eating my pieces on the last Munro, Meall na Aighean, the clouds suddenly lifted. Within a quarter of an hour the whole ridge cleared and I had clear views looking back along where I’d previously been struggling against the wind and mist.

Carn Mairg Circuit clears

Tuesday 28th April – Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain

Drive up to the top end of Glen Lyon was great. I hadn’t been at this end of the glen before, but it’s well worth a visit. There was a large heard of deer grazing close to the road at Meggernie Castle, but soon fled once they caught the scent of my camper van!

I had planned to walk right round Loch an Daimh, taking in both of todays Munros, one on either side of the loch. The weather wasn’t inviting however, with the by now familiar low cloud (500m), cold persistent wind and the threat of rain. A quick trudge up through the mist to find a positively stormy Meall Buidhe and then back down to re-ascend the lost height back up to Stuchd an Lochain.

Right on cue as I was about half way down, the rain stopped, the clouds lifted and the sun came out. I could have sworn I heard a cuckoo!

Storm clouds clearing over Glen Lyon

Monday 27th April – Sgiath Chuil & Meall Glas

A slight improvement in the weather today, although the summits were all in cloud and the rain started again as I approached the first of today’s tops, Sgiath Chuil. Bit of trudge round today, no views beyond fleeting glimpses of anonymous hillsides through breaks in the cloud. The rain turned to sleet as the morning turned to afternoon, and I was glad to have a relatively easy day.

Forecast looks better for tomorrow. I’m hopeful I might be able to reduce condensation levels in the van!

Sunday 26th April – Beinn Heasgarnich & Creag Mhor

I’d been looking forward to the Glen Lochay and Lyon hills, as these were to be the first new hills of the trip so far. I’d eagerly anticipated the views that I’d get from them off to the surrounding hills already climbed and those further north still to come.

As it turned out I saw nothing of either. The weather seemed to follow a similar pattern each day. I’d attempt to get an early start only to be confronted with low cloud, a persistent wind and more often than not rain, which had the uncanny knack of clearing as I was descending for the day …

The windscreen wipers were working hard on the way up Glen Lochay to the road end. Mucking about getting my gear sorted seem to take for ever, reflecting my reluctance to get a soaking. Then the intensity of the rain slackened off slightly and I took this as my cue to get out and away.

I cycled in the few km’s to the foot of Beinn Heasgarnich, whose bulk could only be felt, the cloud was so low. In fact from the moment I left the bike it was map and compass the whole way to the top. I was actually quite pleased with myself for not getting lost, especially as I’d seen no sign at all of any form of path.

The rain came on stronger than ever as I made my way down and over to Creag Mhor, the next Munro on the day’s list. By the time I got to the top I was soaked through, and I’d lost my appetite for Ben Challum. It was as long a stretch over to Challum from where I was, and I’d had enough of a soaking for one day. The lure of a big steaming cup of tea in the shelter of the van proved too much! That and the fact my boxers were wet.

I got back to the van, put the heater on and lay everything out to dry. Oh dear the windows seem to have misted up. I had foreseen days like this before the trip started!

Sunday 26th April through to May 1st - A backlog of blog logs ...

I've a backlog of blog's which I'll try and post over the next day or so ...

... but it seems we're back to a more traditional Scottish summer. With low cloud, heavy rain and a persistent wind all the ingredients are there!

The summit of Beinn Eunaich (04/05/09), with squally snow showers all day,
the top just cleared just as I reached it.