Yes I know, it’s been a long time since I posted anything but just for ptc* here’s a couple of photos of our weekend wild camp on the South Glen Shiel ridge!
Trip report to follow, honest!
As promised…
So the weather forecast looked good for the weekend so we booked into the Trekker’s Lodge at the Kintail Hotel on Friday with a plan to do my first ever wild camp. Travelled up on Friday night with the obligatory stop at the Real Food Cafe for a fish supper. Arrived at the hotel at about 10pm, in time for a couple of pints.
We could have taken the car up to the Cluanie Inn, but the thought of having to make our way back there on Sunday didn’t appeal so we decided to get the bus. £6.20 each! For a 20 minute journey. And they wonder why folk don’t use public transport!
Anyway we got to the Cluanie Inn at 11am and set off on the long walk in. There was a fair amount of cloud which was a blessing as we plodded up the first Munro Creag a Mhaim from the south-east. However as we hit the ridge the cloud started to lift giving views of Ben Nevis, Knoydart, Rhum and Skye. We gradually made our way leisurely along the ridge with a plan to camp on the summit of the last one. However on reaching the 6th one Sgurr an Lochain at 8am we both agreed that it was time to call it a day. We pitched on a fantastic spot just below the summit. Nice and flat and soft moss made for a good night’s sleep only broken by the odd gust of wind. The only other problem were the midges which really shouldn’t have been so high up! So we ate our dinner on the summit where a breeze gave us some protection from them.
Sunday morning saw mist bubbling up from the glens and we were on our way by 9am. A fairly good path took us down to the road and now the only problem was getting back to the car at the Kintail Hotel. After about 20 minutes of trying to hitch a lift we saw a couple of lads coming off the hill after doing the Saddle. We asked hopefully if they were going back to Shiel Bridge, but no they were Glasgow bound. However after getting changed they came across and offered us a lift back which was very much appreciated!
As a first camp it was absolutely perfect, as those that know me I don’t do wet camping at the best of times and I really don’t see the point of wet wild camping!
So back south we headed for another well deserved fish supper!
Sunset from Sgurr an Lochan
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To borrow a football phrase it was a weekend of two halves with Saturday’s torrential rain being followed by a glorious Sunday which was probably the best day since early May!
We travelled across to Arran on Friday afternoon with our friends from Air Na Creagan Mountaineering Club. But on Saturday morning it was clear that it would be madness to even think about going out, not that it stopped some members venturing out (although they did eventually abandon plans to go up Goatfell!). It did clear in the afternoon so we had a wander up Glen Sannox to see how high the river levels were…
Sannox Burn, Glen Sannox
We then went for a walk along the Coastal Path to North Sannox. But the forecast promised great things for Sunday so it was with some relief that we awoke to glorious sunshine. We had planned to do a route up Glen Sannox then over Beinn Tarsuinn and Beinn Nuis back to Brodick to catch the ferry home. However being wary of whether we would be able to cross the burn we decided instead to head for North Goatfell from Corrie then across the Stacach Ridge to Goatfell…
Looking towards Goatfell
On the Stacach Ridge
Cir Mhor and Caisteal Abhail from Goatfell
Managed to get down to Cladach via the seemingly endless “tourist” route just in time to catch the bus back to Brodick (not sure we would have caught the ferry had we had to walk that last 2km!).
And back to the football, I suspect there’s more supporters in North London who are as sick as parrots! Yes, the mighty Tigers are up to 3rd in the Premiership! Thanks Kate for providing a Premium Rate Score Service while we were sailing back to Ardrossan! Worth every penny!
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Well what a wonderful weekend!
Jennifer was gallavanting with a friend in London so it was a boys weekend for myself and Craig. On Saturday afternoon we went to Eglinton Park, our local country park, which had an open day whcih allowed us to go up the last remaining tower of the ruined castle there.
View from tower of Eglinton Castle
Then we went to watch the Tigers take on Arsenal away. To be honest we would have settled for a 1-0 defeat but were amazed that after going 1-0 down just 5 minutes into the second half we managed to come back to win 2-1. Unbelievable especially as Arsenal hadn’t even let a goal in at home never mind dropped any points!
And on Sunday we went to Conic Hill with Elaina for a cracking wee walk…
Ayrshire Tiger and Cub on Conic Hill
Ayrshire Cub being watched by Highland Coo!
All in all a perfect weekend!
Next weekend it’s a trip to Arran with Air Na Creagan Mountaineering Club so hoping that the weather picks up!
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Well what a cracking weekend! We headed up to Mallaig on Saturday morning to catch the lunchtime ferry to Rum. Leaving Glasgow just after 7.30 to give us time for breakfast at The Real Food Cafe seemed like a good plan until we discovered it didn’t open until 10am! So instead we carried on to the Craft & Things Cafe in Glencoe. Still, we had plenty of time didn’t we…until we hit the road works first on the road into Fort William and then on the road to Mallaig…but we made it with about ten minutes to spare!
Stayed at Kinloch Castle which was excellent.
Kinloch Castle, Rum
Unfortunately our luck didn’t extend to the weather which was overcast and blustery. And so it stayed through Saturday and Sunday so plans to do the Rum Cuilin were replaced with walks out to Kilmory Bay and Harris. Both great days with plenty of wildlife including deer, Highland Cattle, goats and best of all White Tailed Sea Eagles!
Kilmory Bay, Rum
Harris Mausoleum, Rum
Monday eventually saw much better weather that allowed us to a quick dash up Barkeval.
Stag on Rum Cuillin
before heading for the ferry at 3pm.
Homeward bound...looking back to Eigg and Rum
A long journey back but so looking forward to going back sometime. And I do just have to add that the highlight of the weekend was Jamie’s transformation from reluctant International Speak Like a Pirate Day participant to fully fledged pirate…
Jamie the Pirate!
The only disappointment was the Tigers throwing away a 2-0 lead against Everton…still it’s another point closer to avoiding relegation!
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Yes, I’m back, mainly due to ptc* pestering me! 
Apparently it’s been raining a bit down south but the forecast for the West Highlands was dry and sunny so we headed for Ballachulish to do the Beinn a’ Bheithir Horseshoe. And a cracking weekend it was too!
Sgorr Dhearg from Sgor Bhan
Looking down on Ballachulish and Loch Leven
We parked the car at the church on the A82 and walked back to the village, past the school and on towards Sgor Bhan. Some fine scrambling quickly saw us gain height giving a fantastic panoramic view from Mull in the west, across to Ardgour with Eigg and Rum beyond, the Mamores and Nevis to the north and of course Glencoe in the east. Could also pick out Ben Lui and Ben Cruachan to the south.
Looking over to Ardgour
Stayed at Bob and Chris’s excellent B&B in Kinlochleven on Saturday night. More fine weather on Sunday saw us head for a lovely woodland walk up to Blackwater Reservoir. Returned via the conduit before hitting the West Highland Way back to Kinlochleven and then bumped into the aforementioned ptc* and family.
Looking forward to a trip to Rum in a couple of weeks – I will post a report – honest!
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…since I last posted!
To be honest I’m not a superstitious person but since the last post in February a certain football team made a remarkable push for promotion towards the Premier League for the first time in their history. I really did not want to jinx them as they made their way to finish third in the Championship and another first, a trip to Wembley (so much for my post of January 6th!), for the play-off final. I couldn’t get a ticket and matters were further complicated by the fat that the Scottish Cup Final was being played at the same time! However I managed to find a cafe bar in Ayr that was showing both matches and enjoyed local lad Dean Windass score a remarkable volley to send us Premier League bound!
On the walking front we’ve had trips to Glen Affric, Glen Clova, Torridon, Langdale and most recently to Ben Nevis with a group from work.
This was my third time on the Ben - first was in 1981 on a glorious clear day in May up the tourist route. Second time was up the CMD from Torlundy but didn’t get any view at all as the cloud base was down to about 1500m. This time we went up from Glen Nevis as a couple of the group were going up the tourist route and it made more sense for them to have a pub to wait in rather than a car park!
We split off at the half way lochan and went round as far as the CIC hut. At that point it looked like the cloud was there for the day and I did have a sense of deja vu but as we climbed up Carn Mor Dearg it miraculously cleared. Still fairly cloudy most of the day on the Ben itself but it did clear a bit so we did get a rare view from the summit.
Have to say there were fewer ill clad numpties than on my previous visits to the Ben – mind you that could have had something to do with the fact that we didn’t get to the summit until 5pm! And it was nearly 9pm by the time we all got down (yes, that’s 12 hours!). Was a long day but it was a group of very mixed experience and ability and I think everyone enjoyed it!
I’ve fogotten how to post photos so here a link to one on OutdoorsMagic.com
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Apologies for the formatting! Tried to edit to put paragraph spaces in but it won’t let me!
Had a grand time up in Kinlochleven last weekend staying at
Bob & Chris’s excellent B&B. After much despondency after the thaw from the previous weekend’s snow Saturday morning turned out to be cloudy but dry. We arrived as promised at the car park at 9.15 but there was no sign of our fellow
Air Na Creagan friends who were staying at
Blackwater Hostel! A quick phone and it became clear that it would be at least half an hour before they would be ready so Elaina and I decided to go on towards the eastern Mamores.
A good steady plod through the woods saw us hit the landrover track within an hour. We headed east towards Loch Eilde Mor and along it’s northern shore passing a boathouse and several streams in full spate. We did see a path heading up the hill but didn’t fancy the look of the waterfalls it seemed to be heading for so carried on until we were due south of Sgurr Eilde Mor. And so we hit the open hill, easy going grass at first but then it steepened until at one point we were on a 75 degree slope which unfortunately coincided with the wind getting up a bit! However we managed to grab enough clumps of heather to get ourselves up onto the rockier ground above.
Surprisingly we then started to meet other people, a couple coming down and others who had traversed round from the western slopes. At one point we found some rocks to shelter behind and decided, sensibly as it turned out, to have a spot of lunch. Eventually we hit the summit of Sgurr Eilde Mor but didn’t hang around as the wind was just about blowing us over!
The original plan had been to do do Binnein Beag as well but time was running out so we headed down the southwest scree towards Coire an Lochain. Some interesting snow filled gullies and earth moving moments saw us eventually level out at the lochan. Then the fun really began as we realised that the outflow stream wasn’t the easiest to cross.
Fortunately a couple of other walkers joined us at that point and between us we all managed to get across, albeit having to recover an ice axe from the water!
And so we went on to the penultimate obstacle of the day, the Allt Coire nan Laogh, which we took one look at and then decided to follow the feint path down it’s eastern bank. Slippy though it was it was preferable to the risk of a dunking! And so we hit the landrover track just as the rain started. We then donned headtorches to negotiate the final obstacle, the woods that led back to the village.
An excellent night in the
MacDonald Hotel followed with good food, drink and company as usual!
And the Tiger’s managed to recover from 2-0 down at half time to draw 2-2 at home to Blackpool. Play-off place still in our sights…
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Well the forecast looked best in the east so Elaina and I headed off to do Ben Chonzie. Very easy Munro but still a challenging day due to the very high winds on the summit. Wasn’t so bad going up but after having a quick lunch at the summit shelter it really was hard work walking back down!
And after a couple of weeks without a game (one match postponed then a free weekend due to being not in the fourth round of the cup) the Tigers scored a 90th minute goal to beat Coventry
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Yes while the rest of the world was out enjoying the best winter day for ages Elaina and I went to the snowfields of Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales. Or not! Never mind there will be plenty more snowy days! And we really did have a great, relaxing weekend with good friends Bob, Jeannie and Cath. It would have been even better had the not so mighty Tigers beaten West Brom and moved into a play off place! Again, never mind we will get there one day!
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Back in the mid seventies/early eighties when I was a regular at the then home of the Tigers, Boothferry Park my mate and I had a phrase we always seemed to use in the first week of January… “Well, there’s always next year…”. And it would seem that things haven’t changed even though we’re now playing at the KC Stadium. Apparently we haven’t been past the third round of the FA Cup since 1987 and yesterday we succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at Plymouth despite the best efforts of the old warhorse himself, 39 year old Hull lad Dean Windass who scored both our goals.
Still, at least we can concentrate on the League. Oh aye, that was another thing we used to say but at least this year we’re not concentrating on avoiding relegation…we’re only a point of a play-off place…and the Final is at Wembley…maybe, just maybe…
Footnote to non-football readers: Hull is the largest City in Europe never to have had it’s team play in the top flight. Or win the Cup. Oh, the suffering!
Trivia question – who were the first teams to take part in a penalty shoot-out? Answer: Hull City and Manchester United in a Watney Cup match in 1970. And yes, we lost!
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