“Ayrshire Tiger I Presume…”

Well what a fantastic weekend! As promised the weather was superb and we finished up having three consecutive dry days on the hills! On Friday we had a relatively easy day doing the Pap of Glencoe…

Pap of Glencoe

View towards Kinlochleven and Saturday's hill Na Gruagaichean

Iain and Kirsten joined us on Friday and after a good evening in the newly refurbished Glencoe Hotel Saturday saw us heading for the Mamores to do Na Gruagaichean. At one point the clouds started rolling in particularly over Buachaille Etive Mor to the south…

Clouds over Buachaille Etive Mor

However the clouds cleared by the time we got to the summit. Words cannot really describe the scene…

Looking south to Glencoe

Looking towards Ben Nevis

Looking towards Na Gruagaichean's north top and Ben Nevis

Silhouettes on Na Gruagaichean

Near the summit we met a group of three folk coming down and as they passed one of them paused and asked if I was Ayrshire Tiger. Now I’ve joked for a while that one day this would happen but I was still somewhat surprised – it turned to be a chap Peter who had come along to an OM meet a couple of years ago at Killin – all I can say is that he has a better memory than I do!

We had originally planned to go on and do Binnein Mor but as we had spent so long on the summit of Na Gruagaichean we decided to be sensible and retrace our route. A spectacular day was completed with a brocken spectre…

Brocken Spectre

and an interesting descent in the dark…

Sunset over Loch Leven

Sunset over Loch Leven

So onto Sunday and yet another dry day and a wander up Stob Coire Raineach on Buachaille Etive Beag. We did the whole ridge back in the summer at which point the National Trust for Scotland were carrying out footpath work. Great views again including this one of yesterday’s hill…

View towards Na Gruagaichean

Another interesting descent as the path was very icy in places meaning we tended to by-pass it and use the grassy slopes instead culminating in a spectacular triple somersault by yours truly! At least it proved that old saying about cats always landing on their feet, well almost!

As ever we finished the weekend at the Real Food Cafe where we met up with ptc and Sandy who had been wild camping in the Grey Corries and Beinn a Creachain respectively.

Hull City 2 Wigan 1…Ben Lui 0 Real Food Cafe 1

Well at last the Tigers managed a second win of the season but still managed to make hard work of it by letting a goal in four minutes from time.  And then there were five minutes of injury time!  Much nail biting took place in that last nine minutes!  It brought back memories of the good (bad?!) old days at Boothferry Park when I could never really relax unless we had a three goal lead (not that that happened very often!).

Today we planned to do Ben Lui but a combination of setting off a bit later than planned and a problematic  river crossing saw us turn back at the foot of the mountain.  Still got a couple of decent photos…

Looking towards Ben Lui

Another view of Ben Lui

Probably for the best as the weather took a turn for the worse.   So regular readers will know where we finished up…

Fish Supper at the Real Food Cafe!

Kinlochleven Adventures

The last time we stayed at Bob and Chris’s B&B they told us that they were going to visit friends in San Francisco in September and very kindly said we could “house sit” for a few days if we wanted to.  We jumped at the chance!

We didn’t get away from Glasgow until about 6.30pm on Friday but we made good progress up the A82 and of course we had a break at The Real Food Cafe for the customary fish supper.  We eventually arrived at Kinlochleven just after 10pm.  Kate was also joining us and arrived not much later.

We knew the forecast for Saturday was bad so didn’t even attempt to do anything so just had a lazy day watching the rain pour off the hills!  And watching Scotland maintain their slim chances of World Cup qualification by beating Macedonia 2-0.  We did eventually leave the house…to go to the Clachaig Inn for dinner!  In there we met up with Seona who was celebrating compleating her round of the Munros with friends from the Jacobites Mountaineering Club and scottishhills.com.  Given the weather conditions that day that really was an impressive effort!  We also won 2nd and 3rd prizes in a raffle the prizes being 4 and then 2 bottle of AnTeallach ale!

Sunday saw much better conditions so we decided to do Mullach nan Coirean and Stob Ban at the western end of the Mamores.   We parked at the lower falls car park in Glen Nevis and took the forest track before eventually hitting the open hillside via a very dodgy stile.

Stile on way to Mullach nan Coiean

We were soon on the summit which was Elaina’s 100th Munro so a celebratory drink of last night’s winnings was enjoyed!

Elaina celebrating 100 Munros!

Elaina celebrates 100 Munros

As can be seen from the photos it was a bit clagged in so we sensibly took a bearing and headed on towards Stob Ban.

Towards Stob Ban

We then wandered off Stob Ban on a good path but it was only when we were half way down the ridge and saw a very well defined path below us that we realised it was the West Highland Way!  Oops!  We could have gone back up to Stob Ban but we decided that we might as well walk back to Kinlochleven then take Kate’s car back round to Glen Nevis to pick up mine.  So off we went down a bit further until Kate asked where the house key was as her car keys were in the house.  Oops again!  It was in my car (in Glen Nevis)!  We really were too far down now to go back up especially as the weather wasn’t great back on the summit.  So we resigned ourselves to somehow getting back to Fort William.  We did consider walking back along the West Highland Way but realised it was a bit too far so just headed back to the MacDonald Hotel in Kinlochleven which we arrived at at 6.30pm.  Daft question time…is there a bus to Fort William on a Sunday night?  Yes there was…at 6.05pm!  So there was only one thing for it, a taxi!  So thanks to Ali’s Taxis from Ballachulish we eventually got back to the car at 7.45pm.  Thankfully the MacDonald Hotel do meals until 9.30pm so at just before 9pm we sat down to steak and chips times 3!  Lesson of the day…take a bearing on every summit!

We decided to have an easier day on Sunday and headed up Glenoce to the Lost Valley with the aim of possibly doing Stob Coire Sgreamhach.  We made good progress up the narrowing gorge until we got to the point where you have to cross the Allt Coire Gabhail.  We decided to avoid this crossing and take an alternative route by heading up hill on the southern slopes of Gearr Aonach.  I took a route through some large solid rocks while Elaina and Kate took a more tortuous route up a scree slope.  Now there was a path of sorts and others had definitely used the route before us but I don’t think any of us realised just how high we had climbed until we found ourselves looking down on the Lost Valley from a height of about 450m.  Still, it made a lovely high perch for lunch!

Lunch above the Lost Valley

Having spent so much time we decided to call it a day and leave Stob Coire Sgreamhach for another day.  We took the normal route out and of course had to cross the burn that we had avoided on the way up!

Elaina crossing the Allt Coire Gabhail

That night we enjoyed an excellent meal at the Loch Leven Seafood Cafe before waking to anther very wet day.  Kate and Elaina were staying for another couple of days but I had to head back so left at about 12 for a very wet drive home.  I don’t think I have ever seen as much water coming off the hills especially in Glencoe!  I just hope it has subsided a bit for Elaina and Kate tomorrow!

Mamores in a day, maybe…

After I left school I spent a couple of years working at the Onich Hotel and spent a lot of time doing low level walks around Glencoe and Glen Nevis. Although I did do Ben Nevis by the ” so called tourist” path I didn’t really have the confidence or experience to do other hills such as those in Glencoe or the Mamores – most of my walking had been done on the North York Moors.   I remember visiting Kinlochleven many times and looking up at what I now know to be Na Gruagaichean and thinking that they were well beyond my capability.

However since I got back into hillwalking some seven years ago I’ve really got to know the Lochaber hills quite well and in particular the Mamores which are probably now my favourite hills.

Anyway I’ve had a notion of doing all the Munros in the Mamores in a day.  I did plan to attempt this a few years ago on an OM meet but was distracted by friends who wanted to do the Aonach Eagach in a nun’s outfit (more of that another day!).

I know it’s not the same as Tranters Round or Ramsay Round but still enough of a test for a nearly fifty year old!  So that’s the challenge I’ve set myself for next summer.  Better keep up the gym membership!

It’s a small world…

Fellow blogger Bigbananafeet (Sandy) has just posted this about a charity walk he did on the Lawers Group a few years ago.  Turns out I was there too!  Must have been either 2003 or 2004 long before we both met through outdoorsmagic.com.  This must be what getting caught on Google Street View must be like!

Beinn a’ Ghlo

The weather forecast was promising so we needed a plan…the east looked best so we decided to head for Blair Atholl to do the three Munros on Beinn a’ Ghlo.  The only downside being that it meant a trip up my least favourite road in Scotland, the A9!  Eventually we arrived at the small (very busy!) car park just before 11am and set off for the eroded path up the first Munro, Carn Liath.

Carn Liath

Surprisingly good progress found us on the summit at 12.30pm.  We then headed for Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain and found ourselves on the second Munro at 2pm.

Looking towards Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain

This was good even accounting for the fact that the car park had given us a 300m start!  So on to the third and final Munro Carn nan Gabhar including a “short cut” which turned out to be no such thing – Elaina sensibly stuck to the path – latest score…Ayrshire Tiger 0 Path 1!  Arrived on the summit at 3.10pm.  Now this was getting silly…three Munros in just over 4 hours…but we still had to get down, but it couldn’t take that long …could it?

Looking south from Carn nan Gabhar

Now we could have dropped back down to the beallach and skirted our way around Airgiod Bheinn, but we decided to go over this last top.  The ridge itself was fine but the descent off its southwest slope was tortuous and slowed our progress somewhat!  We eventually got to the bottom and picked up the track back to the car park, which included a comedy moment worthy of “You’ve Been Framed” when I decided to do a somersault and finished up stuck in a clump of heather unable to move!  As you would expect from a nurse, Elaina was very sympathetic to my plight and burst out laughing!  At least she didn’t have her camera to hand!

So eventually we arrived back at the car at 7.20pm, so that was 4 hours 10 minutes up and 4 hours 10 minutes down!  But for once we were not the last car in the car park!

A rare site indeed, another car in the car park at the end of the day!

Now I couldn’t fact the prospect of the A9 so we went back back across country via Aberfeldy, Killin and Crianlarich.  For some reason the car wouldn’t take a left turn at Crianlarich so we somehow finished up at the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum! 

Absolutely cracking day made all the better on hearing the sporting news that the Tigers had scraped a win and the Aussies were well and truly on the ropes in the Ashes!

Edit to add a couple of photos takne by Elaina…

Summit of Carn nan Gabhar

Looking towards Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain

Fersit Munros

Had a very pleasant weekend camping at Glen Nevis Campsite where we met up with other members of Air Na Creagan Mountaineering Club.  We had great plans for Saturday but on seeing the weather we decided to take our time driving north stopping at the Real Food Cafe for a cuppa.  We then had dinner at the Ben Nevis Inn before joining the ten club members who had done Ben Nevis, some via the CMD arete, some by the tourist route.

On Sunday we made up for our lazy Saturday by doing the two Munros to the west of Loch Trieg, Stob a’ Choire Mheadhoin and Stob Coire Easain.  We had thought of doing a circuit but Coire Laire looked distinctly boggy so we decided to re-ascend Stob a’ Choire Mheadhoin and return the way we had come.

Looking northeast from the pillar at NN337767

Heading towards Stob Coire Easain

We were very lucky with the weather especially compared to the previous day, just getting caught in a heavy shower right at the end.

Heavy end of day shower over Loch Treig

The rain continued as we drove home but we broke the journey with a stop at the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum which had its wood burning stove going full pelt…well it is August!

Thanks to Elaina for the photos ‘cos some numpty left his camera at home!

There still life in the old dog…

Had a quick dash up north to meet up with some folk from ScottishHills.com who were having a meet in Fort William.  Despite plans to leave early it was 8.30 before I left Ayrshire, arriving in Glen Nevis at 11.30.   Parked  at the Polldubh car park and headed up Allt Coire a Mhusgain to the lochan below Sgurr an Iubhair.  From there it was a quick climb up the zigzags on the Devil’s Ridge.

Stob Ban from Devil's Ridge

The last time I did the ridge was almost exactly  two years ago with Elaina and on that occasion we met a chap who had moved up to Fort William from Troon when he retired.  He and his dog, Becky, had done the ridge over a hundred times at that point.   As I walked along the ridge I could see a familiar looking man with a dog and sure enough it was the same guy!  He had come up the same way as I had but gone on to Am Bodach and was  planning to go back over the Devils Ridge.   Unfortunately Becky, who is now approaching 16, had dislodged a stone at the tricky down-climb and Ian was having difficulty persuading her to make her way down, despite now approaching 200 crossings.  Ian was resigned to making his way back down the way he had come but asked if I would give him a hand getting Becky down the tricky bit.  As it turned out she managed absolutely fine and we made out way up to Sgurr a Mhaim.

Ian and Becky with Devil's Ridge behind

Some cracking views across to Ben Nevis and Stob Ban.

Ben Nevis from Sgurr a Mhaim

Stob Ban from Sgurr a Mhaim

It was a long descent down the scree-covered slopes of  Sgurr a Mhaim back to the car at about 5pm and on to meet up with the Scottish Hills crowd in the old Nevisport loung bar, now called Cobbs, for some very good value (£4.95) bangers and mash!

Final word must go to Becky, who hopefully will have many more days in the hills…

Becky, Devil's Ridge veteran!

Aonachs Revisited

We’d planned a few days up in Kinlochleven at our favourite B&B run by Bob and Chris, the only decision being which hills to do. I’d done the Aonachs a few years ago in glorious winter conditions but Elaina hadn’t so it seemed a good opportunity to revisit them.

We had great intentions of being on the hill by 9am but it finished up being 10am by the time we got to the car park at the end of Glen Nevis.   The weather was glorious as we wandered up to Steall falls, not as impressive as they can be but still a fine sight.

Elaina looking towards Steall falls

Just before the bridge at the Steall ruin we headed north beside the Allt Coire Giubhsachan to the bealach between Carn Mor Dearg and Aonach Mor.

Looking back to the Mamores

A quick stop for a bite and to replenish our water supplies as well refresh ourselves by dunking our heads under the mini waterfall!

Cooling down!

It was hard work scrambling first over boulders then a steep grassy slope to the col bewtween the two Aonachs. A gradual incline then took us to the flat summit of Aonach Mor at which point one of the forecast heavy showers blew in.

Some bloke on summit of Aonach Mor!

The rain quickly cleared and we were soon on our way towards Aonach Beag. From there we took the south-west ridge back towards the bridge at Steall ruin. We quickly picked up, and then lost a good path! Eventually, after some meandering we found ourselves just 50 metres from the bridge. Just one minor problem…fast running streams on either side of us joining to block our route! Fortunately a bit of backtracking up stream led to an easyish crossing point! At this point another shower came in along with accompanying rainbow.

Rainbow over Binnein Beag

The rain was actually quite pleasant as it kept the midges away as we strolled back to the car. A very different day from the last time in the snow but still a cracking circuit.

South Glen Shiel Ridge Wild Camp

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