Finally got around to putting up some photos from the weekend.
What happens to time in bothies?
You sit by the fire, dozily enjoying a dram after dinner then *BANG!* it’s three in the morning and the only subject that hasn’t come up for discussion at some point between now and then is what time it is!
So, an early start and a bit of a drive to do the first hill of 2009.
It was one of those clear but overcast days – lovely when you’re there but the photos don’t come out so well. I forgot the memory card anyway and I can only fit five photos on the camera’s built-in memory.
Starting at Elleric, we walked a fair old way up Glen Ure (to just over half a kilometre from Airigh nan Lochan) before turning south to an obvious wee top at about four hundred metres. At this point a good (if highly inaccurate) debate started about which hill was which in the Glen Coe/Glen Etive direction. I think they were all Ben Starav at one point or another. ;O]
Almost doubling back on ourselves, we headed up an easy slope towards Stob Gaibhre and opted to go straight up the corrie from there instead of going around the shoulder. It’s a bit of a walk up Glen Ure but you gain a bit of height without a lot of work. It’s a nice way to do the hill.
We took a direct route down to Glen Ure on the descent which was pretty steep and slabby in places but nobody died. At one point I did find myself half-way down a stone chute before realising nobody fancied it and they’d all scattered to find another way down, but it was only the once. It was okay but it cannae be the best way off the hill.
Barely managed to stay awake long enough after dinner to watch half a film and drink most of a can of beer.
Had to cancel a wee camping trip yesterday fur being seek but felt fine today so went for Ben More. Now, it turns out doing Ben More from Crianlarich is a bit of a slog – start from Inverlochlarig next time methinks – but it was well worth the effort today!
Some numpty had managed to take up most of the parking space for Benvane by awkwardly parking their car and muggins here got stuck in a lovely snow/ice/bog combination trying to squeeze into what space was left. Finally managed to acquire traction and claw my way back onto the road after an hour and a half with the help of a stack of logs I had in the boot. I knew they would come in handy one day.
I was less enthusiastic about the whole enterprise by that point so I did Ben A’an instead and then bought an assortment of tasty beers at the Lade Inn beer shop. Steak pie for tea. On the whole, not a bad result.
I’ve been putting off Ben Vrackie for ages for some reason. It’s no’ much of an expedition but it’s a nice enough wee hill, even if there is a —ing staircase up it.
Just back from a wee trip to do some hills in Glen Etive with Scott. There was a view and that’s the main thing. As usual, it looks warm and peaceful in the photos but it was bloody freezing up there in that wind really. I kid you not. Totally baltic.
A few beers and a feed in the Clachaig rounded the day off beautifully. Try the boar sausage thing if you’re there.
Went up into the Mamores for a wee camping trip on Friday. It turned out to be a nice night so I took some photos.
Let’s hear it for brevity!
Went on a wee camping trip to do some hills near Rannoch Station – Carn Dearg and Sgor Gaibhre – at the weekend.
The weather was drizzly when I set off up the old Road to the Isles track from Loch Eigheach but was clearing up nicely before I was very far along it. Fortunately, it stayed that way all evening so I could sit with a drink and enjoy the impressive views until it was time to crawl into my sleeping bag.
However, things had gone all wrong again by three in the morning when I crawled out again to water the plants, and I was soon wishing I had more on than just my trainers as the wind and rain did their best to wake me up completely.
Next morning, I stayed in bed for ages drinking tea and smoking fags in the hope that the cloud would lift but no such luck. I didn’t even bother taking many photos but I took a few the day before.
A short Friday-to-Saturday camping trip with Sandy to do the highest hill in Dumfriesshire, White Coomb, in the National Trust for Scotland’s Grey Mare’s Tail nature reserve.
The Grey Mare’s Tail itself is a waterfall on the Tail Burn in a hanging valley left by the last ice age below Loch Skeen. The NTS say it’s the best site for alpine and mountain plants in the south of Scotland. So there ye go!
There are supposed to be feral goats running about the shop as well but they must have been on their holidays.
I managed to get a few photos despite taking a set of duff batteries.