Monday 29 June - Post Wedding Anniversary walk

Unusually for us we travelled to the Lakes on our wedding anniversary day (41st), so today we have had a gentle outing: the mine track to near Dalehead Tarn and then over High Spy and Maiden Moor, making frequent stops and diversions when something caught our interest. On Miners Crag I mentally worked out a route up a wall, delicately traversing at the top to below an overhang. A groove above was climbed to finish. Well beyond me now, but enjoyable to imagine. There was a tinge of sadness too though.

Turning away we came across a small pool dotted with bogbean (or bogpea as I repeatedly call it, much to Lynne's amusement (ridicule actually).

Strolling was the order of the day, stops for tea frequent. We climbed Catbells to finish. It was thronged and we left quickly for the lovely descent to Little Town.

All in all a pleasant start to the holiday.

Note: The much vaunted 'heat wave' did not make an appearance and a cold wind niggled all day, although some folks were not feeling the cold with shorts being the preferred attire. Others had hoods up, some wore hats. We were somewhere in between.


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Saturday 27 June - Over the border

Well, that's us sorted and off again tomorrow. Just hope the weather is like that in the photograph which was definitely not typical of our last holiday on and around Skye.

Having three weeks to spend in the Lake District will allow us to visit places we haven't been to for years rather than just our usual days in the north western fells, although we won't be neglecting those lovely fells.
 
Thanks to A&D for looking after the abode.

Sun in the Mamores

After three hot days in the hills we are sitting in the sun having leisurely coffees.

The wind, cooled by its passage over the snow field in Sgurr a' Mhaim's northern corrie, was welcome after the steep, hot climb. We lazed at the cairn absorbing what lay before us. Dots appeared on the Devil's Ridge but otherwise the hills seemed empty. No doubt the upper snows of Ben Nevis were thronged, but that was a different world from ours today.

We had no plans for any further progress; not even the ridge tempted. Not much anyway. It's better from south to north in my view and Lynne agreed. That settled the matter; we would stay right where we were.

The descent is hard on knees and quads. The quartzite screes have been pounded to fine granules by thousands of walkers all using the same route up and down. Mostly down I would guess.

The day before our Sgurr a' Mhaim outing we met two Outward Bound Trust groups, one planning to camp at Lochan Coire nam Miseach the other already camped lower down the glen in a lovely spot with view down Glen Nevis. Most in both groups looked miserable and all except one girl who returned a wave from Lynne, ignored us. How different from the foursome met in the Lake District a couple of years ago who were carrying huge packs in debilitating heat and heading for 'Seattle we think' (Seatoller). They were all smiles, relishing the fells.

Another fine day we planted ourselves on Sgor an Iubhair and watched a guided party set off for the Devil's Ridge. We just wandered about.

Yesterday,while sitting in the sun at the 'van, we engaged a chap out walking his dog. The weather cropped up and the BBC got it in the neck for only being concerned with the 'soft south'. Then he added 'of course this is the soft south to me'. He lived in Sutherland and had been the Cape Wrath Lighthouse keeper and now retired he was the part-time keeper for several lighthouses checking all was well on a regular basis. Fascinating character.

Today it is blazing hot and we think we may go home tomorrow which gives us a couple of weeks before we are off again. On the other hand we might just have another day in the hills. Hard to leave here in the current weather.

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Comments

The wi-fi signal on this pitch is barely sufficient to allow me to buy wi-fi let alone use it. So, AlanR and Conrad: thanks for your comments and I'll respond asap. Good to hear from you both and catch up with your blogs in due course.

Also, I responded to Oss's excellent post but it may have been a victim of loss of signal. If so, I'll comment again. What a life.


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Saturday 6 June - Rain and more rain.

It is absolutely throwing it down today with high winds just to add to the drama. The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is being held at Aonach Mor this weekend but the morning training session had to postponed because of the conditions. The site is packed, partly because of this event.

Supposedly things are looking better for next week with high pressure dominating. I'll believe it when I'm enjoying the sun on a hill and not before.

We took a forest walk this afternoon and as the photo shows the weather has 'improved'! Some West Highland Wayers looking wet and weary were heading into 'The Fort' and the end of their sojourn. The weather has not been kind to them at all - and it shows.

Before and over dinner we watched a wagtail feeding a youngster. It sat on the wooden fence in the rain, sometimes for ten minutes or longer, waiting patiently while mum went off to find food. This went on for over two hours. Occasionally the young wagtail would position itself closer to the fence post, for better shelter presumably, before resuming the wait for sustenance.

A sunny finish to the day (now Sunday!). A hill tomorrow.





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Wednesday 3 June - a wintry June day

After a couple of days of more wild weather we have, temporarily, moved to Lochaber and made our annual pilgrimage to the top of a very wintry Stob Ban in the Mamores (the photo doesn't show this but I might be able to post a couple of better ones later). It is a very special hill for us, climbed in all sorts of conditions from white-outs to blazing sunshine and everything in between.

Today was one of those days when waterproofs were frustratingly on and off, on and off. I said to Lynne that I couldn't remember all this faffing about in earlier days. We didn't have all this stuff to faff about with as she pointed out, but I wonder if comfort was as much of an issue back then. I can't say I felt any less comfortable in my woollen shirt, M&S jumper, and in later years my Javelin Jacket (fibre pile) than I do today. Might be my memory though or just plain youth!

I've probably said it before but the walk by the Allt Coire a' Mhusgain is truly lovely, the scattered birches like old friends. The old stalkers path took us quickly up into Coire Mhusagain and to the cairn at the bealach. From here, set against a dark sky, the northeast face looked Eiger-ish.

The slaistery snow and slippery quartzite on the ridge required care. I took some video of Lynne on the steep scree and snow of the 'direct finish' carefully making her way towards me. It's anything but difficult but a fall from here would be unthinkable.

The big gully below her still held lots of snow and avalanche debris was in evidence. All was calm at the cairn and a couple enjoyed lunch perched near the edge of the cliffs. Another walker whom we'd met lower down eventually arrived having stopped to chat to a few others. He enthused about the ascent, the Mamores in general, about the long day he had planned and his/our luck with the weather, the Glen Coe hills to the south being cloud-covered. Light snow began to fall and the sun shone, transforming the atmosphere instantly. It felt alpine, but not for long.

We departed taking the easier exit and lower down encountered two other walkers, one wearing shorts, who asked if the winds were strong on the summit. They made some unflattering remarks about BBC weather forecasters with which we heartily agreed.

It was dry as we sauntered through the Mamore Grazings, a place of many memories. Another rewarding day in hills was over.


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Saturday 30 May - Beinn nan Carn (Marilyn) and a visit to the cleared village of Boreraig

It was cloudy (as usual) as we set off from our parking spot but there was hope that the sun would at last make more than a fleeting appearance.


The path leads to Boreraig but our first objective was the Marilyn lying above Loch Lonachan. We made quick progress spurned on by the cold and a late-ish start. At a stile a notice informed us that we were entering Beinn nan Carn Woodland established between January and May 2000 under the Government Assisted Woodland Grant Scheme. The gross area of the woodland is 275 hectares and has been designed to mimic native woodland distribution patterns. The 240,000 trees which have been planted - birch, rowan, alder, willow, ash, oak, hazel, aspen and holly - were grown from seed gathered from existing native woodlands on Skye.

Heartening to read, and the young trees were in evidence. Meanwhile the community at Ose on north Skye has welcomed approval for a wind farm in Glen Ullinish with 14 turbines. Guess where I won't be visiting again.

A surprisingly large cairn marked the 301m summit of Beinn nan Carn which was easily reached from the track, although the lower terrain provided ample opportunity to plunge feet into deep boggy holes. This we managed to avoid - until on the way down.

Once back on the track we continued southwards in the sun. It is truly a delightful walk by the Allt na Pairte. Loch Eishort sparkled, on its shores the lush fields and sad ruins of Boreraig. Here in the mid-19th century Lord Macdonald evicted the people in mid-winter - men, women and children. The are many ruins here
and I found it easy to imagine the plight of those who had their homes destroyed, left to the mercy of the elements. I felt both angry and sad.

Reluctantly we turned away from this beautiful place and made our way back to Strath Suardal. Bla Bheinn was looking magnificent; Ladhar Bheinn was topped with fresh snow. There really is no where like Skye on such a day.


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Thursday 28 May - Glas Bheinn Mhor (Marilyn)

Rain, wind, hail and, yes some sunshine. That was the mix on 570m Glas Bheinn Mhor with only the predicted thunder being absent. All this 'weather' is keeping the midges away though.

At the Luib 'carpark', flasks of Lapsang Souchong were made, sandwiches prepared, ginger bread cut, biscuits selected. The sun appeared.

We quickly abandoned the path (RoW) through Strath Mor to Torrin on Loch Slapin and took to the sodden hillside, aiming for the well defined north ridge and drier ground. The bright conditions didn't last long as rain swept over the Cuillin and headed our way; we had waterproofs on just in time to avoid a drubbing.

The rain eased as we reached the start of a wall which Lynne aptly described as resembling a 'trail of gun powder' (first photo). A short descent eastwards gave a view of Loch na Sguabaidh and Lochain Stratha Mhoir looking dark and wild in the gloomy weather.

Apparently, one should stick to the path through this Strath because sink holes lie in wait, though exactly where I have no idea. We didn't notice any or, obviously, fall into one, when we did Beinn na Cro all those years ago. Sometimes it's best not to know about these things.

Some pics were taken while trying to keep the camera dry then our thoughts turned to food. The perfect spot revealed itself just as the sun returned - and stayed for the remainder of the day. We heard a cuckoo, stopped to say hello to two tiny ponies (smaller than Shetlands) and made a short diversion to check that the Folk Museum really had gone (now a ruin).

Glas Bheinn Mhor is well worth a visit and a longer trip can be made by continuing to Belig and Garbh-bheinn, a Marilyn and Corbett respectively - though those are their least important features.




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Wednesday 27 May - The wet, wet west

This is the wettest day so far and yet the place is busy. I would have predicted a clear-out given the preceding five days and the weather forecast for the rest of the week.

We are back at the motorvan parked at Eilean Donan Castle after a walk by the River Glennan, dry for part of the time then wet. Very wet. At least we can get things dry.

Neither of us can remember May weather like this in, what, forty years? Yes about that. Neither can the locals. And yet, the pull of the west is strong and any urge to escape east (think Cairngorms or thereabouts) is tempered by our love of the hill-sea combination. It's not that much better elsewhere in Scotland anyway.

(Now back at the site so time it's time for a beer)



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Monday 25 May - Luib and a very easy day

We pulled into the small car park at Luib just off the 'new' A97 which hugs the shores of Loch Ainort.

By contrast the old road skirts the southern slopes of Am Meall giving fine views of Strath Mor before descending to the Allt Strollamus. Strath Mor had been our route into the hills many moons ago when heading for Beinn na Cro and others. Luib still had a cafe and a Folk Museum then.

We stopped above Strollamus had some tea and munchies, as Conrad would say - conradwalks.blogspot.com - then decided to climb the small hill immediately above us, Glas Bheinn Bheag, a mere bump on the way to Beinn na Cro. From its cairn, Bla Bheinn dominated the scene to the south, and the north ridge of Beinn na Caillich looked a worthwhile alternative to the usual (and excellent) approach from Strath Suardal.

A simple day. If there had still been a cafe at Luib we could have finished with tea in best Conrad tradition.


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