Meall nan Damh (NM919744; 723m) and Glas Bheinn (NM939757; 636m)
Sunday 13 May
Distance: 9.25 miles
Ascent: around 1000m
Weather: mainly drizzle but with some light to moderate rain too. About 10 minutes dry at the end.
Start point: Car park at Callop Bridge (NM 92377 79252)
What a fantastic ridge walk! My favourite walk of this trip so far. What a shame that the weather wasn't quite as good as forecast. What a shame I didn't do these tops in yesterday's fine conditions!
The red dots are a vaguely-successful attempt at showing my ridge route
When I woke to rain at 0530, I thought it would just be a passing shower. It may indeed have been so, but in the lack of wind it wasn't moving, and so it sat over me in varying degrees of wetness from when I set out at 0630 until about ten minutes before I got back.
The views were far better than these snaps suggest, but would have been even better under a blue sky and without my hood up!
Fortunately, in spite of the wetness, the cloud base was high as I set off and it remained so as I climbed up onto the ridge and followed it all the way over the tops of Meall nan Damh. Alas, as I descended to the pass, on my way to Glas Bheinn the cloud drifted in, first at the level of the pass, then climbing about the same speed as me, to cover the summit.
Surely that wisp of cloud is just going to pass through?
Nope, it's going to settle on the summit. Harrumph!
Often low cloud has me regretting an early start, but not today. By the time I was back in the glen, all of the tops were smothered:
That said, by the time I left the supermarket in Fort William, about an hour later, the sun was shining. But an afternoon outing would not have been feasible, as I was delivering food parcels to two Challengers, and overnight accommodation to one, so there was a certain imperative to make it to the campsite at Faichem at an early hour. As it went, I was still an hour behind Mick, who was sitting with his tent up by the time I arrived at just gone 1pm.
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Post Blog Note (Monday): It was a very sociable night in Bertie last night, with five for dinner and another joining for a pre-bed cup of tea. Should have taken a photo of the impromptu dinner party really! It's now Monday lunchtime, the weather is fine and I'm parked within easy reach of Ben Tee. I'm really not sure I feel like it today though, so I think I may just go for a short woodland amble, do a bit of knitting/reading/crosswording and have a quiet afternoon.
Sunday 13 May
Distance: 9.25 miles
Ascent: around 1000m
Weather: mainly drizzle but with some light to moderate rain too. About 10 minutes dry at the end.
Start point: Car park at Callop Bridge (NM 92377 79252)
What a fantastic ridge walk! My favourite walk of this trip so far. What a shame that the weather wasn't quite as good as forecast. What a shame I didn't do these tops in yesterday's fine conditions!
The red dots are a vaguely-successful attempt at showing my ridge route
When I woke to rain at 0530, I thought it would just be a passing shower. It may indeed have been so, but in the lack of wind it wasn't moving, and so it sat over me in varying degrees of wetness from when I set out at 0630 until about ten minutes before I got back.
The views were far better than these snaps suggest, but would have been even better under a blue sky and without my hood up!
Fortunately, in spite of the wetness, the cloud base was high as I set off and it remained so as I climbed up onto the ridge and followed it all the way over the tops of Meall nan Damh. Alas, as I descended to the pass, on my way to Glas Bheinn the cloud drifted in, first at the level of the pass, then climbing about the same speed as me, to cover the summit.
Surely that wisp of cloud is just going to pass through?
Nope, it's going to settle on the summit. Harrumph!
Often low cloud has me regretting an early start, but not today. By the time I was back in the glen, all of the tops were smothered:
That said, by the time I left the supermarket in Fort William, about an hour later, the sun was shining. But an afternoon outing would not have been feasible, as I was delivering food parcels to two Challengers, and overnight accommodation to one, so there was a certain imperative to make it to the campsite at Faichem at an early hour. As it went, I was still an hour behind Mick, who was sitting with his tent up by the time I arrived at just gone 1pm.
Post Blog Note (Monday): It was a very sociable night in Bertie last night, with five for dinner and another joining for a pre-bed cup of tea. Should have taken a photo of the impromptu dinner party really! It's now Monday lunchtime, the weather is fine and I'm parked within easy reach of Ben Tee. I'm really not sure I feel like it today though, so I think I may just go for a short woodland amble, do a bit of knitting/reading/crosswording and have a quiet afternoon.
Typical Scottish hill climbing. If you were too particular about having good weather you wouldn't get much done, and when you set off with an uncertain forecast you very often get clearances and rewarding views, and there is satisfaction in discovering that you can cope with these hills in all weathers. All that dosn't mean throwing caution to the winds (a bit of a pun there) and common sense has to prevail.
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple of days with no phone signal, I didn't see this very pertinent comment until much later in the day that had started with me aborting an ascent of Creag Meagaidh.
DeleteFunnily enough, I realised I don't gave any pics of that lovely evening either!
ReplyDelete