Monday 6 April 2009 - A Good Day Out - A' Ghlas-bheinn

Sue and I were joined by Pam and Paul today for the amiable ascent of this pleasing hill - conducted at a more normal pace (calculated by Paul as 1.6 mph compared with yesterday's rather pedestrian 0.8 mph!).

Parking beyond the mountain rescue post in Morvich, we set off in fine weather along the 'new' path towards the Falls of Glomach. We soon branched off right up the superb stalkers path to Bealach an Sgairne, encountering four others en route. Waterproofs were donned to combat the elements, and this simple act secured our freedom from precipitation for the rest of the day, which was nevertheless somewhat grey, with an occasional weak sun.

Today's wildlife was minimal - some goats in the glen, and hooded crows observing our progress from the tree tops.

But coal tits and sparrows abound in our garden, and we've seen bullfinches in the other cottage's garden. David, who knows a bit about these things, reckons the dying deer we saw yesterday may have been starving to death - maybe nature is lending a hand to control the excessive numbers of deer that humans are reluctant to attend to.

Wood anemones and dog violets accompanied primroses on today's walk, and there was lots of sweet smelling bog myrtle lower down the glen.

In Gleann Choinneachain, looking towards the distinct notch of Bealach an Sgairne

The view west from Bealach an Sgairne, with Beinn Bhuidhe ahead and the Corbett, Sgurr an Airgid, poking up on the right

Beyond the bealach a windy path led north towards the summit through easy crags. I startled a chap when passing him - he was deeply immersed in his own world and hadn't noticed our approach.

Above the bealach, on the start of the undulating ridge leading to the summit of A' Ghlas-bheinn

After 2 hours 50 min, at 12.40, we reached the blowy summit, beyond which lunch was taken in a sheltered spot nearby.

On the summit of A' Ghlas-bheinn, with Beinn Fhada in the background

We were joined for lunch by our startled friend, a Munro bagger who had driven up from Glasgow today, and would return home tonight with just this solitary tick. He had been Munro bagging for 50 years, and still has 50 summits to go. I fear that at some point he got distracted.

He may of course have got more ticks than he bargained for - of a different variety - later Sue required a couple of 'extractions'.

The descent down the west flank of A' Ghlas-bheinn was easy and uneventful. We reached the Falls of Glomach path by the forest junction and strolled down the track to Dorusduain, where the bridge over the river to rejoin our ascent route was nearly missed. But our wits were with us and we got back to the car at 3.20 after a five and a half hour, navigationally successful, stroll.

Primroses near Dorusduain

On the last lap back to Morvich, with the long ridge of A' Ghlas-bheinn behind us

Meanwhile, Chris had enjoyed the road to Arnisdale so much yesterday that he returned with Avril today. Andrew dragged Max around a 12 mile, low level, circuit. Ken and Anne had set off with them, but peeled off half way on the pretence that the BBC needed them to sign a contract in connection with Escape to the Country's exposee of their house (actually true!).

This was the evening of our combined meal for the two cottages. It went very well. We hosted Andrew's beetroot and goats cheese starter, followed by our Chardonnay chicken with parsley mash, before transferring en mass across Plockton to the other cottage's meringues, ice cream and apple pie, with copious toffee sauce.

Luckily, it remained dry whilst we staggered back to Duilisg, after a most enjoyable day.

Here's today's route - 14 km with 990 metres ascent, taking us about 5 hours 30 minutes, including stops:

Sunday 5 April 2009 - The Slowest Munro - Beinn Sgritheall

Nine of us set out from Arnisdale, after over an hour in the cars, only David (birding in Applecross), Max (dossing in Plockton) and Avril (arthritis) being absent from today's minor epic (in timing anyway).

Setting off from Arnisdale in fine fettle for a week in the hills

The sun was shining at 10.20 as we left the eider ducks and the gentle lapping of the water in Loch Hourn.

The first 3 km, along a road lined with bright yellow gorse, a third of today's total mileage, were covered in 40 minutes. Our pace then slowed drastically after leaving the road at Creag Ruadh to bushwhack our way past two dying deer (do they catch Lyme's Disease?), through juniper and bramble, lesser celandine, dog violets and primroses, squidgy bogs and across streams.

A dying deer - its mother was in a similar state nearby - David thinks malnutrition may be the cause

We eventually reached a deer fence at 300 metres. Someone had created a way under it. We used this route, then filled the gap with rocks before heaving ourselves up a steep narrow gully to reach the ridge, just above a lochan.

It was windy.

Chris stands on the easy ridge after all the hard work getting there - Beinn Sgritheall's 974 metre summit is on the right, with the minor 928 metre summit that some of us ascended to directly, on the left

A ponderous ascent of Beinn Sgritheall followed, with lunch at 12.45, in a lovely sheltered spot out of the wind.

Some of us had spent a lot of time waiting, so we popped up the minor 928 metre outlier before reaching the main summit, where the four of us still had to wait for all bar Chris, despite being distracted by a hare that had tried to be invisible as we walked past it.

The well camouflaged hare, just before it streaked off

We left the summit, with its fine views to many Highland regions, four hours after starting the walk, not expecting to take more than a couple of hours to descend the final 3 km to the cars.

Starting the descent from Beinn Sgritheall, with Loch Hourn and Knoydart beyond

But it was steep, and some found it difficult. Others pottered along then waited. Luckily the weather was clear and warm, if breezy.

Descending Beinn Sgritheall - the horizon is straight, but Janet and Andrew are bending in the wind

Some were fitter than others.

We saw four other people out on this hill today. Apart from one easy and avoidable snow slope near the 974 metre summit we encountered no significant 'white stuff'. Luckily the weather remained fine and clear.

After some moments of concern everyone made it back down over steepish ground, past waterfalls, ptarmigan and bluebells to Arnisdale by 5.30, three and a half hours after leaving the summit. We were greeted by smiles and waves from residents enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine, midge free, outside their cottages.

This cottage had no tea drinkers outside it, but did have a garden laden with daffodils

Sue found a tick. They like her.

Back at Duilisg we admired our banana mountain (gained due to the generosity of the other cottage, in return for some of our own salad mountain) and a fine meal was prepared, after David and Janet, the latter exhausted from this uncustomary exercise, had returned home to Inverness. Thanks for the delicious cake and the wine, you two.

The beef stew for six was eagerly consumed by five of us.

Andrew and I then visited 'the other cottage' where plans for tomorrow were hatched. The forecast is fine but few will be venturing high.

Today's walk calculates as being a 4 hour 50 minute trundle according to Naismith's formula. We took nearly double that - our slowest ever Munro, I suspect!

Here's our route - 11 km, 1170 metres ascent, taking us a leisurely 7 hours or so.

Saturday 4 April 2009 - A Dash to Duilisg

Today's nine hour journey saw us travelling 400 miles to this well equipped cottage, Duilisg, in Plockton by 5pm.

Chris and Avril had arrived first and Andrew soon turned up to keep the kettle busy.

We had woken to rain in Manchester, left home in sunshine, and enjoyed clear blue Lancashire skies, past flapping lapwings and buzzards being harried by crows.

We enjoyed coffee with Andrew at Tebay, then headed off into intermittent rain for the rest of the journey, stopping at Nevisports in Fort William but finding nothing there of sufficient interest to trouble our wallets.

For mile upon mile of Highland highway we passed the pale green sheen of trees laden with moss, so air quality must be good up here?

David and Janet arrived on time, then we enjoyed Avril's excellent lasagne, and Chris's excellent wine, in this lovely, freshly decorated, cottage. Shona and Frazer, the owners, have spent the last few weeks here and have left it immaculate. It's a lovely place in the 'picture postcard' village of Plockton.

I joined David outside at dusk. Blackbirds were singing sweetly from the chimney tops, tawny owls were 'twit-terwoo'ing, and David could hear woodcock nearby.

Pam, Paul, Ken, Anne and Max had arrived efficiently at their abode for the week - Caladh Reidh in Harbour Street, another excellent spot - and they joined us for a nightcap before we all turned in.

Friday 3 April 2009 - Packing for Plockton

The title says it all.

No time for the camera today, so the image is from 9 April 2006, taken in the Fannaichs during an excellent trip to Ullapool, which it seems I still have to write up!

We will of course try harder this year, with the aid of the Blackberry during the course of the week, with some images and further editing taking place when we get back.

I think there may be less snow than in April 2006...

Then we'll have to think about our TGO Challenge arrangements.  So far we've planned a route - Mallaig to Montrose - that got through Alan Hardy's tenacious vetting process unscathed; that's it, apart from a couple of food parcels I'm currently putting together to drop off on our return home next Saturday.

Wednesday 1 April 2009 - A Backpackers Club Dinner and An Evening Stroll

Some day we will join the Backpackers Club!

Meanwhile we continue to enjoy their occasional evening gatherings; this one at the Knot Inn, Rushton Spencer, where eleven hardy folk who like their wild nights under canvas gathered for a chinwag and a bite to eat.  And the Black Sheep went down well.

Sue and I arrived early and took advantage of the sunny evening.

Setting off from the Inn...

...we enjoyed a stroll down the Leek to Macclesfield railway line...

...with the evening light shining brightly on the trees - still in their winter plumage...

...turning off down a marked path - it's that Staffordshire knot again!

We are also on the 'G' and the 'DVW'!

That's the Gritstone Trail and the Dane Valley Way.  It should be a good path, then!

It's all a bit green, with little indication of the path on the ground.  But perhaps it's this way...

...better follow today's navigator - SWMBO...

...and enjoy the lush views over rural Staffordshire...

...and Cheshire, with Shutlingsloe in the distance...

...and some well lit trees...

...before the sun went down...

...and we adjourned to the pleasures of the Knot.

Just 4 km, in an hour, in lovely countryside:

Anyone for Mountain Biking?

Here's a brave pedaller coming off High Street on 15 November last year.

And what would said 'brave pedaller' aspire to?  Perhaps this? 
(Don't look, Hazel!)

Thanks to John J for this.