See http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2011.html Day 2 for map
Distance: 19km (Cum 52) [Mike 15 - Cum 45]
Ascent: 1815 metres (Cum 3035) [Mike 1395 - Cum 2320]
Time taken: 10.4hrs including 2hrs stops [Mike 7.8hrs, 1.3hrs stops]
Weather: Cool, with a few blustery showers. Cloud base around 800 to 900 metres but occasionally higher. The sort of day when you keep your waterproofs on all day.
Challengers encountered: None
Others encountered: None
[That was easy!]
Flora and Fauna: last night's camp was on a bed of Milkwort, which is probably today's most seen flower. Herds of deer roam this area, and startled ground nesting birds scurry away from under your feet.
Best bit: good views and dry feet.
Worst bit: setting off from Beinn Eunaich in the wrong direction!
Strangest bit: doing a restaurant review on the top of a Munro.
Another relatively easy day in fine (ish) weather, with an enjoyable sting in the tail - Meall Garbh - for me. A long haul up to the first Munro, but we were rewarded with occasional views from the ridge.
This after the restaurant review of Light of India, apparently needed urgently for Stockport Walking Group!
"Average sort of curry house. Fine for a hungry group.
Others enjoyed the fish restaurant that did nice lobster etc" - that was enough, my hands were cooling down...
We could see that someone with small feet had walked ahead of us - probably Ali and Sue - and we wondered how they were doing on Ben Cruachan. Then we heard from Heather, who after bottling out of her 'high route' was regretting the decision as she was now sloshing up the north shore of Loch Etive.
Mike did fine today, managing to maintain the planned pace, though the cool weather meant fewer stops than usual as he chills easily. He kept muttering something like "M'i duggereb"; I'll have to consult someone intelligent like Alan Sloman or Mike Knipe for a translation and then take appropriate measures such as increasing the daily distance.
Today's picture was taken on the descent from Beinn Eunaich; Meall Garbh is prominent on the left.
We are camped on some ledges below the summit, facing east, in the shelter of any breeze, but this evening it's dead calm. Very quiet as the water is a few minutes away, but my pitch is pretty much perfect, Mike's is further up the hill.
Strange that after the buzz of excitement and expectation on the train, then yesterday's sociable string of ants, we should see absolutely nobody today!
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1 comment:
Glad things are going to plan and the weather is reasonable.
In Manchester it's awful. Fine rain that wets you through and no view of the hills.
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