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Historical trip: (note comments on primitive GPS- how things change)
Synopsis: Direct path steeply up above Achnasheen. Continue up trackless swamps veering right until heading due North to summit ridge then west to summit shortly thereafter
By no accident whastoever does Scots supply English with the following words: plowter,slaister, dreich, drookit, glaur etc
Previous day's plan B was promoted to today's plan A for a short (two hours thirty alleged) single Munro bash - the last of 2007. Leaving directly from the hamlet of Achnasheen the route is grassy, steep, and on a dreich day as one plowters through the slaistering mud, one gets covered wi' glaur and totally drookit. Only a good view behind towards the attractive looking hill, but nae Munro, that is Sgurr a'Mhuilinn, prevented onset of bad mood.
At times the GPS could see 8 satellites and presumably we were exactly at 1523 6124 or wherever. The fact that this is in trackless, featureless soft snow strewn swamp makes precise locale somewhat moot.
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- Big Boab just above Achnasheen. Think that is a'Mhuilinn in background.
The invisible lump ahead keeps its attractive features on the far side so, heads down and following earlier visitors' footsteps, we slogged on. A party of four behind had at first appeared to be catching up, but later slowed a bit to keep about 20 minutes behind.
At this point one is heading just about grid North. The slope gradually steepens, though is just the right side of brutal. Heavy snow but not too much wind kept us just the wrong side of comfortable, but at precisely the allotted guide book time for the summit, we came upon the ridge. Denied the view over the steep cliff ahead we simply turned left and in 15 minutes of easy angled crisp snow/neve we were at the top.
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- Friend Dave looking silky...
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- Another could-be-yer-gairden summit
On descent we paused to chat to the only other folks on the hill and then on down. The GPS by the way was at its least useful where most needed. At the top 2 or 3 satellites only were visible - not enough. If anyone out there uses GPS and swears by it, then newer kit may be in my future, but I have never been able to rely on it in a blizzard and when I check in in good viz against known position I am unimpressed. Usually this is because of elevations or tracked sat numbers too low.
On the walk off the paucity of even Scots for words to described truly soggy misery became apparent. Chafed thighs and a frigid, bollock naked, layby clothing change were the reward for Munro 135 ish.
couple o pix before lens clagged up
