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Tuesday, 16th. November, 2021:
Despite having done quite a bit of winter climbing on Lochnagar in the late 1980s - Eagle Ridge, Parallel Gully, Raeburn's Gully, Tough-Brown Traverse, etc. - I had never been to the actual summit of the hill so it was about time...
I actually had my eye on doing the round of five Munros at the head of the glen so, accordingly, I left the car park in Glen Muick soon after 7.30.am. and headed across the wide strath towards Alltnaguibhsaich Lodge. The early signs were good with some gaps in the cloud and a pink dawn coming up behind me - but the wind barrelling down the glen was very strong and, despite a brief clearing, the summit ridge around Cuidhe Crom was soon obscured by cloud.
I tried to ignore it and plodded steadily upwards but, once on the ridge above the Meikle Pap, things were getting quite unpleasant and I had to duck into the top of one of the gullies to get out of the wind and layer up; it had been a while since I'd donned my Dachstein mitts! I managed to get to the highest outcrop and its cairn before 10.00.am. but, although further progress would have been possible, it would not have been fun. Standing up was just about alright but walking in a straight line wasn't... so, having played this game before, I turned tail and headed down; the hills will still be there on another (sunny) day!
- A blurred image of the cairn and the granite outcrop on the summit (16.11.2021.)
Next Report:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=109352.