Post-work fury-bimble

[Christopher Pulman]

4 pm arrives, but the meeting shows no sign of finishing. I forget what the discussion was about -- some obscure point of leasehold valuation. If a leaseholder owns a potting shed included in the lease extension, does its valuation need to take account of tenant's improvements, or something along those lines. The problem is that it is a rare sunny day in a wet May and Ben Lawers is clearly visible from my window. Of course, sometimes it's necessary to work a few days on holiday. And I was being looked after very well at Dall Lodge B&B; my hosts had recently turned up with biscuits and another cafetière of coffee. Nevertheless, the mountains are just there and my patience for deciding the mechanics of commutation of a head rent is rapidly dwindling.

4:30 pm and the others in the Teams discussion have noticed me surreptitiously packing my rucksack and slipping on my gaiters. You would think they'd politely bring the conversation to a close. But no: someone who will remain nameless -- but their name rhymes with Schpenny -- has some additional questions.

4:45 pm: I'm booked at the Courie Inn for supper at 7:30. Any after-work walk is going to have to be quick. And it's not going to happen at all if we don't move on from discussing the theoretical possibility that a leaseholder's patio might be owned by a separate landlord.

Finally! 5 pm and I'm out, running to the car, flinging in my bag and screeching down the drive to the road.

Damn, sh*t, balls! There are traffic lights and they've just turned red. And a "safety car" slowly escorting the earlier traffic past the roadworks at 2 mph. I fume at the wheel as I wait for it to return. Then I'm past the lights, turning off towards the Lawers Dam, going airborne over the bumps.

Anyway, I haven't mentioned the plan. It was to climb Meall nam Maigheach, Scotland's worst Corbett. At least, it has the lowest user rating on Walkhighlands. Just 250 meters of ascent up heather and bog from the Lairig an Lochain road: a wrathful ascent of a rage-inducing mountain.

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I parked quickly and set off at a furious pace, cursing as I dropped a walking pole and had to walk back down to pick it up. I just took a direct line up the slope. Fortunately, it had been dry in April and the ground wasn't too boggy. And it soon became clear that this might not be Scotland's worst Corbett after all. The unfamiliar views of the side of the Lawers range and the back of the Tarmachan ridge rapidly opened up, the tops illuminated in the evening sun.

Less usual view of An Stuc

The view back down to Lochan na Lairige

Wheezing, dripping sweat, legs burning, I made the top in under 40 minutes. Another summit to tick off on my wall chart. Yet it is more than that. Although easily accessible, the mountain feels remote, hidden among the higher peaks. The air was clear, with a few clouds gathering indicating the return of bad weather in the coming days. Probably the best view is towards the north, where the Càrn Mairg circuit and the outlying Corbett (one of the many Beinn Deargs) look impressive. But there were also fine views towards the Lawers range, the back of the Tarmachan ridge, and towards Loch an Daimh.

The Càrn Mairg circuit and Beinn Dearg

Beinn Dearg zoomed

The Lawers range

The Lawers range, zoomed

The back of the Tarmachan ridge

The Tarmachan ridge, zoomed

Looking down the Lairig Bhreislich towards the Sgiath Chùil ridge, Ben More hiding in the cloud in the distance.

Beinn nan Oighreag

Stùcd an Lochain

The north

Despite my looming dinner reservation, I lingered at the top for 15-20 minutes, letting the day's cobwebs blow away and watching the dappled sunlight on the hills.

By the time I came to descend, my frustration had evaporated. The only thing furious about the descent was my pace. 15 minutes later I was in the car, having paused a couple of times for photographs of the light catching the Tarmachan ridge and Ben Vorlich on the horizon.

The light catching the top of Meall nan Tarmachan seemed worth a picture

And another one. (The terrain might be tricky in the wet.)

Ooooh! And another one.

A last look back

Ben Vorlich in the distance

I tested the road-handling of my Honda en route back to Killin, jumped in the shower, and was at the Courie Inn with 5 minutes to spare.

If the weather is good and you have the time -- or don't have the time, but have the seething anger to walk it in an hour -- I'm not sure Meall nam Maigheach deserves it's 2.18 rating. Besides, clearly the worst Corbett in Scotland is Beinn Bhreac-liath. What a steaming pile of misery that hill is!

[Mal Grey]

It so important to squeeze in time outside around working, so I know all about your frustration when meetings go on for no reason...

Turned out nice in the end!

[Verylatestarter]

Chris

What **** arranges meetings Friday afternoons. We had an MD in the eighties, who would only hand out cash expenses at 5;30 on Friday.

Surely a man of your undoubted intelligence would be able to fake (or maybe cause) an internet outage at the appropriate time. Alternatively a cardboard cut out of you in front of the screen - would they notice the difference?

Regards

John

[Christopher Pulman]

Chris

What **** arranges meetings Friday afternoons. We had an MD in the eighties, who would only hand out cash expenses at 5;30 on Friday.

Surely a man of your undoubted intelligence would be able to fake (or maybe cause) an internet outage at the appropriate time. Alternatively a cardboard cut out of you in front of the screen - would they notice the difference?

Regards

John

I would be a little worried that they would opt to hire the cardboard cut out and fire me. The cut out would complain less about the lunch options.