Walkhighlands

So it was decided last weekend that myself and the wife would camp out for the night at Ben Lawers car park on the Friday to get an early start on the Saturday so we arrived about 9.30pm to pitch the tent. The weather wasn't to good at that time but it least it wasn't raining for the time being anyway. So once settled had a few beers and went to sleep only to be wakened early hours thinking the tent was about to take off with the wind and it was chucking it down, anyway managed to get back to sleep again to wake up at 5am to stick my head out the door to see it hadn't improved so it was back it to the sleeping bag for a couple more hours kip before awaking at 8am with no change in the weather again. We decided to have some breakfast and get ready to start so around 9am we were finally off on up the first Munro of the day Beinn Ghlas on when approaching the summit it was snowing and again the wind was picking up again so we moved straight onto the path for the 2nd Munro Ben Lawers we couldn't see it at first but was glad the cloud cleared on our approach loved that bit. Once at the summit the cloud had returned and it had started to get busy on the summit too so it was off to the 3rd Munro An Stuc on where we were quite suprised how steep the climb down was at first glance but it didn't take long to get down to start our approach to 4th Munro Meall Garbh. The wind had picked up quite a bit and it was a real battle at some points as we had to take shelter a number of times due to the hail and snow coming side ways, around about 3 times the gusts caught us off guard and almost floored us both don't think we were the only ones having this problems as we could see a good few walkers taking shelter behind the rocks. Once heading from Meall Garbh to Meall Greigh we started to get sheltered from the weather which made for an easy last approach to the 5th and final Munro of the day Meall Greigh the wife decided to miss this one out and head on down to the dam and wait so I took off on up to the summit take a few pics and head on down to the dam to have a bite to eat and change to the trainers for the walk on out. This had to be the worst part of the day the track wasn't to bad but then it ends and we followed the stone wall round Coire a' Chonnaidh and Leacann Ghlasa to arrive back onto the single track road heading to Ben Lawers car park. I decided to run off in front of the wife to get the car so she could wait at the road side but I don't think I got that far in front of her after loosing my trainers several times due to the boggy bits cooled the feet down anyway. The rain was back on at this point really heavy until I got back to the car park on where the sun came out to dry me out only one problem my zip for my jacket just came off in my hand and it was zipped right up to my neck and it wouldn't come down so only one thing to do and burst the thing anyway it was then into the car to head on down for the wife on where I picked her up half way up the road section to head on home. Really enjoyed that 5 could have been even better without the wind though also pretty much everyone we met up there stopped for a chat so that was great. Wish we had came out at the Ben Lawers hotel as all I could think about was a cold beer 3 hour drive before that would happen but anyway a great bunch to climb

Nice one! I did an almost identical route recently (http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11224) I think I was perhaps more fortunate with the weather though!

Hi Joenorris, to tell you the truth I think it was your route I followed I was just looking up that again.
Cheers,
Csimbad

Good walk especially given the weather conditions - well done. Not sure I'd want to climb An Stuc in the rain/wind (it was dry for me). Can sympathise on the weather front but at least there were sunny intervals - was up in Drumochter where it wasn't any better

Was certainly a trying day Csi,like picture 941 ,looks like those guys are about to start flying

Cheers Rockhopper, An Stuc wasn't to bad well going down anyway as we were shelterd not to good going up though.

rockhopper wrote:Good walk especially given the weather conditions - well done. Not sure I'd want to climb An Stuc in the rain/wind (it was dry for me). Can sympathise on the weather front but at least there were sunny intervals - was up in Drumochter where it wasn't any better

Yes pigeon it certainly did have its momments but thankfully round all ok.

pigeon wrote:Was certainly a trying day Csi,like picture 941 ,looks like those guys are about to start flying