by Rebell12 » Sun Apr 07, 2024 10:55 pm
Date walked: 04/04/2024
Time taken: 5 hours
Distance: 14 km
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We had been planning all week to do the two western summits of Beinn Eighe on Thursday when the wind speeds looked low enough and the cloud cover high enough, so when the day came we were a little nervous as you are when you have been planning something a while. By 10am the car was parked just west of the bridge and by 10.40 we had walked the two kilometres along the road and were standing gazing up at the hill shrouded in mist and snow.
The first part of the ascent was straightforward, on an excellent path and we made good time. But then we were gazing up at the steep snow filled climb up the head wall of the Corrie, and the nerves crept in. Thankfully some big footed soul had been there before us, and we followed in his footholds kicked out of the snow, acutely aware of the ice axes we did not have. By the cairn on the bealach the visibility was down to a few metres and snow was falling soft and thick. Up to the right we could just glimpse a steep snow filled slope stretching up into clouds. There followed a brief conversation about risks, dangers, nerves, bagging and how close to the top the blue dot showed us to be.
Measured valour prevailed and up we went, thankfully reaching the trig point unscathed. And then - bags left at the trig point - we scrambled our way up along a narrow ridge to what was surely the very top of Spidean. Back again, a cup of tea, and fortified we set off back whence we had come, having agreed the conditions too poor and our equipment too lacking, to head out for the second top.
It was as we descended beneath the bealach that the decision was justified. The snow was softer and slidier, the slope was steep and next thing we knew one of us was sliding on her back, out of control and at some speed. Thankfully after 100 yards or so she rolled on her front and came to a stop just before a slab of rock, poles left far behind.
It was unfortunate that the first people we had seen all day then descended entirely competently around us, ice axes to the fore and helmets on heads. Not much interested in our cheery banter they dismissed us for the numpties we probably are and went on, leaving us to follow in their competent footsteps.
Finally back on the level we once again stumped along the road, thrilled to be down, delighted by our tick, and happy we had tackled the winter conditions and survived.
