Walkhighlands

Climbed on Tuesday 19 Feb 2008, a stunningly clear sunny day. I left the layby near the Cluanie Inn at 8.00 am and switched my brain off for the unrelenting climb up to the south ridge of A'Chralaig. I had brought crampons & axe so was a bit disappointed to find very little snow. The top of A'Chralaig yielded fantastic views in all directions - I got so engrossed in photography that I dropped a glove and just managed to grab it before the wind whipped it over the snowy east face.

The ridge to Mullach F-C is more scenic than I had imagined, and I did have to use the crampons briefly on leaving the summit of A'Chralaig where a very hard snowfield straddled the ridge and dropped steeply on both sides. I took a risk and left my sack at the col before the ridge up to Mullach F-C as it appeared to be snowless. However the pinnacles turned out to have patches of hard snow which obscured some of the path, so I was obliged to do some scrambling - including a few moves more exciting than I had expected from reading route descriptions. But with good holds and dry rock it was very enjoyable.

More photography on top of the Mullach, then back to the sack and a quick descent down Coire Odhar and back to the road at 3.00 pm. As always after a good day I was already thinking of alternative routes for another visit.

Good photo, if only the weather could be like that every day. I remember struggling over them pinnacles, as a novice 20 odd years ago. I smiled when you said you took a risk and left your rucksack, see the forum “Discuss walking and scrambling” (Bad hill days)

hi canisp, yes I've just had a look at Bad Hill Days - I have a few I may add there! when I said I took a risk I was thinking of the risk of needing my crampons on the pinnacles, rather than the risk of losing the sack (I hadn't even thought of the wind blowing it off). I seem to remember a story years ago of someone who left his sack below a Munro and couldn't locate it again - as a result I take a GPS reading if I leave a sack in winter with heavy snow & wind.

could you tell me if this vwalk is dog friendly