free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Another day of mainly non horrible weather? We are being spoiled. I had a few routes printed off but decided on Beinn a' Chroin and An Caisteal. Picking my potential hills late the night before, I actually had those hills and Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean on the list. If the weather had been better in the South I was going to go for Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean and better weather in the North meant Beinn a' Chroin and An Caisteal. For those of you familiar with these hills and the normal start points for their ascent will no doubt have come to the conclusion that I am capable of great stupidity. I was actually an hour or so into my walk when I realised the failing in my logic.
Still, no matter. I may not like it, but I've come to terms with my stupidity.
As per usual I was late, leaving the car at 11:45 just behind another couple with a bouncy quadruped. The late bit is usual, not the leaving behind a couple with a dog, that's new. I don't think it's significant though.
All fairly straightforward on the ascent, missed the turn off from the track, weather started acting up, walked myself right into bog field - just the standard stuff. I overtook the other couple once on the Twistin Hill and then had to stop to put on my waterproofs as there was a wall of dark misery approaching from behind. It was short lived but I kept the waterproofs on anyway as I was now above the snow line and the wind was pretty fierce, plus I could see more waves of misery approaching.
Once on the ridge the going is fairly easy, even in the snow, although I was surprised my how deep some of the drifts were - almost waist height in some places (no, I'm not 4 foot tall). I suspect I must have a less continental outlook on life than Polly, so
cairn kissing was not going to happen. I gave it a more socially conservative nod and hello, took it's picture and then proceeded to bugger off.
The descent to the bealach was harder going than expected. I daresay it would have been all fine and dandy without the snow - but with the snow it's very slippery, difficult to navigate and turns out boulder fields are not the easiest in the snow. I'm not even sure I was supposed to be in a boulder field, but thankfully it was short lived. The footprints in the snow I'd been following disappeared at this point and I didn't see them again for the rest of the walk. I'm hoping that the creator of the footprints just decided to escape from the bealach, as opposed to . . well, the alternative.
The scramble up to Beinn a' Chroin would probably be a lot easier without snow and ice too.
I expected some nice views from the Beinn a' Chroin ridge, but as soon as I got to the top I saw a big wall of very thick looking weather bearing down fast. I just managed to get my camera put away before the first hail hit. And hit it did! Visibility dropped to maybe ten feet or so, the wind picked up to the point that standing upright was very difficult and I could feel the hail hitting quite hard even through my jacket. I hid behind a rock. I like to think of it less as a little scaredy school girl type hiding, but more a manly stepping back, assessing the situation and picking the perfect moment for attack type hiding. I chose to attack once it cleared up.
The other couple that I had overtaken had obviously decided to turn back after An Caisteal. Quite wise, I don't think a dog would have handled some of the bealach very well. Unless someone else came along much later, in the dark, I suspect I was the only muppet on Beinn a' Chroin all day.
From the summit I took the required piccies and then headed downwards as the sun did the same. I figured from the floor of the Glen I would be able to make good progress back to the car. How wrong I was! Non stop, totally unavoidable, hellish bog. My walking poled would sink up to a three feet in places. It was all I could do to avoid sinking for the most part. My boots held up admirably, but that was a very tough mile and half! I didn't enjoy that bit.
Anyway, I got back to the car shortly after 18:00, almost six and a half hours after I set off. Not the speediest trek ever, but given the snow and bog, not too bad I think.
Piccies from along the way: