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The decision was made that myself and Kim would go for a couple of Munros today, them being the two Stobs from Fersit. We set off from Alloa at 6.30 am arriving in fersit at 08.45 after a wee delay on the bridge on the single track road to fersit where a tree had fallen, a guy was just finishing cutting it away as we arrived. On the drive up, the big question was would we need the crampons? The reason for this being the last outing Kim got bad blisters on her heels from her winter boots. I said due to the mild weather we might get away without them but we would wait till we got there before deciding. On arriving the hills looked ok with pockets of snow here and there, with the ridge up to the first Munro looking relatively snow free, though we could not see beyond this.It was now decision time,do we carry Kims winter boots and crampons or do we travel light?We decided to travel light and if it was crampon weather we would turn back,we did however take the ice-axes.
We set of just after 9 and made our way up to the ridge just passed where there is a cairn that looks like a trig point, here a path leads up to the craggy Meall Cian Dearg.On the path we came across hard snow which was not a good sign but we managed over it, we then got higher up where there was a larger section of snow on steep ground. I gave it a test and said no way, even with crampons on i'd have been very wary of it. We then contoured round the east side to look for another way up, negotiating snow as we climbed.There did look a way up avoiding the snow but it was steep and it was at this point i sensed the negative vibes from Kim. I said "you're not wanting to go up there are you"? "No" was the reply. Well i hadn't got out my bed at 05.45 on a day off to go home with no blue balloon so i said we would head down slightly then make our way round to do the Graham Cnap Cruinn so we could bag a summit
. On our return there was more drama as i decided to take the track through the forest on the way back where we would then cross Creag Fhiaclach and be back at the start. Didn't quite go to plan though as we made our way through the forest we had to climb over,under and round numerous fallen trees with again negative vibes coming from Kimbo
Kim did suggest we turn back but i said we'd be fine and we'd find a way through. I was wrong as we came to a point where we could go no further, here i asked Kim the time, "it's quater past 3" she said. Holly moly lets get the feck out of here, right we'll have to go back. Kim was silent. We started to head back when i convinced Kim we head down the fire break she agreed unconvicingly, again i was wrong as we came across more fallen trees, this adding another 15mins onto the walk. We got back on the track and got out the forest at 4pm just as it was getting dark and made our way back to the car in the dark.A fine adventure in the end even though we failed the two Munros, we will however return in the summer to do them.
- Loch treig
- Meall Cian Dearg
- Glen Spean
- The steep little Meall Cian Dearg
- Kim assessing whats ahead
- Sgurr Innse and a couple of Munros
- The two Stob Munros
- And again in cloud
- Towards The Grey Corries
- Kim on the summit of Cnap Cruinn
- Glen Spean
- Me at the summit
- The bridge over the Allt Laire
- The path back