Glenshee, lots of snow but no skis!?!
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:54 pmI had often watched with a smug look on my face at walkers trudging up the side of the piests as the tows pulled me effortlessly to the top of Meal Odhar thinking I would never swap skis for crampons. But.... this Sunday was my first winter walk, I must definately have the bagging bug to have left my skis at home 
The walk was the February walk for Perth and District Hillwalking Club and as usual we set off from Perth at 7 am. I had put my name down for the shorter walk from Glenshee over Carn an Turic and down to Auchallater but on a spur of the moment decision I decided to walk with the big boys and join the "challenging" group hoping to add 3 munros to my tally. My main concern was my fitness level and also that whilst I had crampons and an ice axe I had never actually used them before. But the bus dropped us off at the ski centre car park at 8.30 which was gradually filling up with skiers. Before I knew it the bus had left with those doing the shorter walk and I was comitted.
We set off heading for Meal Odhar and I realised that there was quite a lot of fresh snow that was going to make the going tougher. At the top of Meal Odhar I put on my microspikes, although there wasn't a lot of ice I felt that they would give me a little more grip. A few seconds and they were on, I wasn't sure how I would manage to put on my crampons if needed with out a sofa to sit on! It was then up the side of Glas Maol, despite being at the back of the group I felt I wasn't holding them up too much. A quick photo stop at the cairn and then down towards Cairn of Claise stopping when we got out of the wind for a welcome cup of hot chocolate and a pork pie.
This side of Glas Maol there seemed to be a lot more fresh snow, knee deep in places and I started to feel the going tougher as we headed up Cairn of Claise. It was at that point that I really felt I had made a mistake about going for the 3 in one go on my first winter walk. I found that half hour really tough and worried the whole way up Cairn of Claise about how I was going to manage a third hill. I was scarred that I would hold people up as the wind on the tops was biting and I didn't wnat anyone to get cold waiting for me. Luckly the was a couple of guys going at my pace and I didn't fall too far behind. I saw the group ahead waiting at a cairn but the cloud was down over the tops and I was sure that when I reached them that they would say that the top was "just a bit further". But, no to my genuine and pleasant surprise my 22nd munro was in the bag and we headed down towards Carn an Tuirc. My mood lifted as I realsied I had got to the top of the 2nd munro and the map looked as though the last wouldn't be so steep. I was right and I reached Carn an Tuirc for my third sumit of they day and all before lunch
.
We then headed down towards Lochcallater Lodge, agian I was at the back but a good chat on the way down kept the legs going. We stopped for lucnch half way down and a hare came lopping down the track towards us only turning off after getting quite close, I always love seeing them, they are always bigger than I expect. From Lochcallater I knew we had a long but easy walk out to the road.
We had had a great day with a little cloud on the tops but clear views of the sun on the lower hills.
A lovely day for my first winter walk and, apart from a negative half hour doubting my abilites, one I really enjoyed. It was good to see the bus and get back to the Spital Hotel for a cup of tea.
The walk was the February walk for Perth and District Hillwalking Club and as usual we set off from Perth at 7 am. I had put my name down for the shorter walk from Glenshee over Carn an Turic and down to Auchallater but on a spur of the moment decision I decided to walk with the big boys and join the "challenging" group hoping to add 3 munros to my tally. My main concern was my fitness level and also that whilst I had crampons and an ice axe I had never actually used them before. But the bus dropped us off at the ski centre car park at 8.30 which was gradually filling up with skiers. Before I knew it the bus had left with those doing the shorter walk and I was comitted.
We set off heading for Meal Odhar and I realised that there was quite a lot of fresh snow that was going to make the going tougher. At the top of Meal Odhar I put on my microspikes, although there wasn't a lot of ice I felt that they would give me a little more grip. A few seconds and they were on, I wasn't sure how I would manage to put on my crampons if needed with out a sofa to sit on! It was then up the side of Glas Maol, despite being at the back of the group I felt I wasn't holding them up too much. A quick photo stop at the cairn and then down towards Cairn of Claise stopping when we got out of the wind for a welcome cup of hot chocolate and a pork pie.
- Top of Glas Maol
This side of Glas Maol there seemed to be a lot more fresh snow, knee deep in places and I started to feel the going tougher as we headed up Cairn of Claise. It was at that point that I really felt I had made a mistake about going for the 3 in one go on my first winter walk. I found that half hour really tough and worried the whole way up Cairn of Claise about how I was going to manage a third hill. I was scarred that I would hold people up as the wind on the tops was biting and I didn't wnat anyone to get cold waiting for me. Luckly the was a couple of guys going at my pace and I didn't fall too far behind. I saw the group ahead waiting at a cairn but the cloud was down over the tops and I was sure that when I reached them that they would say that the top was "just a bit further". But, no to my genuine and pleasant surprise my 22nd munro was in the bag and we headed down towards Carn an Tuirc. My mood lifted as I realsied I had got to the top of the 2nd munro and the map looked as though the last wouldn't be so steep. I was right and I reached Carn an Tuirc for my third sumit of they day and all before lunch
. - Carn an Tuirc
We then headed down towards Lochcallater Lodge, agian I was at the back but a good chat on the way down kept the legs going. We stopped for lucnch half way down and a hare came lopping down the track towards us only turning off after getting quite close, I always love seeing them, they are always bigger than I expect. From Lochcallater I knew we had a long but easy walk out to the road.
- Glen Callater
We had had a great day with a little cloud on the tops but clear views of the sun on the lower hills.
A lovely day for my first winter walk and, apart from a negative half hour doubting my abilites, one I really enjoyed. It was good to see the bus and get back to the Spital Hotel for a cup of tea.
