free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
So this is my first report, be gentle please!
So it starts the night before, preparing my kit, making sure I haven't missed anything even the alarm is set (I like to be at the hill for sunrise at this time of the year). The problem is, I can't be bothered!
Anyway, I go to bed, I'll feel better in the morning?
Eh no! A night of being unwell had followed but I force myself out the door at 0700hrs, an hour late (I allowed myself an extra hour in bed to make up for the frequent wake ups). The first motorway is crawling (the fog is to blame I assume?) but that will clear after the city? Eh no, the second motorway is crawling too, sigh! Patience! It's stop/start all the way to Stirling but I make progress after that (and almost binned the car on some ice, dum dum).
So I get to the cairn at the end of Lochan na Lairige about 0930hrs but the road is sheet ice and now starting to melt as the sun is hitting it. So I decide that the ice will only get more slippery/wet as the day goes on so I move back to the NTC end of the range as that has been cleared (a little).
So my plan has changed and I'm late, is this a sign? I've already done Meall Corranaich but need Meall a'Choire Leith to complete the set up this way. Hey ho, onwards and upwards!
So I leave the car at 1030hrs and decide to head straight up the snow covered south ridge of Meall Corranaich and blaze my own trail. It's hard going but I get nice views of Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers as well as Meall nan Tarmachan. It is so clear that I get a great view of the Crianlarich hills and up to Ben Nevis etc. It was during a breather that I saw a fairly small (10m x 15m) slab of wet snow let go and slide past me (about 15m away). That would have been a pain to get caught in that. Anyhoo, onwards!
My legs were really heavy and starting to cramp (I assume that was to do with a night of sickness) so I was drinking lots during my photo stops (too often for my liking).
Just below the summit I saw that I wan't alone and there was a scattered group of 3 following me up.
Maybe they were doing the same double as me? That could be a free taxi back to my car? Hmmmmm....
So on to the summit, a few pics
and took a compass bearing (340) of a wall/cliff on a distant mountain that interested me.
Anyone got any guesses?
Do I now wait for the group behind or go on myself? The time was 1230, my turnaround time was 1400hrs, bummer, onwards myself it is...
Meall a'Choire Leith isn't much to look at but the surrounds are magic, as was the weather! I should point out that the sky was cloudless and the sun was beating down relentlessly ( I didn't even have gloves on....and my hands are ALWAYS cold!). It was about then that I put on my goggles, to save my eyes from the glare, my buff, to save by nose from getting burnt and my hood to save my head from the sun. I noticed that I was warm, very warm (my goggles were full of condensation) and I was beginning to stagger...."here we go again" I thought. I stop to get some pics and take on more water. Disaster the hydration bladder has run dry.
I wobble my way up Meall a'Choire Leith to a rather bland summit dome, take some pics, eat some snow, confirm that I am on the summit (map/gps) and plot my way out.
Its now 1330hrs and the group behind are now leaving the first summit, they'll be cutting it fine if they are following me!
Anyhoo, on with the downward stagger and slide (all to often). I should have brought my board! It all goes okay, despite the baking heat and goggles now full of water until I'm about 150m from the road when my left foot punches through some ice and I end up hip deep in a very cold, wet and foul smelling bog. It takes a while to remove myself from that and I trudge on (reeking to high heavens) to the road.
That is me back at my first intended start point. However, my car is a decent hike away at the other end of the lochan. Joy! At least I'm finally in the shade!
I wander along the road (via the lochan, to clean of my left leg and boot which had filled with stinking bog water) and see no sign of a friendly car/taxi....hey ho, it is called WALK highland I suppose!
I also notice that there has been a big thaw through today.
So I drive home via Loch Lomondside and see some pretty sights....
and nearly get smashed by two lorries who's drivers are using mobile phones, magic.
So there ends todays epic, home at 1800hrs.
I think I prefer my bland-er walks with Del! haha. Howwever I did get to eat a whole chocolate bar myself!
I wonder if my teeth will fall out now?
Thanks for bearing with me, I'll go back to being a lurker!
