Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers - my first solo Munros!
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 4:44 pm
My first solo Munros - but also my first ever Walkhighlands report!
I've been a member for a year and have been using this fabulous resource for route descriptions, maps and also advice from other member's posts. I have been admiring the Walkhighlands community from afar and now have finally got round to submitting a report!
Today brought my 8th and 9th Munros - I started last year with Ben Lomond (couldn't see a thing) and this year has brought Schiehallion (fabulous day in the snow), Meall nan Tarmachan (on the 2nd attempt - the snow didn't work in my favour on the 1st), Mayar and Driesh 2 weeks ago (fabulous day with my mum & dad - loved Glen Clova), Ben Vorlich and Stuc A'Chroin last weekend (a real struggle for me scrambling up Stuc A'Chronic Pain and the 3 hour descent was a killer) and TODAY - Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers!
I've really got the bug having now bagged 6 in 2 weeks. Today was a new challenge for me - I decided to strike out on my own. (To be honest I'm not sure my boyfriend has forgiven me for the pain of last weekend). I wasn't sure I was ready or experienced enough (definitely not experienced enough!) but I was itching to get back out there again and I thought I saw a window of opportunity for views up at Ben Lawers today.
So I got on the road from Edinburgh at 6.40am and was ready to begin the walk at 8.30am. It had been a nice easy drive up, with a wee bathroom break in Lochearnhead I was the fifth car in the car park and was excited to get going. It was pretty cloudy but it did seem like it would shift...
It was a joy to walk up into the Nature Reserve amongst the purple heather and the trickling stream (thank goodness I'd already stopped elsewhere for a bathroom break ). A wee hop and a leap and then I was across the stream, onwards through the gate and I came to the fork in the path. One went up and one went along...I knew I had a steep climb up to Beinn Ghlas so I went up...phew. The zigzags were intense and up and up I went. I could then see I was about to go into the cloud so I took my last pics of what I could see and then made for the clouds...
I plodded along and it was only when the cloud cleared for a brief second that I saw how high I'd got. I got a wee fright actually - didn't think I was scared of heights until this moment I also got a small glimpse of what was ahead...and that frightened me too! (My boyfriend tells me often I am a cushy!).
But worse was to come. I kept going up, and the cloud kept getting thicker. The wind was really strong, in fact you could say it was blowing an absolute hoolie So many times I thought I heard rushing water only to realise it was the wind. At one moment I sat down on a small cairn - I knew I wasn't at the top yet but I couldn't see much ahead of me. I knew I was high up. I knew there were 2 people coming up who had been about 10-15 mins behind me. I felt so alone and scared! I could've been anywhere and even though I was on the path I felt lost and I got the major heebie jeebies! But I decided it was time to get moving (I was freezing!) and turns out I was on the plateau and had about 50 yards to the top of Beinn Ghlas
Woo my 8th Munro!
At this moment the couple behind me reached the top, I have never been so pleased to see other human beings! They reassured me I was at the summit and told me Ben Lawers wasn't too far. I asked to follow them for a bit, and there began a most rewarding mountain bonding experience...for me anyway!
They turned out to be Neil and Jenny from near Aberdeen and I have SO much to thank them for. I had considered going down (I'm not the anxious ambler for nothing you know) and they gave me the encouragement I needed to just get on with it. Mind you they set a hell of a pace up Ben Lawers I would've taken much longer but I was so desperate to keep them in sight it pushed me up quicker.
It meant that at 10.50am I was at the top of Ben Lawers - and about to get blown off!
Yay my 9th Munro!
There were absolutely no views whatsoever but it was great to be out and about - the air was certainly fresh!
We didn't stay long before descending back down to the bealach. I had planned to go back the way I'd come (maybe Beinn Ghlas views on the way back?!) but Neil showed me the bypass path and recommended it - I'd be sheltered from the wind and out of the cloud faster. I'm so glad he did because I couldn't have faced that scary feeling of being lost again I also learned that Neil and Jenny are on Munro number 105 - of their second round !! So taking their advice was definitely the right thing to do...another thing I'm grateful to them for.
They came down the path too for a bit, before heading off into the mist for some different hills. Lovely people I carried on the descent and couldn't keep the smile off my face! Finally some views of Loch Tay as I got under the cloud! Last night I said to my mum 'I much prefer the ascent to the descent' and this was certainly true after the struggle of Stuc A'Chronic Pain last weekend. Now I was loving the descent - I nearly cried for the 2nd time today, but this time from joy not fear
I got a wee thrill passing people going up - it's always me going up after everyone else it seems, and now I was heading down. I am a long way away from being an experienced Munro bagger, but at that moment I felt on top of the world. I met a lovely lady heading up with the most gorgeous golden retriever - thank you for the nice chat - there were some fantastic people out there today!
I got back to the car just before 12.30pm which was just under 4 hours. I was absolutely elated! I planned to celebrate in the best way with a Steak and Haggis pie from Mhor Bread in Callander but the town was mobbed so I carried on, munching on the rolls I hadn't eaten on the hill. I was back in Edinburgh for 3pm, feeling thoroughly proud of my first solo Munros. I certainly got the fear up there and was so lucky to have the support of other walkers.
Right, what's Munro number 10 going to be?
I've been a member for a year and have been using this fabulous resource for route descriptions, maps and also advice from other member's posts. I have been admiring the Walkhighlands community from afar and now have finally got round to submitting a report!
Today brought my 8th and 9th Munros - I started last year with Ben Lomond (couldn't see a thing) and this year has brought Schiehallion (fabulous day in the snow), Meall nan Tarmachan (on the 2nd attempt - the snow didn't work in my favour on the 1st), Mayar and Driesh 2 weeks ago (fabulous day with my mum & dad - loved Glen Clova), Ben Vorlich and Stuc A'Chroin last weekend (a real struggle for me scrambling up Stuc A'Chronic Pain and the 3 hour descent was a killer) and TODAY - Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers!
I've really got the bug having now bagged 6 in 2 weeks. Today was a new challenge for me - I decided to strike out on my own. (To be honest I'm not sure my boyfriend has forgiven me for the pain of last weekend). I wasn't sure I was ready or experienced enough (definitely not experienced enough!) but I was itching to get back out there again and I thought I saw a window of opportunity for views up at Ben Lawers today.
So I got on the road from Edinburgh at 6.40am and was ready to begin the walk at 8.30am. It had been a nice easy drive up, with a wee bathroom break in Lochearnhead I was the fifth car in the car park and was excited to get going. It was pretty cloudy but it did seem like it would shift...
It was a joy to walk up into the Nature Reserve amongst the purple heather and the trickling stream (thank goodness I'd already stopped elsewhere for a bathroom break ). A wee hop and a leap and then I was across the stream, onwards through the gate and I came to the fork in the path. One went up and one went along...I knew I had a steep climb up to Beinn Ghlas so I went up...phew. The zigzags were intense and up and up I went. I could then see I was about to go into the cloud so I took my last pics of what I could see and then made for the clouds...
I plodded along and it was only when the cloud cleared for a brief second that I saw how high I'd got. I got a wee fright actually - didn't think I was scared of heights until this moment I also got a small glimpse of what was ahead...and that frightened me too! (My boyfriend tells me often I am a cushy!).
But worse was to come. I kept going up, and the cloud kept getting thicker. The wind was really strong, in fact you could say it was blowing an absolute hoolie So many times I thought I heard rushing water only to realise it was the wind. At one moment I sat down on a small cairn - I knew I wasn't at the top yet but I couldn't see much ahead of me. I knew I was high up. I knew there were 2 people coming up who had been about 10-15 mins behind me. I felt so alone and scared! I could've been anywhere and even though I was on the path I felt lost and I got the major heebie jeebies! But I decided it was time to get moving (I was freezing!) and turns out I was on the plateau and had about 50 yards to the top of Beinn Ghlas
Woo my 8th Munro!
At this moment the couple behind me reached the top, I have never been so pleased to see other human beings! They reassured me I was at the summit and told me Ben Lawers wasn't too far. I asked to follow them for a bit, and there began a most rewarding mountain bonding experience...for me anyway!
They turned out to be Neil and Jenny from near Aberdeen and I have SO much to thank them for. I had considered going down (I'm not the anxious ambler for nothing you know) and they gave me the encouragement I needed to just get on with it. Mind you they set a hell of a pace up Ben Lawers I would've taken much longer but I was so desperate to keep them in sight it pushed me up quicker.
It meant that at 10.50am I was at the top of Ben Lawers - and about to get blown off!
Yay my 9th Munro!
There were absolutely no views whatsoever but it was great to be out and about - the air was certainly fresh!
We didn't stay long before descending back down to the bealach. I had planned to go back the way I'd come (maybe Beinn Ghlas views on the way back?!) but Neil showed me the bypass path and recommended it - I'd be sheltered from the wind and out of the cloud faster. I'm so glad he did because I couldn't have faced that scary feeling of being lost again I also learned that Neil and Jenny are on Munro number 105 - of their second round !! So taking their advice was definitely the right thing to do...another thing I'm grateful to them for.
They came down the path too for a bit, before heading off into the mist for some different hills. Lovely people I carried on the descent and couldn't keep the smile off my face! Finally some views of Loch Tay as I got under the cloud! Last night I said to my mum 'I much prefer the ascent to the descent' and this was certainly true after the struggle of Stuc A'Chronic Pain last weekend. Now I was loving the descent - I nearly cried for the 2nd time today, but this time from joy not fear
I got a wee thrill passing people going up - it's always me going up after everyone else it seems, and now I was heading down. I am a long way away from being an experienced Munro bagger, but at that moment I felt on top of the world. I met a lovely lady heading up with the most gorgeous golden retriever - thank you for the nice chat - there were some fantastic people out there today!
I got back to the car just before 12.30pm which was just under 4 hours. I was absolutely elated! I planned to celebrate in the best way with a Steak and Haggis pie from Mhor Bread in Callander but the town was mobbed so I carried on, munching on the rolls I hadn't eaten on the hill. I was back in Edinburgh for 3pm, feeling thoroughly proud of my first solo Munros. I certainly got the fear up there and was so lucky to have the support of other walkers.
Right, what's Munro number 10 going to be?