In the words of Britney...Gimme Gimme Mor!
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:11 pm2 years ago Mike and I went camping in Fort William. It was right at the start of our hillwalking career. We had hardly any money and no car, having just recently returned from 12 months living and travelling in Oz. We took a bus from Dundee to Glasgow, then the Citylink to Fort William, humphing our camping gear with us. Mikes from the Midlands and had never been to Scotland before he moved up, and the closest I'd been to the highlands was a flat I shared in Aberdeen city centre!
That bus journey will stay in my mind forever... It was drizly and cold, but my god the scenery was astounding...coming accross Rannoch Moor we couldn't sit still, darting all over the bus to get better view out either side, when suddenly a beautiful terrifying monster appeared ahead out of the gloom, looking dark, forboding and utterly inpenetrable. We later found out this mountain was The Big Buachaille, The Shepard...Buachaille Etive Mor, and since that moment we craved to get closer. I reckon it was that sight that solidified our growing hill obsession.
We passed by however this time, onwards to Fort William. A year later, still skint and with no car, we attended a friends birthday at The Clachaig in January. Again we seen The Big Buach, but snow covered, it's gullys glistening with ice....way beyond our reach again...
3 weeks ago, after 3 years we finally got a wee motor. The next day we left at 6am for Glencoe. Nothing beats the excitement of that freedom after 2 years of trips planned 4 weeks in advance, and dictated by Scotrail and Citylink. Environment and CO2 emmissions...I am sorry!
- That view...
We took the route from Altnafeadh, laughing at Dougal Haston and his graffitti that happened not too far away, up Coire na Tulaiche to the ridge.
From there to the summit of Stob Dearg and those amazing vistas over Rannoch Moor.
- Looking back down Coire Na Tulaich
We contunued along the ridge in wind, rain and shine, and over Sto na Doire. Looking back you can see where the 'Stob Dearg' name comes from, the slopes really do appear red.
- Looking ahead along the ridge to Stob Na Doire, with Stob Na Broige peaking out in the distance
Onwards and up to Stob Na Broige, with lovely views down Glen Etive, and nothing but mountains in every direction. sparkling in the sun.
Here we met a lovely guy who had sold me my boots in Tiso Dundee months before, and regaled us with imodest stories of his long distance routes all over the UK. From here we retarced our steps to the bottom of Stob Coire Altruim, and took the steep, wet and slippery rocky path down the Alt Coire Altruim, which seemed so long at this stage with my achey left knee. We reached the floor of the Lairig Gartain and it was a straightforward walk back to the car, with towering peaks all around. Here we seen the Citylink go past on it's way to Fort William, and I gave it a wee wave of thanks.
We popped into the Kings House Hotel for a hot drink on our way home and met these young chaps...
I apologise in advance, I think I may be blocking the site soon with TRs now we have our wee car, were never going to be out of the hills
