free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Only a short report this week! Two more hills climbed at the weekend, we (me, Kyle and Marley) have crossed rivers, streams, railway tracks, bogs, bogs and more bogs before battling through rain hail and snow showers to reach the summits of two more Munros as we continue our adventure through Scotland’s highest mountains!
- Ben Lui and his wee pal!
we left the car at 8.45 on Saturday morning and was quickly at the river to realise that our boots where not going to cut it!
Good job dad is a fisherman and always has the wellies and waders in the boot
, quick trip back to the truck, wellies on and dry feet crossing. Wellies stashed in bushes for the return (little did I know)!
- River crossing number 1, spot Kyle!
we spoke to 3 guys setting off at the same time, they did not have wellies, they chose the trainer option instead (the wellies where offered but declined), not surprisingly they said it was a tad cold!
Once over the river we stood next to the railway line fence whilst I put on my boots, I'd not long said to the "Wee Guy" that a train might come past so don't be scared when, there it was a bloody great train came flying past us, needless to say that I got a mega fright and Kyle just laughed at me for almost jumping into the river!
Heading up through the forest wasn’t too bad to start with.
- Nice waterfall on way in!
But then.........
- The "BOG of all BOGS"!
At one point I was sure there was a monster chasing us, but no it was just the dug, mud up to his eye balls, he was black!
We did well though despite the bogs, we negotiated a route through, saw a few walking poles stuck in the deep mud and wondered if there were maybe people attached to them!
- The gateway to more bogs..ha ha!
After reaching the gate to the open hillside the bogs did ease off, not completely but much, much better. At least you could now head for higher ground! We had gone much slower than normal, maybe almost lost an hour due to the terrain and trying to keep ourselves dry (ish) for the hills!
- The king of the mountains @ 6 yrs!
- Beutiful colours in autumn, love it!
Once free of the bogs and wet ground, good progress was resumed (Kyle running and me chasing
).
- Me & Munro Marley on our 37th summit!
- Kyle on his 24th Munro summit, Amazing!
We soon arrive at the lesser neighbour of Ben Lui, but did not hang around as clouds where coming and we thought to try and make the bigger summit and get the views (nah chance, doh!).
- Is it a monster!
- Who put this big boulder here???
The "Wee Guy" was on a mission, turbo charged in fact
- Almost there!
- WAHEY! Number 25! Ben Lui.
And then, there it was...he hit the summit of Ben Lui and made his 25th Munro climb since April, FANTASTIC!
Very proud as ever, we had come through rain, hail and snow but made it! We stayed at the summit for a while in shelter and ate loads of food; it was good fun as always! Then we headed down....
- "come on daddy, the trucks just behind those trees, it want take long"!
We got down in record time, we did not take time avoiding the bogs, so by the time we got to the river we had mud in places that there should not be mud!
So that was that, another epic adventure, two more hills "bagged".
- Job done, what a day!
All in all despite the bogs we loved it, including Marley, what doesn’t break us only makes us stronger....until the next time!