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Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:23 pm
by Huck Finn
Forecast for the day looked like we would get a view on the first top, but we would be pushing our luck for the second, so with this in mind Pigeon picked me up at 5:00am and we set of on our merry way.
The trip up was going well, so well in fact we decided to have a rare treat, we stopped at Forth William for McDonalds breakfast, not the best, but it was the end of the holidays and we thought what the heck.
Frigate met us here just as we were about to leave, time for a quick McMuffin breakfast, only to find the person in front of him was in to feed the 5000, no breakfast for him and off we set.
Kev's failure to get breakfast was not the last disaster of the day, a few miles from the start point and Pigeon engine started to over heat. The radiator has lost the water, a trip down to the local burn got the car going enough to get us to the start, to find Ian waiting wondering what had kept us.

The weather was still good and we made our way up the track, making good time.

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We cut of the track and started to head up through the trees, so far so good, it proved to be a nice we warm up walk.
it started to get a little bit steaper, on any normal day, this would have been taken in our stride, but three weeks of not getting on the hills, coupled with all the over eating and the odd to many drinks that we all had over the festive season was starting to take it's toll, it was not long until we were all leaking, but we battered on :D

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Once we had got to the bealach we decided to head North up to Sron a'Choire Ghairbh first. It was a steap we climb, but with cracking views

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On the top we had our customary New years drink, we have done this for the last two years on the first hill of the year. It was Pigeons round this year and I think he was happy to unload the four bottles he had lugged to the top :lol:

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We felt the odd spit of rain and the wind was hitting 30mph, so we did not hang about, as we left the summit it seemed like the local bus had just pulled in, bodies were coming from two directions, we had a brief chat with some of them and then set of for number two.
Althought Meall na Teanga is the smaller of the two, it proved to take a little bit more out of us than we are used to, the Christmas festivities were going to take a little bit to shift :?

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Pigeon was first on the top (as usual) and the rest followed soon after, I only got the one photo, I could not be bothered taking any more the stinging rain and high wind, one of the guys took a group photo using Pigeons camera, I am sure he will post :wink:

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We did not hang about here to long either, we were sone on our way back down to a more sheltered area of the hill

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We missed out on the stop of at a local pub, we were worried about Pigeon car and decided to head straight down the road, stopping every 15 or 20 mins to top up the water, we checked it once, not water lost so all the way home, with what seemed to be a burst radiator that was no longer leaking water, strange, very strange!!!


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Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:08 pm
by Meatball
Cracking report.
I was going to go there tomorrow but the forecast says it'll be wet and windy...as such I'm inclined to leave it.

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:17 pm
by Huck Finn
Thanks Meatball, we were lucky with the weather, it was not nice on the top when it turned :(

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:45 pm
by Ian Bayne
Good report Huck photos are spot on especially the spooky eyes on Jake good day out with the originals

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:57 pm
by Huck Finn
Thanks Ian, I will try and get the video together over the next day or two, some good footage of Jake chasing the snow :D

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:27 pm
by pigeon
Good report and pics Huck,it was a wee shame the rain appeared earlier than expected but it's no aw good views and fine soup in the hill baggin' game :lol: Car been checked out,seems ok for the time being(i hope :crazy: )Here's some of my better pics :thumbup:
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the coffin road
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Cam Bhealach
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Bhealach breather
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Charlie on the zig zag path to Sron a Choire Ghairbh
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Ben Tee with Loch Ness in the distance
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Gairich,Loch Quioch munros and the south Shiel hills
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Ian
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Meall na Teanga with the Ben etc. behind
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same but zoomed a tad

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:45 pm
by pigeon
Few more
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heading back to the bhealach
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Kev and Jake on the only bit of snow we had to cross all day
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the damp looking team on Meall na Teanga

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:13 pm
by Huck Finn
Good photos Dave, thanks for sharing :D
Good to hear the car has had a clean bill of health :clap:

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:32 pm
by PeteR
A couple o fine hills these two :D Sron a'Choire Ghairbh proved a tough nut for me to crack, but I was up that way recently when the snow was still about and finally cracked the blighter :lol: Seem to recall it was windy that way too :lol: You have some nice views there, especially the first one of the red sky :D

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:38 pm
by Huck Finn
Thanks Peter, glad we did not have to do it in the soft snow :D

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:28 am
by Huck Finn

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:07 pm
by morag1
Enjoyed this report as I walked a part of the Great Glen way last year, passing through Kilfinnan at the foot of these two Munros. I always thought they were "easy" Munros but your photos show them as looking very steep.

Interesting what you said about people arriving by bus, when I was there I saw a lot of people at the bus stop and at first I couldnt think what they were all there for, I thought they had been for a sail on the Caledonian Canal, then I realised they must have been Munro baggers :roll:

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:14 pm
by Huck Finn
Thanks Morag

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:08 pm
by rockhopper
good way to start the year - well done all...but where's the snow gone ? :shock: - cheers :)

Re: Happy New Year from Loch Lochy Munros

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 7:12 pm
by Huck Finn
Thanks for that RH, your not the first one to wonder where the snow has gone, I am sure it will not be far away :D