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So, with christmas officially over now that it's boxing day, and the kids well happy with their presents, I was hoping that the good weather we had up here recently would continue for at least today so I can get out up a hill. Fortunately it was to prove so. I had in mind a wee trip up to Assynt again and a jaunt up Canisp, primarily to photograph Suilven. Leaving pretty early and heading north-west, I realise a few miles from Ullapool that I was fast running out of fuel...d'oh... the only thing I had forgotten to do before the 25th was fill up the car...Passing the closed garage at Ullapool I figured I wouldnt wait for it to open as I should have more than enough fuel to make it back here after the walk.
Reaching the northern end of Loch Awe and parking up, I set out at a very late (for me) 8am. No danger of being anywhere near the summit for sunrise today.
No path to follow today as everything is under 2 feet of snow, and not the good kind... really soft, powdery sink in snow... and each step is a slog... the light is getting beautiful though as Im about a kilometre and a half in, so out with the camera for a couple of shots.
Sunrise behind Beinn an Fhuarain
Its a struggle to keep going in this snow, it really tires you out and by the time I had reached about 1500 ft and Suilven had come into view, I was debating whether to go on or not, after all my main objective is photography over bagging.
But go on I did... the weather was indeed fantastic with not even a breath of wind. Reaching around 2100 ft, I hung about around here waiting for some really nice light...
I had seen another walker approaching and as he raced on by me with pleasantries exhchanged, I was now making the decision to carry on or return...Only the final steep pull up to the summit to go... my decision was made when only 15 mins had passed and the walker returned on his way back down... and I had someone else's footprints to follow. Leaving the tripod where it was, I made the final ascent... Im glad I did. I spent a bit of time up here taking in some food and drink and marvelling at the beauty of Suilven before retacing my steps down. Picking up the tripod I descended a couple hundred feet and met a party of 6 also enjoying Suilven's views.
I descended further taking my time on a now easier to walk path and stopped for sunset pics. The best thing about Winter photography is definitely the light, with the sun so low in the sky all day there is no harshness about it, just a soft glowing quality to it. Also you get to see a sunrise and sunset within a few short hours...
sun going down behind Cul Mor
I arrived back at the car, defrosted it and headed back down the road taking my time, the low fuel light having been on since Ardmair on the way up. I reached Ullapool only to find the garage still shut... ahh of course its boxing day, it wouldnt have been open today at all... so now what? I know that the car is really economical anyway so decide to make for Dingwall and hope the West End garage is open, it usually is if I recall...
no need to worry at all, I got to Dingwall with the trip computer telling me I still had plenty fuel left... in fact since I had previously filled up I had travelled just a few miles short of 500 miles on £30 of diesel... can anyone beat that?
A beautiful, though tiring winters day walk.
