walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Quacking boots and a lot up m'uphill

Quacking boots and a lot up m'uphill


Postby railton22 » Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:05 am

Route description: Stob Coire Easain and Stob a'Choire Mheadhoin

Munros included on this walk: Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin, Stob Coire Easain

Date walked: 17/09/2013

Time taken: 6.75 hours

Distance: 17 km

Ascent: 1233m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Best remembered as "the wet one where we went continuously uphill for 2/3 of the walk". But with the thought of turning two red balloons to shiny blue was incentive enough.

"How you doin?" asked Hubs

"M'uphill" said I


...and that sums up the first 2/3rds of the duration of our walk.

The weather wasn't the best but intermittent cloud on the very long ascent and a final hurrah of blue skies on the least leg gave us some stunning views periodically.

Stunning area with impressive looking mountains all around however we were surprised at how little water appeared to be in Loch Treig. I daresay the remainder of the loch could easily be topped up with the copious amount of bog water that we had to wade through on this walk.

I had my new boots on (not one blister this time and toasty dry feet for the entire walk) but Hubs had his not so watertight boots on and before too long his boots were quacking away like ducks in mating season.
DSC09257sm.jpg
On Meall Cian Dearg

The first challenge was the scramble around the nose of Meall Cian Dearg and to be honest we really enjoyed it feeling like "proper mountain climbers " (albeit without the skill or equipment of the genuine article).
DSC09261sm.jpg
Starting to get a bit cold, quick pose then onwards and upwards. Meall Cian Dearg

After endless boggy upwards steps we finally reached the summit of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin. The summit cairn seemed to have morphed into a rather ineffective wind shelter given that the curved opening of the "shelter" was facing directly into the strong winds.

But no matter.

Onwards and downwards to Munro no 2 just as the clouds parted to give THE most fantastic view of Stob Coire Easain ahead of us and Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin behind us.
DSC09272sm.jpg
Look at that! No cloud on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin; hopefully we can pose there cloud free on the return
Took the opportunity to take at few photos at this point before onto the serious business of the steep ascent ahead.
DSC09265sm.jpg
No photos of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin because it was in cloud when we hit the summit. Just about to tackle Stob Coire Easain

DSC09269sm.jpg
Stob Coire Easain looking rather grand

The break in the cloud served to spur us on and at 3:00pm on the nose we were atop Stob Coire Easain .
DSC09275sm.jpg
He's the King of the World! Hubs and his quacking boots on the summit of Stob Coire Easain
DSC09281sm.jpg
Stob Coire Easain summit
Out came the camera and a few frantic snaps followed including one of me jumping on a patch of snow.
DSC09286sm.jpg
Get a bit carried away with the excitement of finding a patch of snow. Stob Coire Easain summit with Loch Treig in the background
We had to hurry given that the mother of all clouds waiting to roll in with driving icy rain and strong winds.

We hoiked it back up the stony side of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and through patches of September snow and then onto the long and very boggy descent in decidedly inclement weather.
DSC09289sm.jpg
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin summit in cloud. Again. Boo
DSC09291sm.jpg
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin summit. wet, windy and cold for the 2nd time that day.

Spotted oodles (not sure if this is the correct collective noun for) ptmarmigan with their plumage already on the turn.
DSC09294sm.jpg
Gorgeous Autumnal hues on the descent after the cloud finally cleared

Bog trotted and quacked all the way back to the car with a feeling of really having earned these two Munros.
DSC09298sm.jpg
Bog factor scale now measured in fathoms

DSC09303sm.jpg
Yay! We did it.

Walked by David (49 and 50) and Sarah (49 and 50)
User avatar
railton22
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 266
Munros:186   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:4   Hewitts:13
Wainwrights:10   
Joined: Aug 10, 2009

Re: Quacking boots and a lot up m'uphill

Postby The Rodmiester » Sun Sep 29, 2013 12:48 pm

Congratulations to you both for reaching your 50! :clap: :)
User avatar
The Rodmiester
Walker
 
Posts: 3396
Munros:107   Corbetts:196
Fionas:45   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:76   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:1   Islands:17
Joined: Aug 15, 2012
Location: Newbigging

Re: Quacking boots and a lot up m'uphill

Postby celt54321 » Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:00 pm

yes well done for getting to 50 and you look like you had a fun day out :clap:
User avatar
celt54321
 
Posts: 99
Munros:50   Corbetts:11
Fionas:3   Donalds:3
Joined: Nov 8, 2012

Re: Quacking boots and a lot up m'uphill

Postby BlackPanther » Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:59 am

Well done on reaching the round number :clap: We did these two almost exactly a year ago, one of the boggiest Munros I've climbed so far. On the way back, we descended from the gap between the two peaks to the glen below, and that was even more boggy... kilometres of squelchy, soft ground :roll:
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Claudie Ecosse, Josaff and 72 guests