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This adventure, and the aftermath of it, was tame, compared to the recent and now-infamous hake heist; however, I can happily report that as of the Easter weekend, the Lochinver Larder (aka “The Pie Shop”) is now open for evening repast, as well as offering a fine selection of beverages from the Black Isle Brewery.
Because I’d chosen to do a low-level walk on the Saturday of the walkhighlands Inchnadamph meet, as enjoyable as that walk was, Conival and Ben More Assynt were staring me in the face, calling my name. I’d made it about halfway up Conival last year at the Easter holiday, but turned back when I reached the snow and ice line, as I didn’t have the gear to carry on under those conditions.
This year, the outlook was much different: Easter was a few weeks later, and by the time I drove past on Thursday evening, on my way to Lochinver, the tops were clear of all but the odd patch of lingering snow.
Friday morning, I started off briskly up the glen, knowing that my pace, as usual, would slow dramatically once I started gaining height. It seemed a long slog up to the hanging valley just before the bealach between Beinn an Fhurain and Conival, but the wee easy scramble up to it, and the opening-up views perked me right up, and it felt as though I reached the summit of Conival soon thereafter. My wristwatch told a different story: it had been 3-1/2 hours since starting. I stopped to take a few photos, then continued on my way.
- The first wee scramble, up to the hanging valley
- Conival, number 50 -- a long time in the making, but a fabulous journey, thus far
- Down Loch Assynt and out to sea
- What lies ahead
I forgot to do a time check when I reached the summit of Ben More Assynt, but my guess is that it took me approximately another 1-1/2 hours. The ridge offered an enjoyable amount of up-and-downing, and some straightforward scrambling, including a bum-shuffle or two. (Bear in mind that I probably have a tendency to resort to “as many points of direct contact with the hill as possible” more quickly than the average walker.
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The pics that I took from the top of BMA are just plain bad, so you’re better off imagining the bright blue sky with high scattered clouds, and ah-may-zing 360-degree views across Assynt and Sutherland. There was a haze beginning to drift in from the west, a light wind, and a bit of a chill in the air, but I wouldn’t have asked for a better day, both weather- and view-wise.
- Done and dusted!
The return journey back over Conival and down the glen was uneventful, except for a bit of slip-sliding across some steep muddy bits. I was shattered, and my feet hurt badly by the time I arrived back at Inchnadamph, but I was a happy girl who’d had a(nother) great day in the hills.
