Spidean a Choire Leith
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:14 pm
Some time in February 2001 or 2002 on a perfectly still morning I am sweating my way up a snowy Liathach in what can only be described as balmy conditions. Lost the path a bit high up in the snow which led me into a quite precarious position whilst trying to recover. So there I am all tensed up because I realise I am in a sticky spot re. reversal and what do I do? Whip my camera out of course! What? I often think back to that moment and wonder why on earth I'd do such an illogical thing. No matter, I managed to clumsily slither back to safer ground and had an otherwise pleasant walk to Spidean. Apart from nervously traversing an obviously avalanche prone slope to "save time".
The summit was something else, the air crystal clear and such a strong contrast between the red and pink of morning, the blue of the sky and the white and blue of the snow. Skye and Ben Bhan were the clearest I have ever seen from such a distance.
I didn't have and don't have the skills or confidence to continue west from that point in the snow but it was still well worth the effort of climbing to that single point.
The summit was something else, the air crystal clear and such a strong contrast between the red and pink of morning, the blue of the sky and the white and blue of the snow. Skye and Ben Bhan were the clearest I have ever seen from such a distance.
I didn't have and don't have the skills or confidence to continue west from that point in the snow but it was still well worth the effort of climbing to that single point.