Days like these.........now with video.
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:22 pm...............are what we all dream of 
For the first time in a while I was off on a MWSP trip.
Much chat about who and where came down to Campbell, Derek and I heading for a traverse of the CMD arête with a possible rendezvous with Cameron at the top of the Ben.
The weather forecast looked ok at first with 50% cloud free and then it change to 70% cloud free
We left at 03:45 due to someone who shall be nameless sleeping in and headed for Torlundy. Starting in the dark to give us as much light as possible for the descent.
The route is well documented on here and the initial path good. Once out of the trees the view of a clear North face of the Ben was breathtaking.
We left the nice constructed path that eventually takes you to the CIC hut for the squelchy muddy thing that starts the ascent of Carn Mor Dearg, although in the scheme of things its not too bad.
It’s fair to say at this point that Derek's and I's thoughts were of the menace of things to come. An unspoken nervousness of sharp edges and big drops. So when I had an unwelcome slip on an icy rock this low down I was less than impressed and my nerves went up a notch or two.
As we gained height and the sun came up it was clear that, if the weather held, we were in for a stunner of a day. Inversion behind us was almost obscuring signs of Fort William. The frosted ground soon gave way to a frozen dusting of snow which made the path slippery and the views opening up even more.
Campbell scooted up to grab a top, but Derek and I ended up there too with the Aonachs to the side and the sharp point of CMD ahead with the back drop of the Ben in all its North Face glory.
Once we gained the summit of CMD the elation of the views was momentarily lost as Derek expressed in words my thoughts on what lay ahead as the Arête stretched out before us. Narrow, no obvious path and covered in enough snow to be slippery looking, but not enough for the crampons we were carrying.
Summit pics taken and off we go. Me first (how did that happen
) then Derek with Campbell at the back doing a great job of reassuring us all was ok combined with some not so subtle distraction tecqunics (so Derek how is your daughters swimming coming on) 
On we went mostly fine with one or two moments when Campbell’s experience was called into play again and he did well.
Once at the cairn we had a very quick bite to eat and then started the slog up the snow covered boulder field, which I found fairly taxing after the exertions of the arête.
Then it flattened out. The top of the Ben in all its glory, just us a crow and another wee bird. Almost unheard of these days to have the summit to ourselves. An unexpected bonus and one I particularly enjoyed after my previous experience of football chants and huge charity gatherings (each to their own).
Scotland at its finest for 360 degrees, inversions, sunshine, snow and Brocken spectres all over the shop.
Started down on the mountain track until the path splits of at the halfway lochan, just making it to the point where we needed to cut across the pathless heather to gain our outgoing path. Not too bad a descent and the river crossing dispatched with relative ease followed by a yomp back to the car.
Stunning day with great company. Some fears conquered and some views I may never see again but will live long in the memory.
For the first time in a while I was off on a MWSP trip.
Much chat about who and where came down to Campbell, Derek and I heading for a traverse of the CMD arête with a possible rendezvous with Cameron at the top of the Ben.
The weather forecast looked ok at first with 50% cloud free and then it change to 70% cloud free
We left at 03:45 due to someone who shall be nameless sleeping in and headed for Torlundy. Starting in the dark to give us as much light as possible for the descent.
The route is well documented on here and the initial path good. Once out of the trees the view of a clear North face of the Ben was breathtaking.
We left the nice constructed path that eventually takes you to the CIC hut for the squelchy muddy thing that starts the ascent of Carn Mor Dearg, although in the scheme of things its not too bad.
It’s fair to say at this point that Derek's and I's thoughts were of the menace of things to come. An unspoken nervousness of sharp edges and big drops. So when I had an unwelcome slip on an icy rock this low down I was less than impressed and my nerves went up a notch or two.
As we gained height and the sun came up it was clear that, if the weather held, we were in for a stunner of a day. Inversion behind us was almost obscuring signs of Fort William. The frosted ground soon gave way to a frozen dusting of snow which made the path slippery and the views opening up even more.
Campbell scooted up to grab a top, but Derek and I ended up there too with the Aonachs to the side and the sharp point of CMD ahead with the back drop of the Ben in all its North Face glory.
Once we gained the summit of CMD the elation of the views was momentarily lost as Derek expressed in words my thoughts on what lay ahead as the Arête stretched out before us. Narrow, no obvious path and covered in enough snow to be slippery looking, but not enough for the crampons we were carrying.
Summit pics taken and off we go. Me first (how did that happen
) then Derek with Campbell at the back doing a great job of reassuring us all was ok combined with some not so subtle distraction tecqunics (so Derek how is your daughters swimming coming on) On we went mostly fine with one or two moments when Campbell’s experience was called into play again and he did well.
Once at the cairn we had a very quick bite to eat and then started the slog up the snow covered boulder field, which I found fairly taxing after the exertions of the arête.
Then it flattened out. The top of the Ben in all its glory, just us a crow and another wee bird. Almost unheard of these days to have the summit to ourselves. An unexpected bonus and one I particularly enjoyed after my previous experience of football chants and huge charity gatherings (each to their own).
Scotland at its finest for 360 degrees, inversions, sunshine, snow and Brocken spectres all over the shop.
Started down on the mountain track until the path splits of at the halfway lochan, just making it to the point where we needed to cut across the pathless heather to gain our outgoing path. Not too bad a descent and the river crossing dispatched with relative ease followed by a yomp back to the car.
Stunning day with great company. Some fears conquered and some views I may never see again but will live long in the memory.
- First sight, still in the trees
- Meagy Group
- Light dazzles The Ben
- Looking back on the way up CMD
- Carn Beag Dearg
- Carn Mor Dearg & The Ben
- oft
- Summit CMD
- Eastern Mamores
- On the Arete
- Keep up Campbell! lol
- Peeps free Ben
- looking back as we near the path
- Dispatched with ease
