Walkhighlands

After a fairly busy start to my September, house move, failed MOT, extra hours in work, problems with our service providers (Sky, TalkTalk) I was needing a day away from the city.

It was ten past one in the morning and I knew the weather was going to be good but I hadn't checked MWIS yet...90%+ chance of a cloud free Munro, yes please

Now I had to decide what hill, I needed a hill that had a solid dry path as Samantha still hasn't gotten herself a pair of boots yet I needed a hill that wasn't going to be a huge challenge because I couldn't be bothered and I needed a hill that I hadn't walked yet...Schiehallion sprung to mind.

4 hours sleep, 7am rise, out the house by 8 and at the car park just before 10. The car park was already busy but we managed to find a spot with the hill in full view.



Time to get going and as we did 2 mini busses belonging to a boarding school arrived full of kids so we picked up the pace to get well away from them. We set off at 10:15am.



The walk was easy going, gentle rise on a great path. The progress was being made fast and we allowed ourselves a few wee stops on the way up for water.







We stopped for breakfast on a big flat rock. A roll and a pork pie for me and whatever non meaty thing the girlfriend was having

The path has plenty of resting places, it feels like everything is right for this hill to be as popular as it is

We could here the large group of kids singing much further down the hill. Time to finish breakfast and get a move on







From the start of the walk it wasn't noticeable but there was so much low cloud coming in from the west...more later.





We got to the point on the walk where the really well made path stops dead and the rocky approach starts. I'm not sure if it's the longest rocky approach of any of the Munros but it makes up a good chunk of the walk. We used a bypass path to avoid some of the rocks. I couldn't be arsed with it. We would walk across the entire boulder field on the way down.



We did pick up the main 'path' through the rocks.





The rocks get progressively bigger as the summit nears and there is plenty of rock hopping to do. I rather enjoyed it on the way up but coming down these rocks wasn't as much fun.



Because I was looking at the ground making sure I was placing my feet safely I didn't realise how close we were getting to the top, it's seemed to just creep up on us.



The summit was very busy and people were hanging around the cairn like a bad smell so we nabbed a quick summit snap.



The views west were non existent but I wasn't bothered because the inversion was it's own kind of beautiful







@teaandpies on instagram

(walked with the girlfriend)

Great hill this (even if it is always busy).

Last time I did it a few years ago I was on the way down when I was stopped by a couple and asked if there was a restaurant at the top, before I knew it "yes" was out my gob followed by "they will be shutting soon as they can only cook what they carry up each morning and I had one of the last bits of steak pie and some chips". The couple looked down the hill to see another couple approaching so they thanked me and broke into a rapid march up to the top while I legged it in the opposite direction.

I like to think I'm more mature now but I still giggle about their reaction when they got to the top

Nice one and good to see that Samantha hasn’t been put off the munros. Lovely shots of the inversions!

Hey teaandpies, glad you and your connection got this one done on a nice day, it's a great iconic hill, I loved the rock hop Such a change in terrain

Silverhill wrote:Nice one and good to see that Samantha hasn’t been put off the munros. Lovely shots of the inversions!

I tried hard to put her off but with no joy

Gordie12 wrote:Great hill this (even if it is always busy).

Last time I did it a few years ago I was on the way down when I was stopped by a couple and asked if there was a restaurant at the top, before I knew it "yes" was out my gob followed by "they will be shutting soon as they can only cook what they carry up each morning and I had one of the last bits of steak pie and some chips". The couple looked down the hill to see another couple approaching so they thanked me and broke into a rapid march up to the top while I legged it in the opposite direction.

I like to think I'm more mature now but I still giggle about their reaction when they got to the top

That hilarious, both the fact they asked you that and your reply. This has gotten me wondering what I would have said in that situation.

ancancha wrote:Hey teaandpies, glad you and your connection got this one done on a nice day, it's a great iconic hill, I loved the rock hop Such a change in terrain

It's a great hill, a joy. Can imagine it being a little depressing in bad weather as you're totally exposed to the elements.

A dramatic change in terrain for sure. I have mixed feelings about the rocky top. I enjoyed it right up to the point I slipped and fell damaging my phone in the process. I omitted that from the report because I was trying to keep it positive

Nice one! Looked like a really enjoyable day - think I will save this one for my girlfriend too, almost put her off for life last time by tackling a pathless corbett in Kintail in horrible weather

Love the inversion shots!

roscoT wrote:Nice one! Looked like a really enjoyable day - think I will save this one for my girlfriend too, almost put her off for life last time by tackling a pathless corbett in Kintail in horrible weather

Love the inversion shots!

It's a couples hill for sure

What's the name of that Corbett? I may have to take a trip with Samantha

That which shall not be named (or pronounced properly).....as my girlfriend calls it

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=54178

How nice to see what it looks like.....

I did it in January 2014 on my own in a near white out.
My first solo Munro - and what a fantastic day it was.

It was mid week and I had the car park and mountain all to myself.....

Seeing the bus of school kids reminds me of when we climbed Schiehallion along with 60 boys from a Jewish school in London! Sounds like you didn't see the contents of the bus again?

dogplodder wrote:Seeing the bus of school kids reminds me of when we climbed Schiehallion along with 60 boys from a Jewish school in London! Sounds like you didn't see the contents of the bus again?

We seen them sitting in a circle on the rocky approach to the summit, their teacher was chatting to them about geese flying into jet engines for whatever reasons

We also seen, how do I say this delicately..? We also seen all the fat kids sitting back in the mini bus

kaye.cantlay wrote:It was mid week and I had the car park and mountain all to myself.....

I didn't mind the busy car park, it was expected but having the whole hill to ourselves would have been a treat