by mountainwimp » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:27 pm
Munros included on this walk: Beinn Sgulaird
Date walked: 16/04/2016
Time taken: 7.5 hours
Distance: 14.8 km
Ascent: 1085m
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Seeing Bien Sculaird on a list of the ten easiest Munroe's we decided it would be a good idea to try this one as an introduction to Highland walking, we recently completed the Wainwrights and have been looking for a challenge although we already knew that we will never manage all the 268 listed Munroe's as some of the big ones are well above our capabilities and nerves.
leaving Sheffield on Friday morning we drove up to Oban only stopping to have a quick bomb round the shores of Loche Lomond on a couple of segways, what a crack that is, we have got to do that some more.
we found a wonderful b&b less than five miles from the start of the walk and using Walkhighlands route description and map proceeded to start up the bulldozed track and as described soon left the tree line behind and started to get some incredible views down the loche and out to sea. the path was very steep once off the track but in no time we reached the odd part of the walk where we had to drop down into a little valley cross a fence and then start up again. this I have never encountered but it should have prepared us for what was to come.
putting our heads down we cracked on and in no time we reached what we though was almost the top. I had read the route description but was not prepared for what I saw. the top was still farther than we had walked, Jan my walking buddy and all-round super woman turned to me and exclaimed" I want to cry". "no time for that doll " I said, "lets get moving, aint no spalping ( Rab C cursing ) Munroe going to beat us Sassenachs" and off we went along what we will now remember as heartbreak ridge, what we didn't see from where we were was that not only is it still a long way off but it also includes a roller coaster ridge that has rocks and scree galore.
still we pressed on only to stand aghast looking down the last lot of boulder's and up the ridge of doom that would be our final pull to the top. we made it down to the bottom of the ridge and looked back in amazement at what we had just done and now really had the bit between our teeth, nothing was going to stop us now and off we went charging all the way to the top without a break, crossed the hard packed snow and super Jan scrambled up onto the cairn to declare triumph over our first real Munroe. then it started to snow.
this we had not expected and we had inadvertently left our spikes in the car, luckily it only lasted ten minutes or so and was mainly hail that blew off the ridge leaving it slightly wet but not slippery in the least. tired legs now made our way back and we were soon at the far end of heartbreak ridge looking back and wondering what all the fuss was about, thrilled to have survived our first Munroe I put on my music and walked down listening to Blondie followed by Paul wellar, what a fantastic start to our Munroe adventures, roll on Bien More.
