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It was 20 June 2011 when I climbed a misty Ben Macdui from the Cairngorm Ski Centre to bag my first Munro. At least it wasn't raining! A few other people were at the summit, including a Scottish father and son. They assured me that the Highlands do sometimes get good weather and views. Moving on towards Cairn Gorm, I dropped out of the cloud and there were things to see, but my second Munro was also in the mist. Moving back down to the ski centre, one or two views did open up.
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- Descending from Cairn Gorm, looking back at the northern corries
Next day (midsummer) was cloudy and wet, but I stuck to my plans, went over the Chalamain Gap and the Lairig Ghru, and came back over Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Braeriach. Returning over slippery Chalamain Gap boulders, I came to the end of the toughest day I'd ever had in the mountains up to that point. The following day I had a rest, pleased to have been successful so far, but feeling a little disillusioned, considering the conditions I'd dealt with. I was to learn that the Scottish mountains may challenge and intimidate you, but stick with them and they will reward you.
Onto the next day, and I was ascending Aonach Beag from Glen Nevis. The weather was dry, but the tops were in cloud again. Then the mist began to lift, and I recognised the CMD arete and the lower part of the Ben's north face appearing. By the time I reached the summit, it was clear. At last I discovered what the magic of the Highlands is all about. The panorama was superb, with range after range of mountains. Then it was on to Aonach Mor, with more great views.
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- Ben Starav, Bidean nam Bian and Ben Cruachan from Aonach Mor
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- Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from Aonach Mor
The last day of the trip, and it was time to complete the big nine with Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis. The weather was fine and the views great again.
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- CMD Arete from Carn Mor Dearg
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- On Ben Nevis
So that June, I went home feeling very happy. My initial target had just been to climb the nine 4000 footers, and the job had been done. But then I fancied making it the highest ten. I didn't feel it was worth coming up from Yorkshire to Scotland for Ben Lawers only, so I came for a week that August and climbed 14 southern Munros. Now it was game on, and in March 2012 I headed for the Far North of Scotland. After getting the 3000 footers there and seeing those amazing landscapes, there was no looking back. I wanted to compleat!
Fast forward to 20 June 2016, and I was sailing to Knoydart with a group of friends from WH I'd met during my walking days in the Scottish hills. Over two days, we knocked off the three Munros there, then made our way to Skye. Five of us still had four of the hardest Black Cuillin mountains to climb (including the In Pinn). We met our guide, Paddy and my friend, Pam, who had been a walking companion for many years in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. She was joining us for those Cuillin peaks; her first four Munros! I thought I'd done OK starting with the big nine, but this was something else. Thanks to Paddy, the Skye mission was a total success.
I said goodbye to my friends and left Skye on Sunday 26 for Lochcarron, where I had six nights booked. This had been arranged for attempts on hills including the Torridon Munros, but late May's good weather in the west meant I'd climbed them ahead of schedule. So now my count was up to 280, with just Lurg Mhor and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, often nicknamed 'Cheesecake', left to climb. But the forecast for the whole coming week looked bad. Monday didn't look good, so I had a day in Inverness, where things were a bit brighter. Tuesday wasn't looking much better, but the forecast was no worse than for any other coming day, so I went for it.
My Lochcarron B and B did a reasonably early breakfast, and with late June daylight hours, I was confident of managing these two remote mountains in a single day walk from Attadale. It was pouring with rain as I made the short drive there from Lochcarron, but when I reached the car park it wasn't so heavy. There were still grey skies and low cloud as I walked past Attadale Gardens and set off on the long track. There was hydro construction work going on along the track towards Bendronaig Lodge. The drivers and machine operators were always willing to give way and let me past, and the work going on didn't spoil the walk. At one point, the driver of a pick-up truck said he was going some way along the track, and asked if I wanted a lift. But I'd made it to 280 Munros without cheating, and wasn't going to start now. So I thanked him but declined, despite the dismal weather. Then again, if I had accepted, I don't think I'd have felt like getting out of the truck when the time came! I saw the hills ahead, and they didn't look very inviting.
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- Heading ENE towards the hills
So, Scotland's mountains can challenge, intimidate and disillusion you. But as I'd learnt back in 2011, stick with them, and they will reward you. And that's what happened on this day. I'd been walking about two and a half hours as I came to Bendronaig Lodge.
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- Approaching Bendronaig Lodge
By the time I reached Loch Calavie, things were grey and damp, but with no heavy rain. As I began to ascend alongside the Allt Coire Calavie, conditions were tolerable.
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- Allt Coire Calavie
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- Loch Calavie in retrospect
On reaching the bealach, I could see that Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a' Chaorachain were below the clouds. But mist still clung to Lurg Mhor and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
I turned right to head up to Lurg Mhor and soon entered the clag. Making the move on my penultimate Munro felt like grinding out a result. The summit cairn was reached with no view, but as ever I was pleased to get there.
Then it was time to return to the bealach, ready for the last assault. I'd decided the final selection from the Munro menu might as well be a cheesecake! Descending, I anticipated dropping out of the clag. But the mist seemed to have got lower. Finally I approached the bealach, and things began to clear. Views appeared on the horizon, and there ahead was Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, cloud-free
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- Clouds clearing from Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
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- Beinn Tharsuinn behind a cloud
A new level of enthusiasm kicked in, as I sensed the finish line was getting near. Conditions were improving, and I really began to enjoy the walk as I made the pull up the hill from the bealach. Looking back, I could see Lurg Mhor had now cleared. But that didn't matter; it was the view from Sheasgaich I wanted. Onwards up the south-east ridge, and then a turn north-east onto a narrower ridge, and there it was! The summit cairn was in sight a short distance ahead. Up I went to the cairn and touched it, and stood on the highest point of the mountain. And what a great time and place for such an occasion. A lovely summit on an attractive little ridge, the ground falling away below, with a steep corrie to the north-west, and great views all around.
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- Loch Monar and Lurg Mhor from Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
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- Inner Sound, Loch Carron and Loch an Laoigh from Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
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- Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a' Chaorachain from Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich
I was now particularly glad I hadn't accepted that lift, as an earlier arrival could have meant missing out on this fine vista. But the day was by no means over; there was still that long walk back to do. I set off down the south-west ridge.
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- Beginning the descent SW
Further down I went, aiming for Sail Riabhach.
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- Moving down towards Sail Riabhach
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- Achnashellach hills from near Sail Riabhach
Looking back, I could see what a magnificent mountain I had just climbed and left, with Coire Seasgach now in view.
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- Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich in retrospect
I dropped down, back towards Bendronaig Lodge.
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- Descending towards Bendronaig Lodge
After reaching the lodge, the walk-out was much more pleasant than the walk-in had been during the morning.
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- Uisge Dubh
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- On the bridge over the Uisge Dubh
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- Looking back at the hills
When I first planned this walk, I'd imagined a very late finish. but I seemed to be making good time, and the possibility of getting to the pub while food was being served was very much alive. Maybe there would be no need to delay celebrations for a day
The new hydro roads gave short cuts to the original track, and I moved along at a pace. Eventually Loch Carron came into view ahead.
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- Approaching Attadale and Loch Carron
I now had all the experience of 282 Munros and was not far from Attadale, but there was still time for one last navigational blunder
I'd got onto one of the new hydro roads running parallel to the original track, and overshot the turn right to the bridge across the River Attadale by over 500 metres
That cost time, and now my mind was set on finishing early enough to get a meal and a pint at the Lochcarron Hotel. So when I reached the final tarmac section of the track, it was 'joghighlands' back to the car park!
So, the job was done, five years and eight days after starting. Quite a few of us seem to be compleating this year, or have compleation imminent. But each one of us will have our own way of doing things. For me, the whole round of 282 was taken on as a series of day walks from a car park, transport stop or accommodation base. No bike, no bothies and no wild camps. So it can be done, and you can have a proper bed before and after each day's walking. But that comfort is hard-earned!
That evening, I celebrated at the Lochcarron Hotel with scampi, a pint and a couple of drams. And for dessert...
...maybe just a slice, but to me it was a compleat cheesecake
