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Saturday night was spent at Gorton Bothy with good company, music and fireworks. If was an (apparently) uncharacteristically splendid evening and we had to keep stopping all the way in to photograph the sights
The following morning we roused ourselves (some feeling worse than others...
) and headed back along the 5 miles towards the cars.
As the weather looked to be holding up, and I was feeling fresh as a daisy after my hot chocolate the night before, I decided to stick to my original plan to head up a hill, doctors orders you see...
Bidding my companions farewell, they headed south and home and I headed up the road towards Glencoe
Arriving at Altnafeadh I sorted my belongings and thankfully ended up with a much lighter pack without camping equipment! I checked the map and was off.
Although the WH route description suggests turning right along the WHW before heading for the ridge, I'd had it recommended by several people to go the other way towards the Devils staircase, which is what I did. I crossed the burn at the bridge and followed what looked like a feint path towards a gate in the fence.
It was pretty boggy and difficult underfoot and any thoughts that this would be an easy stroll were put out of my mind. But that was ok, I like a challenge
Before reaching the gate I'd managed to cross the same stream 3 times, not quite sure how this happened....
once through the gate I followed what looked to be a sort of path and it was heading in the right direction which was a bonus
Eventually this 'path' disappeared, or perhaps I just lost it, and I made my own way towards the ridge. Meeting another fence I couldn't find a way through so ended up climbing....not sure if this was the right route and as I climbed higher I could see a path heading down the other way and decided I would return that as directed in the description.
It suddenly became quite steep but there was now a path to follow which made the going easier. I wound my way up steep grassy slopes, between rocky outcrops and eventually came out on top of what turned out to be the intermediate top of Stob Beinn a'Chrulaiste with a wee cairn on the top. Thinking ahead to later, I thought that this would be a good point to return to for sunset
Ahead I could see the summit disappearing into cloud, but as it was windy I expected it to blow through fairly quickly, which it did.
I made my way round the edge of a mass of boggy peat hags and continued upwards. There was something resembling a path but soon enough I found myself just meandering uphill and enjoying the feeling of being out on the hills and away from the troubles of life.
Soon enough I reached the summit; a trig point and a cairn just beyond it. The views across Rannoch had been visible already, as had the view back down Glencoe but I was blown away by the sudden appearance of the Blackwater reservoir and the Mamores (or absence of) looming behind it.
However the clag soon appeared and along with the wind and probably sub zero temperature, I quickly added more layers, did a bit of posing and ate a cereal bar as I'd neglected to bring any sandwiches
A quick retreat seemed in order and I headed off, sauntering my way downwards. Fortunately the views soon returned even if it was still absolutely Baltic and I was able to take my time, whilst trying to warm my fingers as I'd stupidly left my good gloves at home
Primark's 50p fingerless efforts coupled with my merino inners were not quite doing the trick....
Reaching the wee cairn I decided that if I was going to wait out the sunset I would need to find shelter. I found a wee spot just below the cairn looking across to the Bookle and hunkered down to wait 2 and a half hours.... this may seem a mad plan but during my summer of injury I'd developed a love of chasing sunsets. I haven't always succeeded but the thrill is in the chase, apparently
Thinking I should have brought a book, I broke my 'phone off on the hills' rule and caught up with my folks who thought I was insane but also updated me on Andy Murray's progress in the Paris Masters final. Fortunately the new world number 1 went on to win
The weather was mixed. At times I had some stunning views, then the weather would roll in and I'd be sitting in a blizzard for a while, then the good would return. I took over a hundred photos but here are some of the better ones.
At some point as I started to get cold, I huddled inside my bivvy bag which I'd carried up. It didn't add much warmth but did give a bit of shelter from the wind and really makes you realise how important it is to have extra layers in the cold in case of injury - if I hadn't been able to jump around I'd have been freezing
I must have looked ridiculous sat on a rock in a bright red bag in a blizzard, but I was feeling more content than I had all week. Being out in the wild really is a wonderful way of getting away from it all and I had missed it SO much while I'd been grounded by injury
Concerning the knee....it felt fine at this point, having withstood the Bothy walk and the hill so far... fingers crossed
The sun was setting in between the big and little shepherds and it was lovely
Unfortunately at around 4 the blizzard returned and even when it cleared the cloud was so low and thick that the sunset wasn't the best, but nevermind!
Packing up my stuff I decided it was time to get down as the dark was fast approaching. Due to the fairly squishy grass and my compete loss of the path until I met the fence, it was a fairly painless descent akin to sinking into snow
Meeting the fence, I turned left and headed down to the road on a path, met the WHW and walked the short distance back to my now very lonely looking car, the last one there!
Heater on, boots off and tunes on, I set off down the road towards home and reality, stopping to snap this on the way..