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I first saw Schiehallion several years ago from Kinloch Rannoch when my friend Scott and I played a concert there. At the time it was a beautiful white cone in the cold evening light but at that moment I knew that I would climb it.
I had encountered Schiehallion in a different way several years earlier when a friend at college wrote a piece of music for me named after it. So I had decided that Schiehallion was a special mountain. I had once thought I would like to compleat on it but rethought that in favour of the West coast. However I was adamant that I would only climb this hill on a sunny, blue-sky, snowy day. In other words, a perfect day
After a terrible night’s sleep my 5am alarm was not welcome and I actually snoozed it briefly. But I crawled out my warm cocoon and was away at 5.45; it was thick fog and dark all the way to Crieff. However, as I drove further into the wild it began to get light; tiredness made way for excitement and I could see an inversion in the valley below and stars in the sky above. There was more and more snow as I progressed and then suddenly there were mountains ahead
At least it was obvious which way to go!
The last bit of road was single track and not treated and it was here that I discovered a new sport – car skiing, where one spins the car and crashes into a bank of snow ending up facing the wrong way….
Once I had changed my pants...
I righted myself and I went steeply downhill (trying not to think about returning) and found the car park where I booted up and set off up the obvious path towards the hill.
Trialling a new hat - thoughts?
It was incredibly cold and I stopped very soon to add my down jacket and an extra pair of gloves. But it was a beautiful morning and I could feel all the stress and life problems just melting away – I felt better than I had in weeks. It’s incredible that no matter how bad a day, week, month or even year you’re having, spending time on the hills makes everything else completely irrelevant and forgotten. Absolute freedom
Soon the sun started to rise about the hills covering the snow in a lovely red glow
And then I made a new profile picture....
The route was simple and I followed the path up the hill with a huge grin on my face
As I climbed higher, I could see the down the valley, an inversion over Loch Tummel and red glow over the Cairngorms.
The good thing about coming out on a Monday was that the route was clear all the way up as it had clearly been a busy weekend. But today it was deserted and I had the mountain to myself
I tried to take my time to enjoy the amazing weather and take in the views. And also because I was still under my physio's orders to be careful
I could see what looked like ski tracks coming down the path; looked like someone had found a quick way down over the weekend
I also met some wildlife; snow rabbits and what I thought was probably a grouse, then these Ptarmigans who kindly stood still for me to photograph them…
Loch Tummel
Reaching the ridge all too quickly I stopped for some more photos but it was a bit too cold to stand around for long - there was a bitter North-Easterly wind.
I was trying to be arty with a cairn...cannae decide which I prefer...
Pressing on for the summit I still hadn’t seen another soul but the way was still clear – I think this bit is probably easier in snow as the boulders looked like ankle breakers without the soft white cushion
Arriving at the top I was able to see for miles in every direction and I leapt in the air with excitement
It was really early so I spent ages taking photos before settling down to eat something. It was only 11.30 but I was cold so out came the soup – cuppa soup has never tasted so good!
The standard pose
Glencoe
Nevis and the Mamores
Lawers range
Loch Tummel and Beinn a'Ghlo
A while later as I was sitting gazing across Rannoch Moor towards Glencoe I was joined by another human – the first I had seen all day! We sat and chatted for a while – he had been up many times before but said that this was his best weather yet. I had struck lucky first time
After a while he headed off and I was left to my summit. I scrambled around over some of the rocks at the top and had some Irn Bru (a top tip from Martin!)
Crazy cauliflower snow
Rannoch Moor towards Glencoe
Zoomed Buachaille Etive Mor
But eventually I started to get really cold – the wind was picking up and it was freezing (met office said -12
) so as I'd been on the summit about 2 hours I figured I ought to head down. I was in no hurry and took my time all the way down, stopping to make a snow angel
Looking back
The path had iced up in places so I was even less dignified than usual, but didn’t actually end up on my backside
Stopping for lots of photos I also saw a deer but I was too noisy so it ran away.
Back at the car I reflected on the day – as a mountain, Schiehallion isn’t much to write home about; it’s an out-and-back route which I dislike, no scrambling, a very easy climb. It’s how it looks from afar that makes it so iconic, and the views from it that makes it such a special hill. Definitely one for a good day
Heading back up the road I negotiated the steep hill without incident – despite being still in the shade it seemed to be less icy. I got the tunes back on and made my way home, but not without stopping for a good few photos…
And a detour up a hill on the outskirts of Muthil as I saw the sky beginning to turn red!
The hills really are wonderfully therapeutic
