Bailed out on the Thunderbolt

[steviesea]

After gazing across the Loch to the Thunderbolt from our caravan at Invercoe for the last couple of years it was definitely on the hitlist. The weather forecast was not brilliant for the Sunday but was worse the 2 days after so set off for the route described on WH through the village and past the school turning right through the gate onto the field. There was a path that i followed for a way until I just felt it was time to leave it and head straight uphill. It was a slog as stated and I was paranoid that i'd left the path at the wrong time. It seemed an age before I got to the fence but climbed over and it didn't take long before the path appeared and brought a sense of relief that I was on the right track.

looking back from the path

Once the ridge was gained I was treated to the odd brief shower accompanied by gusty winds but nothing to bother about

now on the ridge

dodgy skies left down Loch Leven and right down Glen Coe

shower from Glen Coe approaching

a bit brighter

until around the time the summit of Sgorr Bhan was reached where the weather turned ugly enough to consider baling out at the bealach between the 2 Munro's.

Sgorr Dhearg summit

A brief respite at the summit and beginning of the ridge descent brought feelings of soggily soldiering on until it came back with a vengeance. The wind at times was frightening and the rain didn't just sting it bloody hurt and combined with the fact that my glasses were rendered useless long ago meaning I could see virtually nowt I decided that the situation had gone from unpleasant to dangerous. Once at the bealach it eased off slightly but I was like a drowned rat and if I'm honest had been slightly scared so decided (regrettably) that Sgorr Dhonuill would still be here next time.