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Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5


by Alteknacker » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:28 pm

Munros included on this walk: Aonach Beag (Alder), Beinn a' Chlachair, Beinn Bheoil, Beinn Èibhinn, Ben Alder, Càrn Dearg (Loch Pattack), Creag Pitridh, Geal chàrn (Laggan), Geal-chàrn (Alder)

Date walked: 09/08/2017

Time taken: 16 hours

Distance: 48.3 km

Ascent: 3533m

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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Alteknacker » Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:34 pm

Mal Grey wrote:Epic barely covers it, an excellent adventure.

I do like the annotated images with the summit names.

I knew before clicking on it that your haunting sound would be divers. They really do get the hairs standing up on your arms when you hear them on a calm still morning.


Thanks Mal. Glad you like the annotated images. I do it in part because I found that when I looked back over panos, the peaks that had seemed quite clear on the day were significantly harder to distinguish on the pics.

And divers: yes, just wonderful; and the first time I’ve heard them at dawn :D .

Huff_n_Puff wrote:Wow - that's truly impressive and great weather watching too :clap: :clap:

It took us 2 trips and 3 days to do this lot, although that included a stunning east west backpack between Dalwhinnie and Corour to do the Ben Alder 6. As for squishing midges we find burning pyrethrum (sp?) coils in the tent is the fastest (and laziest) way of getting shot of them.


When you have a minimum 8 hour drive one-way, weather watching assumes quite considerable significance … Fortunately my Chief Executive is a superb forecaster, and normally keeps an eye open for me ( = reads the weather runes…).

Thanks for the coils tip: I will definitely give it a try. Does it kill them, or just keep them at bay? I know that pyrethrum is a component of many insecticides, so I suppose it’s the former…???

Mountainlove wrote:You carried booze on that monster of a walk :shock: Respect 8)
Brilliant effort and what a walk this was ! Took me back a few years ago when I walked among those magnificent hills.
Hope your toenail is ok after all? Loved the midge picture...one of my favorite ? activities in summer. :lol:


Ahhhh! Haven’t expressed myself very well. I took a HUGE risk, and left the precious bottle in my tent. So I only carried it on my back for the biking bit. But given the lack of establishments of cultural, historical and architectural interest on the shores of Loch Pattack, coupled with the (medically established) need to replenish insensible liquid loss after a long walk, I deemed it absolutely necessary to carry the medicine to base camp…
BTW the pic from Geal Charn was actually half-inched from your report - I was hoping I could rely on you not to sue for breach of copyright… :wink:
I generally read up reports on an area after I've done it myself, and yours was one of those (excellent report, as usual, BTW).
Toenail is now blue – an entirely reliable indicator of future loss :(


Coop wrote:Wow

just wow.
:clap:


That's exactly how I felt when in the midst of it :)

simon-b wrote:Another big one there, AK. I was happy having done the 9 Munros in just three day walks, but your effort beats that. A great area to walk in, and it looks like you went for one long walk to get all the tops, rather than being tempted by some of the scrambles like Lancet Edge and the Leachas ridges.


Thanks Simon. It surely is a great area to walk in - I think, one of the best. I did take a cursory look at the scrambles while planning the route, but they looked more like "enjoy if they're on the way", rather than "must do's", hence concentrating on the walking. Was that a mistaken assessment...???
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby dogplodder » Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:43 pm

So that's how you do it! Feel duly humbled. And thoroughly enjoyed seeing Carn Dearg and surrounds from a different angle. :D
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Maskell » Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:21 am

Fantastic pictures!
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby litljortindan » Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:44 pm

I like the idea that that photo inspired your trip. Some amazing views along the way.
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby simon-b » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:41 pm

Alteknacker wrote:
Thanks Simon. It surely is a great area to walk in - I think, one of the best. I did take a cursory look at the scrambles while planning the route, but they looked more like "enjoy if they're on the way", rather than "must do's", hence concentrating on the walking. Was that a mistaken assessment...???

Definitely not a mistaken assessment. I think a lot of us would fancy Lancet Edge if it was more conveniently situated 'on the way', but not everything can always be fitted in. Yours was a great route.
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Alteknacker » Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:05 am

dogplodder wrote:So that's how you do it!.... :D


Are you referring to the bike...???

Your report on this area was just right to whet my appetite for this one :D .

litljortindan wrote:I like the idea that that photo inspired your trip. Some amazing views along the way.


Indeed there were. Just a bit of a pity that is was dull in the morning, so didn't really get Alder at its best viewed from Culra.

Maskell wrote:Fantastic pictures!


Thanks. Because its a fanastic place! :D
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby mrssanta » Wed Aug 23, 2017 11:07 pm

Flippin 'eck mate, that is similar to the walk we had planned for over 3-4 days in May (but didn't do as I had a bad leg)
Lovely to see the pictures now.
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Alteknacker » Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:22 am

mrssanta wrote:Flippin 'eck mate, that is similar to the walk we had planned for over 3-4 days in May (but didn't do as I had a bad leg)
Lovely to see the pictures now.


Yes, I was lucky with the weather!

As regards timing, I'm still a bit stuck in "blitz" mode, but I have made the first step towards multi-day slower trips by purchasing a lightweight tent :-).

I remember your bad leg from your Chonzie report - by which time it had recovered :) . Time to plan for the Alder forest..???
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby mrssanta » Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:38 pm

Alteknacker wrote:. Time to plan for the Alder forest..???

maybe next year - watch this space!
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Beaner001 » Tue Sep 05, 2017 7:36 pm

Awesome report, very well done and a really enjoyable read :clap:
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Alteknacker » Sat Sep 09, 2017 1:59 pm

Beaner001 wrote:Awesome report, very well done and a really enjoyable read :clap:


Thanks beaner. It's a seriously fine part of the Highlands!
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Roger n Sue Fellows » Tue Oct 10, 2017 10:45 am

Very impressive. Just an addendum to the midge coils in tents, we burn them inside the flysheet rather than in the tent itself. An inclination to asthma makes this a better option.

Our effort at these was a night camping at Culra sandwiched by ride in, B Alder and B Bheoil, then Geal Charn, Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn, ride out. That seemed like plenty. :)
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby Alteknacker » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:21 pm

Roger n Sue Fellows wrote:..... Just an addendum to the midge coils in tents, we burn them inside the flysheet rather than in the tent itself. An inclination to asthma makes this a better option. ....


Thanks for the tip. I did wonder about burning them inside the tent itself, as I find that if I inhale the smoke at all, it catches in my throat.

Isn't this a cracking area??? :D
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:26 pm

What a great report of a superb (and ingenious) route!

Loved all the photos. I agree, the high peak in the distance must be Ben Starav - it has to be, in that position relative to the recognisably pointed Buachailles.

I was also reminded of the book Testament of Gideon Mack, who disappears off into the wilderness so that he can walk Ben Alder with the Devil.

Interesting to see the Wellington remains too!

TIm
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Re: Excellent weather for a Ben Alder round of 9 + 5

Postby naepace » Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:43 pm

Wow that is some effort. Still have to do these, expect that'll happen in smaller chunks tho :lol:
Great report & pics, appreciate the effort that went into it :clap:
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