I nearly went out with a bang

[past my sell by date]

I had long admired the view of Garbh Bheinn from Ballachulish, and in November 1968 between two jobs I decided to have short holiday in the Highlands . I also wanted to visit and explore the old mine at Strontian - from which the element Strontium derives its name, so I crossed the Corran ferry and booked into the Strontian hotel for a few nights.
The weather was good and I took quite a lot of photos of the quite amazing autumn colours

Loch Sunart

I checked with the hotel about stalking - it was advisable in those days - and was told I could do Garbh Bheinn on the day I had chosen, so I parked on the road which ran right beside the river Tarbert at that time, and set off up the South East ridge. The photos are in the order I took them.

From the 823m sub summit: I think this was the first time I had ever seen a cloud inversion

Looking on up to the summit

Looking East from the summit

Maybe looking down West but i can't find this tiny lochan on the map

Looking back on the way down

I followed the same route down, except that near the foot of the ridge i took a more northerly line to the valley floor. As I was walking across the almost flat bog to the car, I noticed something sticking out of the ground. I looked more carefully and realised it was a stick of gelignite and it had a wire sticking out of it which led to another and another and another and another similar stick
I was standing in the middle of a field of high explosive
WOW! Usain Bolt had nothing on the speed that I got out of there
I made it back to the car panting but unharmed.

I don't imagine contractors today would even be permitted to use explosives, but if they were, there would surely be an exclusion zone of at least 1Km marked by huge amounts of tape etc. In those days however 'Elf and Safety wasn't what it is today
One would like to think that before they blew it all up, the contractors would make at least a cursory glance around to check that the area was clear, but I guess that if some unfortunate hill walker was blown to smithereens and ended up in the foundations of a new highland road well maybe that's the way he would have wanted to go

I still regard it as perhaps my most perilous moment in the hills
PS while writing this report It suddenly strikes me - did I walk through a similar field on the ascent and simply not notice it?

[Alteknacker]

Heck, pretty disturbing! Sounds like you were pretty lucky to live to tell the tale. But what on earth were they doing with explosives in that location...???

BTW, are you sure all that orange-brown colouring of the vegetation had nothing to do with presence of Strontium...???

[Graeme D]

I think I can safely say that this report accounts for two firsts in my many years on this forum - the first time I have seen a report featuring sticks of TNT and the first dating from a time before when I was born!

[Mal Grey]

Blimey, wasn't expecting that as an ending!

[past my sell by date]

Heck, pretty disturbing! Sounds like you were pretty lucky to live to tell the tale. But what on earth were they doing with explosives in that location...???

BTW, are you sure all that orange-brown colouring of the vegetation had nothing to do with presence of Strontium...???

They were building a new road: - if you look carefully at the map you'll see that the old road where I started is now a track - i guess it was in danger of being undermined by the river.
I'm afraid it's not a great report, but I thought I would post it as it is probably a unique experience on WH

[gaffr]

Have always enjoyed my visits to Garbh Bheinn a hill that has a good variety of ways to reach the summit.
Fine images of the The Great Ridge and the Wall to the left that has a some very fine classic routes. Coming in from your direction to reach GB these views of the crags are seen to great effect something that is completely missed when reaching the the hill from Iubhair valley....well until much later.

[Cuilvista]

really enjoyed that, there is something reassuring seeing the hills in much the same state that that they are now, probably one of the few consistents in modern life (apart from those developed for renewable energy). thanks

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Absolutely love these gorgeous photos enhanced by the day's glowing autumn colours.

Updated hill risk checklist
- getting lost
- falling off
- bad weather
- avalanche
- explosives

[Sgurr]

You can still find ordnance on Sgribhisbeinn near Cape Wrath. It lies around after any major exercise (i.e. twice a year) I don't know if it is unexploded, but they do warn you not to touch it

[malky_c]

I really liked those photos - lovely colours in them, and nothing obvious to date them either - the joys of Ardgour . Lucky escape. I didn't realise the new road down there was as old as that.

[past my sell by date]

Have always enjoyed my visits to Garbh Bheinn a hill that has a good variety of ways to reach the summit.
Fine images of the The Great Ridge and the Wall to the left that has a some very fine classic routes. Coming in from your direction to reach GB these views of the crags are seen to great effect something that is completely missed when reaching the the hill from Iubhair valley....well until much later.

Hi Gaffr
I'm told the Ardgour corbetts are pretty good in general and apart from this one i've got them all to do. Looking forward to it

[gaffr]

It always felt like going to an island when using the ferry to reach Ardgour, Morven and Moidart. Hills previously viewed from the higher hills in Glencoe and Lochaber fairly distant but very tempting. Apart from the fine Garbh Bheinn we didn't visit the other twenty or so hills until we were in our sixties including some outlying ones from the road to Maillaig, Several very enjoyable journeys on these interesting Wee Ronnies.