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Thanks to our recently converted van, we can at last, explore the more northerly mountains in winter, providing we can find a campsite with electric hook up and is open all year. (I am not made of stern enough to camp without heating).
With so much choice it was hard to know where to start, but we decided to go for a winter ascent of Conival.
- The Route
We stayed at the Port a Braigh campsite, and our day started with a forty five minute drive through the almost unreal landscape of Assynt, to reach Inchnadamph at 08:30.
The Glen was mainly snow free, but there had been a hard frost overnight and in places some large patches of old hard snow covered the path. The snow patches were just enough to slow us up, especially where they were across sloping ground, as we needed to kick steps to avoid a slide into the River Traligill.
- Walking in Along the River
As the frost melted the path periodically disappeared into bog, but it was a pleasant walk-in, by the side of the river, with Conival visible in the distance to lure us forward.
- Conival Calling Us On.
It was 10:30 before we started the ascent up a loose and eroded path. As we climbed higher the patches of snow gradually turned into a more consistent covering and when the Coire headwall came into view it was a white cliff standing out against an azure blue sky.
- The Coire Headwall
We stayed on the left hand side of the stream all the way up the Glen and footsteps in the snow showed that walkers in front of us stayed on the left of the stream to scramble up the headwall, so we decided to follow in there wake. Care was needed as it was slippery/icy in places and very loose in others, but, it was easier than I had anticipated and neither crampons nor an ice axe was required. We realised from our descent later in the day that the route on the right hand side of the stream was even easier,
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- Scrambling up the Coire Headwall
The snow was well consolidated in the upper Coire and there was no real sign of a path so it was more a question of choosing a good line.
- The Upper Coire
The snow made the route up Conival seem a lot steeper than I remembered, I am not sure if it was my memory that was ar fault or if it was the lack of paths making a difference, but it was good fun as well as hard work..
Initially the snow was soft enough to kick steps even on the steeper sections.
- Steeper than Expected
When the ground levelled out briefly it seemed it a good idea to don crampons whilst it was possible to do so in comfort,
- Crampon Time
and we were glad we made use of this opportunity,because, to our surprise, we found ourselves front pointing up the next steep slope.
- Me Swearing! Never
My crampons, which have a very short front section, not normally a problem on my short feet, did not feel very secure on the sustained steepness and as I tried to control my rising anxiety with calming thoughts (and periodic swearing) I resolved to buy some sensible crampons before going out again.
As we ascended Conival’s slopes the cloud swirled about beneath us, so at times we were looking down into mist and then a few minutes later we could see for miles.
- Firm Snow and Swirling Mist
By the time we reached a higher plateau we were seriously flagging. The dreaded lurgy and a few weeks of inactivity had helped us reach new levels of hill unfitnes.
. We plod on, deceived into thinking the summit is only over the next slope, which of course it never is, but at last we reach the summit ridge and the hard work is behind us. As we stepped onto more exposed terrain the wind had picked up enough to create some spin drift and create a more wintery atmosphere, a distinct change from the balmy weather we had been enjoying so far
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- The Top Ridge
Although the ridge was not overly narrow there was a short rocky spine sticking out above the snow.
- Rime on the Rocks
We bypassed the spine on the way up but did have a balance along it coming down:D .
We could now see the real Conival summit ahead, looking very impressive with its row of crags.
- Crags Around The Summit
It was 13:40 before we reached the summit where the wind shelter was almost hidden under snow.
- Summit Wind Shelter is Almost Buried
Given the time Ben More was out of the question, and without shelter it was too windy to stop comfortably so we did an almost immediate about turn.
- About Turn from the Summit
Walking back along the top gave us plenty of opportunity to enjoy the views and a balance along the spine
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- From the Top You Can See for Miles
- Zoomed to Quinag
- Zoomed to Assynt
- The Mist Sweeps In.
- Looking Back at the Summit
- The Very Top of the Ridge
Then it is time to make tracks if we are to reach the main path by dark.
- Coming Down
As we were making our descent I was waiting for the steep sections that I had found exciting on the way up, but as so often happens, they never materialised and we were back in the higher Coire, removing our crampons and looking for the start of the scramble down.
- The Late Afternoonviews of Assynt take on a Magical Quality
We found the cairn at the top of the Coire headwall marking the route, which was no more difficult than a steep path the odd granny stopper.
The snow line had receded during the day so we were soon following the rough path down, alongside the gorge and when the path dropped down to the waterside we stopped for a break.
- Feeling a Touch Weary
We were nearly back at the green barn before headtorches were required and back at the van by 18:30.
Feeling peckish and wanting to celebrate our perfect day with some fish and chips we drove to Ullapool full of culinary expectations only to find all the fish and chip shops were closed and to quote Leonard Cohen ‘It was as dead as Heaven on a Saturday night’. Our only disappoint on an otherwise perfect day.