At least the views were decent. Sort of.
Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 12:01 pmI haven't posted in a while. Not sure I should about these 3 munro's because it feels like it will be more of a rant than anything else.
A number of factors combined yesterday to make me feel like this the worst 3 hills I have ever climbed.
The weather: Really glad it was sunny, because there's no way it was the 40mph gusts it described in the reports. 40mph winds don't nearly knock me off my feet and brain me on a rock. And it was really nice of the direction of the wind to be just perfect for hitting you in the face on the worst bits of the terrain.
Ah the terrain...I don't normally mind walking on moors, unstable rocks, stony paths, moss etc. But yesterday just seemed to take me to my limit. There was a lot of mossy areas that had overgrown the rocks, so you can imagine how uncomfortable this was. Is that moss steady? No, it's a hole and yes that's a rock that has just smacked off your ankle.
Descending Creag Pitridh: If you want my recommendation, ignore the route down in the walk highland report. Retrace your steps back down the path you just came up and take the stalkers path all the way back. It's easily follow-able, and after a long traverse I was thankful to not be walking down hummocky, boggy nonsense. (sometimes I think the routes in walk-highlands are designed for you to experience the worst munro's have to offer)
I was looking forward to seeing the sandy beaches of Lochan na h-Earba but they weren't there. Most likely due to the water level, but this was really disappointing and may have cheered me on the way back down.
All of the above, and the presence of a blister on my foot when they day was done (for the first time EVER) really ruined my enjoyment of these 3 munro's. But they're ticked off now, and I never need to do them again. And at least it as sunny!
Time to go buy a more rigid pair of boots and find some munro's with paths from top to bottom to keep me wanting to do this for a while yet
Some photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VDGTph6CA8zkKfiW9
A number of factors combined yesterday to make me feel like this the worst 3 hills I have ever climbed.
The weather: Really glad it was sunny, because there's no way it was the 40mph gusts it described in the reports. 40mph winds don't nearly knock me off my feet and brain me on a rock. And it was really nice of the direction of the wind to be just perfect for hitting you in the face on the worst bits of the terrain.
Ah the terrain...I don't normally mind walking on moors, unstable rocks, stony paths, moss etc. But yesterday just seemed to take me to my limit. There was a lot of mossy areas that had overgrown the rocks, so you can imagine how uncomfortable this was. Is that moss steady? No, it's a hole and yes that's a rock that has just smacked off your ankle.
Descending Creag Pitridh: If you want my recommendation, ignore the route down in the walk highland report. Retrace your steps back down the path you just came up and take the stalkers path all the way back. It's easily follow-able, and after a long traverse I was thankful to not be walking down hummocky, boggy nonsense. (sometimes I think the routes in walk-highlands are designed for you to experience the worst munro's have to offer)
I was looking forward to seeing the sandy beaches of Lochan na h-Earba but they weren't there. Most likely due to the water level, but this was really disappointing and may have cheered me on the way back down.
All of the above, and the presence of a blister on my foot when they day was done (for the first time EVER) really ruined my enjoyment of these 3 munro's. But they're ticked off now, and I never need to do them again. And at least it as sunny!
Time to go buy a more rigid pair of boots and find some munro's with paths from top to bottom to keep me wanting to do this for a while yet
Some photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VDGTph6CA8zkKfiW9