After about 35-40 minutes I emerged out of the fog. Nice! It stretched all the way down Loch Laggan and down to Glen Spean. With my spirits lifted I aimed for a small ridge to the left below nose of Sron na Garbh-bheinne. This was a fairly simple route up and soon after I crossed a snow patch that carried me to the ridge below Stob Coire Sgriodain. At that point the views improved in all directions and the Easains were looking mighty fine. Two hours after setting off with doubtfs of what I could accomplish, I made it to the summit. The view toward Glencoe/Glen Etive was simply spectacular. I soaked it in for about 15 minutes and ate a quick bite before carrying on, knowing I had to rush things today. It was only 11:30 so I decided I had time to bag Chno Dearg and still have enough time to make it home before Gammy got too worried.
Walking across the ridge on my way to Chno Dearg I stopped every so often to snap a few photos. It was easy going and there were a couple sets of tracks to follow across the broad ridge. I reached the summit of Chno Dearg at 12:30 but wasted little time at the top. The cloud had come down but visibility was good enough and I followed the same tracks off the hillside until I dipped below the cloud. From there it was an easy stroll back to the bog at the lower section. Made it back to the car just before 2pm, change shoes quickly, and speeded back to St Andrews. Gammy had sent me a text about 10 minutes before I walked through the door at 4:15 saying he was getting a little worried. I replied saying sorry for the short delay, but that I had completed the walk without my phone. I was rather fortunate with the weather and made good time across the hills, but I think if I had to do it all over I would have turned back after I realized my phone was at home. This time I gambled and played my cards . . . the pics are proof of my winnings!
I also found the dream camper that Monty has always wanted.
