Ben Donich - Oh how the weather can change!

[r2sma]

Weather forecast looked excellent for today, so off i set for a cracking days hike up Ben Donich.
Started taking some great photos as i hiked the up the North Ridge, unfortunately at about 600 metres, the visibility looking at Donich peak was completely shrouded in mist. Hoping it may clear, i continued my trek. One thing i will say about this climb, its extremely boggy underfoot, so come prepared.
As i neared the summit, visibility was zero, and i could barely see the edges of the summit. All of a sudden, the snow started to make an appearance, and the temperature dropped like a rock. (Lunch put on hold!) It was baltic and i had a Rab Electron jacket on (it has 800 Hydrophobic down, so in principle should be quite cosy!), wrong, i was freezing. I had to dig out a sweatshirt out my rucksack for an extra layer and also get my hood up for the way back down. Taking my jacket off on the summit to put the sweatshirt on, was the quickest ive ever put a sweatshirt on! Stupidly i never packed gloves, my hands were absolutely freezing. (Im usually well prepared!). All in all, it was a good hike, just a shame above 700 meters as visibility, or lack of it, spoiled the views. Up to 700 metres though, there was still some excellent camera moments.
Ill definitely be back to tackle it again but hoping the low cloud stays clear to make the trek worthwhile next time.

[Graeme D]

If it's any consolation, I had a stinker on Donich - much worse than your day by the look of your photos. Will go back though on a better day as it is a cracking ascent.