free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Sorry, nae photos. Flickr has been sold (again) and now will only host 1000 photos for free accounts so I've had to delete a load of old photos. I don't suppose these old walk reports get much traffic anyway.
Back to 2009 again and my Easter holiday in Lochinver. Having done Suilven on the Monday I was ready to tackle the Assynt’s only two Munros. Got the family up early as the forecast was for increasing cloud in the afternoon. So while the family went back to the beach at Achmelvich after dropping me off at Inchnadamph I set off up Gleann Dubh. Weather was good with lots of high fluffy cloud and not much wind in the valley.
These two hills don’t have that much presence as the Assynt’s & Inverpolly’s other hills as even on a clear day you can’t see them from the main roads. It isn’t till you go a couple of km up Gleann Dubh that Conival looms into view. After about 4km the path steeps and deteriorates (lots of erosion) as you climb beside the Allt a’ Choinne’ Mhill. As you get up the bealach it becomes clear that there is a definite lip that needs to be clambered up to reach the true bealach.
After the brief respite of the bealach its back to the steep stuff as you make your way south-east. This section is also very rocky and I soon lost the path (there is a faint one there as I found it on the way back). After about half a k the going gets easy as the ridge path is reached. The view all about are now superb and Ben More Assnyt now comes into view. It doesn’t take long to reach the day’s first goal. A brief stop for some sustenance in the decent stone shelter & then on to BMA.
It doesn’t take long. The views continue to be superb but I could see the cloud gathering to the SW. If (or when) I were doing this again I’d at least make my way to the 960m top on the south ridge. As it was after many photos I made my way back the way I’d come. Being Good Friday there were quite a few folk about. On the way up there were a small group in front (that I never caught) but meet lots as I made my way back. The lowering cloud and increasing wind made for some quite dramatic views and when the cloud touched down I even shot a bit of shaky video – which in a first for me I now include
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg2F3ccrf-M&feature=feedlik[/youtube]
By the time I got back to Conival (with a group of smoking walkers in the shelter!) the cloud was set. I didn’t clear the clag till I was down to around 600m. But I’d had the best of the day so I didn’t mind at all. It was also my first double-header.
edit: hopefully title makes more sense now!