Schiehallion

[ROSCOMIDS]

Having had a quiet Hogmanay the decision was made to make the most of hangover free day and climb Schiehallion. I had climbed this in the summer a number of years ago but was keen to try it again in the winter.

Walter drove myself, Mike, Jo & Richard to the car park at the foot of the climb where we arrived around 10am. We then changed and prepared for the climb. The wind was up but conditions seemed relatively good for walking given the time of year.

The excellent path was easy to follow and allowed us a gentle introduction to the start of the climb. Everyone was in good spirits and Jo's cold had not put her off the challenge ahead. We continued on the path stopping for the odd photo & drink along the way. The real challenge came once the main path ended and we were then faced with the stones & rocks nearer the top. We met some climbers descending who warned us that due to the freezing temperatures the surface of the rocks was slippy. This required some care and where possible we chose the snow lines over the rocks. The cloud became thick and visibility poor so we tried to stick together for the final ascent.

After a couple of false summits we eventually reached the top after around 2 hours. Views were limited by cloud cover although some breaks in the cloud allowed for great views . After some photos we decided to descend for lunch and found a suitable spot. Walter's soup was very welcome and we all enjoyed the stunning views whilst refueling.

Spirits were high as we descended and thankfully the ice of the rocks had melted making it a more pleasant descent than anticipated. We arrived back at the car park after around 2 hours again having stopped for photos along the way.

A very enjoyable start to the year and we are all hopeful this will provide the enthusiasm for future climbs!