walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Ben Challum - well almost

Ben Challum - well almost


Postby Huck Finn » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:45 pm

Date walked: 13/02/2011

Distance: 13.5 km

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

The trip through was wet, well apart from the odd snow fall.
The start of the walk was wet, but the six of us set of at a good pace. At 150 meters 6 became 5 as Rab on his first attempt at a Munro had to turn back due to feeling sick.
The five that remained continued on and it was not long until the snow was falling, then as is normal on the hills, it was not long until it was falling horizontal.
There was no real shelter on the way up and the snow under foot started to turn to ice, but we battled on and reached the top of Choire Challum, but by this time we could not see any further than about 20 meters. Most of us felt it was a bit to dangerous to continue along the ridge, with the Ice and driving snow.
Just as we were getting ready to head back down, another lone walker appeared, Toby from Carlise.
Toby and Dangerous Dave decided to have a go at the summit, the rest of us headed back.
Dave mad it to the summit, only to find out that Toby was not heading back down and he was heading on to do a Corbett. Dave became a lone wolf and started his decent on his own, he made good time and got back to the car 10 minutes after us.
I did not manage any video as it was to wild to get the camcorder out, but I got some photos and I have put them together onto a small Video slide show.
The walkers today were Dave - the only one of us to make it
Charlie, Ian, Kevin and Watty who made it to the ridge
Robert who crashed and burned on his first trip.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLexasYWpTA[/youtube]
User avatar
Huck Finn
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 255
Munros:78   Corbetts:6
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Nov 14, 2010
Location: Bo'ness

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby rockhopper » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:08 pm

Pity about that huckfinn but, as always, better safe than sorry. Looks like you had a lot more snow and far wose conditons than me at the start of January - even then I needed the crampons for much of the way because of the ice so must've been a lot worse for you. 8)
User avatar
rockhopper
 
Posts: 7446
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:136   Donalds:89+20
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:2
Wainwrights:3   Islands:20
Joined: May 31, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby Graeme D » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:49 pm

A lot of it going around this weekend Huck! Never mind - it'll still be there next time you venture that way.
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 3996
Munros:251   Corbetts:123
Fionas:75   Donalds:22
Sub 2000:59   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby Huck Finn » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:43 pm

My words as we decided to come down "it has been here for thousands of years, si I'm sure it is not going anywhere soon"
I have to agree, better safe than sorry, plus the cost and bad press to walking when the Rescue teams have to get called out. Common sense has to prevail.
User avatar
Huck Finn
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 255
Munros:78   Corbetts:6
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Nov 14, 2010
Location: Bo'ness

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby pigeon » Mon Feb 14, 2011 6:52 pm

Great report huck .Am going to take full blame for us all not making the summit,better use of the map and compass(and gps)and we could have probably all made the top.Still learned a few lessons up there and cheers to Toby if he happens to see this :clap:
User avatar
pigeon
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1489
Munros:282   Corbetts:128
Fionas:41   Donalds:40+7
Sub 2000:23   Hewitts:2
Wainwrights:1   Islands:2
Joined: Apr 29, 2010
Location: Linlithgow
Walk wish-list

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby gammy leg walker » Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:45 pm

Nae luck on this one Huck,never mind will still be there when you go back
User avatar
gammy leg walker
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 3464
Munros:282   Corbetts:7
Fionas:4   Donalds:3+0
Sub 2000:2   
Islands:7
Joined: Jan 30, 2010
Location: Central Region
Walk wish-list

Re: Ben Challum - well almost

Postby yokehead » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:26 pm

Certainly the best thing to do to turn back when it doesn't feel right. And it all adds to the store of valuable experience anyway :)
User avatar
yokehead
 
Posts: 702
Munros:73   Corbetts:9
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:118
Wainwrights:23   
Joined: Nov 13, 2008

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Owen b, Pritch115, russelle, whodanny and 90 guests