Walkhighlands

Oh well

Full of good intentions today and was up and away for 6:30 and parked up and heading for Kirkton Farm just after 8am.
All looked good from the roadside.!!
MWIS said pretty good early but with increasing wind and some snow showers as the day went on.Headed on uphill into an increasing wind which was bitterly cold.Above what looked like 700m the hill disappeared into cloud which wasn't clearing around Challum although it was clearing occasionally from Ben More etc.As i got up towards the 600m mark the going got harder with deeper crusted snow that i was sinking into.
The wind now was gale force and blowing up spindrift and it was freezing.

Decisions Decisions -- Howling gale,Poor underfoot and no views on top.I think being on my own today in those conditions made the decision to call it a day an easier one.Challum will be there for another day.

David.

Walking conditions are certainly tough with the snow conditions, and those clouds awaiting you in the 1st 2 pics don't look welcoming . I don't see it as a fail, it's a gain in the experience store - all part of the game. If it was easy and succesful every time maybe it would be a bit mundane?

I agree YH.I don't like turning back but i think the wind on top today would have been dangerous and i could have got into some bother.It was nice being out though,didn't just waist a day off from work.

Looked promising at the start but that penultimate photo doesn't look nice at all. Looks like the right decision.

Hi David,

There seems to have been a few weather related toughies since weekend, and as soon as doubt creeps in then the right decision is to leave for another day....so good call......liking your last photo.

Regards.............B

No problem it is never a fail its just that a visit to the summit is put off for another day. I too enjoy being out alone on the hills in winter mind you usually it is on a day of better weather than we all experienced yesterday. I thought that I could fit in a trip to one of the higher Sgoran tops with the fore-casted wind picking up stronger p.m. The big winds came before lunchtime and combined with a very varied snow surface, sometimes supporting and often not so, I realised that a alternative plan was the order of the day. Wind blown snow was being deposited on the old hard surface hence the large amounts of red showing on the 'SAIS disc' for yesterday. I settled for a minor 800 metres top and needed both poles for support until I could descend and get quickly out of the wind. Arranged plans don't always work out and as can be seen, in recent times, by the honesty of folks here on this forum not getting there is all part of the occasional day out in the hills. It's the getting back that is the important part of each trip.

Hi Gaffr et al

Yip the wind being so strong early on yesterday was a surprise,we all know what the blast of wind is like when we finally get to some summits even on a pretty benign day,getting that blast of wind half way up i just thought the summit would be too dangerous yesterday.There were 3 x people heading through kirkton farm that i spoke to as they headed up yesterday,i would love to know if they made it.

David.

Nae luck mate.

I knew you might be attemping a walk on Mon/Tue and when I seen the weather on Tuesday in our area I thought "That jammy Beelzebub shamen weather fiend has knocked it off again"

However some of those pictures look like pretty angry skies.

Was up An Caisteal / Beinn a'Chroin on Sat 12th (still to do reoprt) and the snow was amazing. Deep in a lot of places which made the going occasionaly tough.

No shame in turning back when you have to plough through tonnes of the soft stuff

Best of luck next time

Bruadair wrote:There seems to have been a few weather related toughies since weekend, and as soon as doubt creeps in then the right decision is to leave for another day....so good call.

Yep, and Challum seems to have seen more than its fair share of 'em. Right call indeed - no summit, but a day in the hills, some nice photos and a right decent wee report. Not all bad!