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.

Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast


Postby Ranger » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:26 am

Route description: Glen Strathfarrar Munros circuit

Munros included on this walk: Càrn nan Gobhar (Strathfarrar), Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais, Sgùrr Fhuar-thuill, Sgùrr na Ruaidhe

Date walked: 15/01/2012

Time taken: 10 hours

Distance: 24 km

Ascent: 1600m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

90% chance of cloud free Munros for the Northwest Highlands (copyright MWIS). Not 60. Not 70. Not 80. But NINETY. Being someone who picks and chooses the good days for my walks, I thought this was sufficient assurance it would be worth the long journey. MWIS are trustworthy, arent they? :D

So 4.15am alarm. 5am leaving Aberdeen. We start walking at 8.30am. It soon becomes clear that forecast was somewhat wide of the mark :shock: :? :(

I'd done the eastern 3, but not the western one. My pal had done the western two, but not the eastern two. So we had motivation beyond simple appreciation of the scenery. Luckily!

The way the sun teased us, appearing faintly through the cloud layer on the summits, and the regular appearance of overhead blue sky, hinting constantly at that stunning cloud inversion a couple of 100m's above, made it all the more irritating. :crazy:

So convinced was I that conditions would improve, I didn't bother reaching for my camera when - on Carn nan Gabhar - Sgurr Choire a'Ghlas appeared fleetingly bathed in sunshine above a cloud sea. Little did I know it would disappear and not appear again!

One thing is for sure, I will return in sunshine. Another set of hills for that list of shame :? :lol:

P1150017.JPG
Heading up to Ruaidhe.
P1150019.JPG
Paw prints. Not sure what.....
P1150021.JPG
The best picture of the day within the first hour. Sgurr na Lapaich I think.
P1150022.JPG
Sgurr na Muice with sunshine. Collectors item today.
P1150025.JPG
Summit of Ruaidhe. Sun, teasing us.
P1150029.JPG
Our only distant view. Looking north. The Corbett Carn Chuinneag (sic) I think.
P1150030.JPG
Whiteout. Almost.
P1150033.JPG
2nd Munro, Carn nan Gabhar. From here we fleetingly saw Ghlais above the inversion, raising hopes for when we'd reach it.
P1150038.JPG
Summit of Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais. Where was our expected inversion, seen from Gabhar?!!!! Probably my angriest Munro! :D
P1150043.JPG
A wee scrambly step on the ridge to the last Munro
P1150047.JPG
Finally out of the mist, the snow patches made for a quick descent. The sun long gone.
P1150051.JPG
A better view of the crags of Sgurr na Muice reflected in the waters below. Oh for sunshine to turn the lights on!
User avatar
Ranger
 
Posts: 263
Munros:282   Corbetts:74
Fionas:13   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:15   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Dec 20, 2010

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Johnny Corbett » Mon Jan 16, 2012 4:40 pm

Looks completely differant to when i did this round in the summer. Theres a wee Graham you could have added on but 10hours is a long enough day at this time of year :)
User avatar
Johnny Corbett
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 2983
Munros:25   Corbetts:214
Fionas:168   Donalds:74
Sub 2000:302   Hewitts:1
Islands:14
Joined: May 14, 2010
Location: Livingston

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby gary » Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:30 pm

Nice report Ranger, the forecast was a lot better than it turned out right enough
gary
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 80
Munros:270   Corbetts:9
Joined: Aug 7, 2011
Location: Forfar

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Ranger » Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:43 pm

Johnny Corbett wrote:Looks completely differant to when i did this round in the summer. Theres a wee Graham you could have added on but 10hours is a long enough day at this time of year :)

The original plan was to include it at the end of the day - sunset from the top over Loch Monar perhaps :( :? :lol:

We'd have been on it in semi-darkness, descending snowy/icy steep stuff. Nah, one to leave for the return trip in glorious sunshine 8)
User avatar
Ranger
 
Posts: 263
Munros:282   Corbetts:74
Fionas:13   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:15   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Dec 20, 2010

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby monty » Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:56 pm

Great set of photos ranger. Shame about the clag but you didn't do badly :D
monty
 

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Ranger » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:59 am

gary wrote:Nice report Ranger, the forecast was a lot better than it turned out right enough

Now my fury has receded :lol: , I can understand its not an easy job - but wheeling out the 90% stuff when there was clearly going to be a cloud sheet in play, wasn't good.

Made me even more keen to get back out there on the next good day and right the wrong so to speak 8) :D
User avatar
Ranger
 
Posts: 263
Munros:282   Corbetts:74
Fionas:13   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:15   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Dec 20, 2010

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby dooterbang » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:43 am

What team do you support by the way :lol:

Shame about the crap weather - think thers only been 2 or 3 days of decent views the last few months.

I was down the lakes Saturday and it was sunshine and blue skies all day long :D

Better luck next time.
User avatar
dooterbang
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1828
Munros:262   Corbetts:58
Fionas:18   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:10   Hewitts:18
Wainwrights:21   Islands:19
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Location: Isle of Skye from Feb 2019 (Originally Glasgow)

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby kevsbald » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:34 am

Your title doesn't do it justice - looked a good day out.
User avatar
kevsbald
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2248
Munros:273   Corbetts:134
Fionas:82   Donalds:53
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:17
Wainwrights:29   
Joined: Jan 15, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Phil the Hill » Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:51 pm

90% chance of cloud free means there's a 10% chance you'll get clouds on the summits, which is not all that unlikely. You were just unlucky.

Good effort in winter. I'm looking forward to doing these myself, but will probably save them for summer.
User avatar
Phil the Hill
Walker
 
Posts: 411
Munros:274   Corbetts:30
Fionas:12   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:38   Hewitts:136
Wainwrights:63   Islands:25
Joined: Sep 22, 2010
Location: Wallington, Surrey

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Ranger » Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:20 pm

Phil the Hill wrote:90% chance of cloud free means there's a 10% chance you'll get clouds on the summits, which is not all that unlikely. You were just unlucky.

Good effort in winter. I'm looking forward to doing these myself, but will probably save them for summer.

I'd advise doing them before the "gatekeeper" resumes for the Summer - might be march or something.

Rather than having a 9 til 5 deadline set on the hills, which just seems immoral to me, the MCofS give you a padlock code and you have the whole day. On a previous occason I climbed them with my good lady, we only managed 3, got back down 20 minutes late, and were spoken to like naughty children by the 'gatekeeper'. Not good.

The hills also come alive in winter and were perfectly easy with no real scrambling anywhere.
User avatar
Ranger
 
Posts: 263
Munros:282   Corbetts:74
Fionas:13   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:15   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Dec 20, 2010

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby LeithySuburbs » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:31 pm

Aye, I think we've all had days like that :? . I had a "greater than 90%" day a few months ago not far from where you were.
User avatar
LeithySuburbs
Ambler
 
Posts: 1965
Munros:259   Corbetts:56
Fionas:29   Donalds:33
Sub 2000:41   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:23   Islands:13
Joined: Feb 19, 2009
Location: Inverness

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby Redrock » Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:13 pm

I'm sure there is a disclaimer on all these forecasts - but like you I take 90% chance of cloud free as meaning "probably will be cloud free!" :D I had a similar day of disappointment on the following Monday. Still, it looks like you had a great day out on the hills - and maybe the anger at MWIS kept you warm! :lol:
User avatar
Redrock
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 245
Munros:164   Corbetts:11
Fionas:3   Donalds:5
Sub 2000:8   
Joined: Nov 30, 2010
Location: Cowdenbeath

Re: Strathfarrar, 4 Munros, 1 inept MWIS forecast

Postby grantrobertson » Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:47 pm

Looked like stratus - low(ish) cloud - coming and going, more than anything dealing out rain or snow. Made for a frustrating time, no doubt, but this kind of cloud cover can form or dissipate in a flash and is devilishly difficult to forecast.

Given it was the middle of January, it didn't appear too bad a day to climb these remote and wonderful mountains!
grantrobertson
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 14
Munros:282   Corbetts:100
Fionas:33   Donalds:16
Sub 2000:40   
Joined: Apr 5, 2011
Location: Dunfermline, Fife

1 person thinks this report is great.
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: axelmathot, dogjake and 59 guests