free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
3 of us on this trip to Loch Laggan, which meant instead of lagging behind keeping pace with the back of the group as I often do, I (almost!) kept pace with the speedier front runners
Legs are really paying for it today - shins are in agony and knees are a wee bit sore too
Not enough to stop me doing the 100ft high assault course at Ratho today, so I'm sure I'll be just fine!
The day started fairly clear, there were what felt like just 5 drops of rain before the first ascent, followed by a couple of snow flurries and clag with glimpses of views at the tops... then the third summit was all clear and it was a beautiful day! I had to update one of my earlier reports as I had the Geal Charns mixed up - the one on this walk was part of a natural set.
- Beinn a'Chlachair across the reservoir
- Lochan na h-Earba
Left the track and went up through the boggy ground then around the corrie to reach Beinn a'Chlachair summit after a couple of short rock climbs.
- heading around the corrie (view soon disappeared!)
Beinn a'Chlachair summit was reached in the clag so after a quick lunch stop we set off for Geal Charn. WH guide says this looks (and is!) a long way off, but I wouldn't have known otherwise! Back round the top of the corrie, then once we could see the path across on the next hill it was straight down - literally for me
The short snow spells had still felt fairly dry, like being in a packaging factory with wee styrofoam balls, so I hadn't felt the need to put waterproof over-trousers on... which of course meant I had a few slides coming down this first steep descent
Heading up Geal Charn the sky occasionally cleared. A short dip before reaching the cairn meant crossing a snow patch - no ice axe with me today but the snow was soft.
- snow patch on Geal Charn
- hard to miss Geal Charn summit!
- at Geal Charn's barely noticeable summit cairn :P
- Beinn a'Chlachair and beyond from Geal Charn summit
Now the clag was gone, it was off to Creag Pitridh. In clear view, tiring after 2 Munros at speed, I still thought 'is that it?!'
Still needed to push myself to get up there though!
- Creag Pitridh, coming from Geal Charn
Back down through the mush but I'd managed not to fall since that first downhill so was dried out by the time we were back at the car
- return past the Lochan