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Get ready for a glut of big bookil reports, mine is from friday, you know, the day before the heatwave started
I was asked along by my mate Jim/Jogilv16 to go up to Glencoe, as he wanted to take his American cousin on a hillwalk. Andy, currently over here studying in Wincester brought up a couple of his mates, John & Laura, with him for what they thought was just a little hike on their whistle stop tour of scotland. Ha ha, were they surprised. We were also joined by Jim`s daughter, Sarah, who was to be my chauffeur for the day. Jim only had his mind on one hill, "definately take them up the Beauchaille" he said, and we hoped for a decent day. The forecast was good and we were off early this time with a 6am start.
- B.e.m
So here i was, effectively responsible for 3 young pups, thousands of miles from home and as we got ready in the car park I don`t know who was most alarmed,
me at their jeans and trainers approach
or them at me, putting on "special" socks, and big boots, filling up my water bottle, carrying a back pack that would have fitted all there weekend clothes and some funny extendable poles, and of course the huge beast in front of us which is Beauchaille Etive Mor ! I quickly scanned the area for the Gok Wan`s of the official mountain wear fashion police and we moved on sharpish.
- yes we are going up there !
They were young and fit looking, rugby and soccer players, we were, well youngish and fit. We marched along the path and Jim and I laughed about their queries of bears, bobcats and any other life threatening beasties in the area (we were just too early for the blood sucking midges). Although Sarah did cack herself a bit when we told her of our encounter with an adder in the gorms
Just before we got into the Coire na Tulaich, we stopped and rested, this was going to be a long day.
I then began to sweat like a madman when they continued up the coire, playfully jumping from boulder to boulder as the water splashed down around about them. F**k, one slip, or a twisted ankle and I`ll have their parents over with a team of legal eagles suing my ass before I could say "Yankee Doodle Dandy" !
I guided them back onto the path, and then Sarah had a headache....Now, having learned of her single midedness from her Dad I feared the worst. But as it was, a wee rest, a couple of painkillers retrieved from my first aid kit, which consisted of, precisely 8 paracetamol and nothing else and she was fine and dandy, raring to go.
- taking it all in
We made our way up the coire which is effectively a well camouflaged staircase and everyone found their second breath quite quickly and it wasn`t long before the views further north started to open up behind us which was great to see when surrounded by the coire`s walls and a snow capped Ben Nevis peaked out above the clouds.
- ben nevis
We soon approached the top of the coire which provided plenty of scrambling opportunities for us, which broke up the monotony of just lifting one foot after the other. For the most part the top of the coire had a snow cornice hanging from it and we avoided this by hanging left and scrambled up by a snow gully onto the ridge. Must also note, by now, Sarah was leading the charge up the mountain and I had no more worries about her.
- over the ridge
- Bidean nam Bian
We were treated to great views in front of us, along the ridge and over towards Bideam nam Bian, but more ominously, cloud was covering the top of Stob Dearg, and had completely filled in the corrie behind us. Looks like my second time up here would be spoiled by clag, again
Anyway we soldiered on to the top, posed for pics, had a snack and waited hopefully for a break in the clouds to give us a view from the summit, which never came. As we sat around and John, a keen geoligist, asked if it would be ok to take a strange glass like piece of stone , and me thinking of the old saying " Take owt but pictures and leave nowt but footprints", I said "Aye, go ahead", i think it was a piece of old broken bottle anyway
. Eventually we moved on and headed back down to the ridge. For the most part the cloud kept off of us and only covered the highest peaks.
- 1st Munro
The ascent up Stob Coire Altruim looked quite daunting as one side of it was covered in snow and we followed the path up right next to the snowline,and at one point we couldn`t see where the snow ended and the cloud began. Up and over this munro top and back down again towards Stob na Brioge. The trainers had served the young Americans well, but on this descent the well heeled,booted brigade came into their own, negotiating the scree covered path easily whilst the others slipped and stumbled down, with Andy eventually giving in to gravity and endend up flat out on his back
- sunbathing
- not long to go !
We started to look for our descent for when we where on our way back, which we found easily thanks to a handy wee cairn by the side of the path. We had one more thigh bursting climb up onto the final part of the ridge and on to our second Munro of the day, no.28 for me
- Munro no.2
We had a cloud free summit this time but mostly around us was clag with only fleeting views down to Glen Etive and across to Beauchaille Etive Beag. It started raining and we decided to head back with Sarah again leading the way and Jim bringing up the rear, taking plenty of pics as he had been all day, and i even obliged by taking some with him in them for a change.
- back along the ridge
When we reached the path down, i, being the complete gentleman that i am
, offered the girls my walking poles to help them on the way down. Jim watched Sarah carefully make her way down as i hung back with the others to make sure they were ok.
- beauchaille etive beag
- Glencoe
We eventually reached the glen at the bottom which was beautifully basking in the sunshine, caught a glimpse of deer and happily walked back the mile or so back to the car park.
They had come up for a wee stroll through the hills and ended up bagging two Munros, and i think they really enjoyed themselves as plenty of pics were taken, no broken bones and plenty of smiles all day. Right, who`s next ?
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1500029