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Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back


Postby Ranger » Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:10 pm

Route description: Ben Wyvis, near Garve

Munros included on this walk: Ben Wyvis

Date walked: 11/11/2012

Time taken: 4 hours

Distance: 13.5 km

Ascent: 980m

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Finally, first new Munro since May!

Proved to be one of those days that makes you appreciate the good ones all the more :roll: :)

kink.jpg
The red line shows the potential to stray into Coire na Feola

WARNING: It's normal to think of Ben Wyvis as a big friendly whaleback with a plateau summit, but the edge of Coire na Feola takes a big bite into the ridge, just where the true line kinks away slightly to the cairn (on the approach of the south). In whiteout conditions it's very easy to stray close to this edge, as I almost found out!

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Best photo of the day - from the back garden before I'd left!!
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Friendly info board at the car park
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Glad there was a bridge across that
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Name the bird???!
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Autumnal colours
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Ben Wyvis peeking through the mists
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Walkers heading down, I'm heading up
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The remainder of the day fades into monochrome
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The big boulder that offered some shelter - note the amazing path
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The cairn of An Cabar, 30 minutes from the summit
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Whiteout - the edge of Coire na Feola isn't far away...
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The summit emerges from the white
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On top
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The long overdue Sun
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Shades of blue better late than never
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The last colours before dark


Checking the following day, the weather stats confirmed that the wettest place in the whole of Britain on Remembrance Sunday was 5 miles down the road at Loch Glascarnoch.

And the coldest. :shock: :roll: :lol:
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby AlastairStevenson » Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:12 am

The bird is a Waxwing, quite exotic looking, usually in flocks when they are devouring winter berries.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/waxwing/index.aspx
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby Ranger » Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:52 am

AlastairStevenson wrote:The bird is a Waxwing, quite exotic looking, usually in flocks when they are devouring winter berries.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/waxwing/index.aspx

Ah great! Thanks :clap:
There was about 20 of them in one tree, most of them buzzed off before I could get my camera out :roll: :)
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby Gavin99 » Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:40 am

Waxwings are spectacular birds .It looks like there might be an 'invasion' of them this winter . 1000 were seen in Kyle of Lochalsh last week , 300 were seen in the slightly less scenic setting of the ASDA carpark in Hull . They can turn up anywhere there are berries to eat so they often take up residence in parks and gardens , a special treat .

:D
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby LeithySuburbs » Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:22 pm

Your pics actually make it look no too bad a day :lol: . A nice hill though, one I will return to soon :) .
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby Ranger » Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:54 pm

LeithySuburbs wrote:Your pics actually make it look no too bad a day :lol: . A nice hill though, one I will return to soon :) .

Same here - desperate to get back there on a clear day!

Annoying thing was the forecast was actually pretty decent, I got the worse weather in the whole of Britain - literally according to the met!

Just delighted to get back out there though and had a spring in my step ever since :D
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Re: Hardly a "warm" Wyvis welcome but glad to be back

Postby jonny616 » Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:25 pm

Good to be back after a lay off. Don't see many Wyvis reports, Cheers :clap:
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