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Arrived at the small parking area having just made it safely down the wee road that leads to the base of this munro - there was a lot of ice on the road and I was slightly concerned about getting back along it (more on this later) but I put that to the back of my mind as something to worry about later as I was excited to get out on the snowy hill.
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- Moon still up
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- Very icy road to parking area
Getting out of the car I decided to put on the microspikes as the road was just so slippy, as it happened I kept them on until about the 650 ft spot height. I met the farmer as I was about to start the walk - a friendly chap who checked my route and gave me some advice about when to leave the path (I knew this already but it was better than get off my land!
) Headed through the first gate until I reached the first obstacle - a narrow stile. No problem for me but I had the dog who is a reluctant stile climber! Being a 30kg Boxer lifting him over this high narrow stile was not an option so after some persuasion he put his paws up on the first rung and I then had to shove his ass up to the top
I then had to squeeze past him and then lift him down from the top - well that was my weights workout for the week done
So glad I had my spikes on as the path was sheet ice. MWIS had given 10% chance of nae clag so I was pleasantly surprised to see the rear of Stuchd An Lochain looking so fine in the morning light
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- Stuchd an Lochain
The snow was only marginally more than a dusting between the turn off from the landrover track and 600ft height. Here, however, the snow was getting deeper and deeper. I took off the microspikes as they had begun to ball. Although I had my crampons, the snow was not compacted so I didn't bother with them, and each step was knee deep in snow. The climb between 650ft and 800ft was extremely tiring, it was a case of 10 steps climb, rest, ten more, rest etc. The dog had it sussed as he waited for me to break the path and just followed in my footsteps
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- First sighting of Meall Ghaordaidh
As the climb reached a wee plateau, the snow deepend further. The pace went like this; knee deep, knee deep, waist deep
, knee deep, knee deep, waist deep
At one point both me and the dog were half buried, the dogs head just poking out above the snow
A combination of ice axe and hand shovelling, we managed to get out and reach the bottom of the final climb to the summit.
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- Looking back along Glen Lochay
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- Looking west up the Glen
The dog sensibly decided to wait while I climbed to the top, a wee snowy scramble, the axe was a godsend for extra grip.
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- Into the deep stuff
The clag was racing up the glen at some rate, so I didn't hang about. Collected the dog and followed my footsteps back with just a few minor sinkages
Spikes back on and back to the car in 5 hours. I now had to get the car back along the road, I managed to do a three point turn and head back along the single track when another car came the other way, no problem, i'll just brake. Brakes don't respond
and I slide head on towards the oncoming car. Starsky and Hutch style I spin the wheel to avoid a head on collision and slide towards the stone wall by the side of the roading pumping the brakes. The motor comes to a rest with the headlight touching the wall but not damaged - phew.
Be warned anyone travelling along here, despite there being four or five houses along there the road is treacherous just now. A great winter hill and a rather eventful day all in all
