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So 24 Munros to go then; I've plans to compleat this year, hopefully in May in Knoydart, so time to get cracking on the last remaining hills... With the sad loss of our good friend Graham in the Cuillins in late 2012, I've also been itching to get back into the hills... Get back on the bike so to speak... We all know the dangers in the hills; and yet for those that love them; we can't stay away... Graham was like that... And I'm no different...
Monty was up for a good hoof in the Cairngorms and suggested we pop up Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird... Okay then...
We thought we'd be okay for time; with daylight 8am till 4pm at this time of year... It was going to be close but the walk out is along a track so no great drama in the dark... It would all depend how much snow was up there whether we get this done or not but we decided to give it a shot...
The drive up from Bridge of Allan took a little under an hour and a half and we were underway at 7:50 am... A couple of cars come the other way and provide some light for this picture looking back toward the start with the hills behind...
- Near the start...
Monty sets a fairly rapid pace up the glen and we're through the 12 km mark in under 2 hours... I'm feeling the Xmas Turkey already!! Going to be a tough day then... Ahh well...
We're finding patches of snow now, and it's soft and strength sapping; in general the snow is soft and we're sinking into it with each step, sometimes up the waist haha... Traversing the left side of the alt isn't that pleasant so Monty suggests we go straight up before the Beallach and knock off Beinn a'Bhuird first... So we do...
- Getting whiter...
We even found a yeti on route...
- Yeti Monster...
Once up the side of the glen it was undulating and gently slopes to the summit of Beinn a'Bhuird with no difficulties; just more strength sapping snow... Monty needs some help finding the top as we're in the clag; fortunately sat map is to hand... And it's no bother...
So this is a special munro for me; I think the first I've ever climbed with a munroist!! Haha Monty is now famous and his number is 5184 (though he thinks it's 5584). He's always had trouble counting; remember Kintail? Haha
- Me on the summit of Beinn a'Bhuird...
Then it's off to Ben Avon; we stop for some lunch on the way; care is required at the top of the descent to the beallach where it's icy and steep but we're soon through that and down to the beallach where the wind is pretty strong... We'd been spared the 65mph winds forecast on MWIS until this point!
- On the descent to the Beallach...
Monty is walking at about a 70 degree angle through the beallach to stop himself being blown over... It's bearable though, and not too hard to walk in... As we climb the other side toward Ben Avon the wind subsides again...
- Not much snow...
It's not long before we're at Ben Avon; and we scramble to the top... I stand at the top, but Monty doesn't join me; he's too busy shouting at me to get down; he's not used to the breeze in the hills as he's a summer walker only really... Turns out he didn't make the top of this one on his first round either; only his hand did.... Ah well bless him...
- Monty's breeze goggles...
Time for Monty to put his goggles on as we'll be into the breeze on the way back... The traverse down the beallach isn't too bad... We see a rescue helicopter circling on the south face of Cnap a'Chleirich... Hopefully everything was okay; though there a couple of cars in the car park on our return so we were a little worried...
- Rescue Helicopter & Monty...
The walk out is pretty unenjoyable... For me... My legs are in a whole world of pain they've very rarely been in before... Maybe two pieces of toast for three days isn't the right preparation for a walk this size... Either way Monty takes great pleasure in my pain and scampers off ahead to the finish with 10km to go leaving me hobbling in on ma crutches some 15 minutes later haha... Best he left me; I was in agony; needed some mental strength and choice words for the Gorms to finish this walk...
That's it for the Cairngorms for me then; a good hoof where we saw not a soul all day... Overall though; they aren't my favourite hills in Scotland and I wonder if I'll ever walk here again... Different strokes for different folks; you can cover some serious ground here if you want to; and they can be good for losing yourself in... But they're just not my favourite hills...
Chalk this one up as a rare Monty win then... Haha...
- The Stats...