New years eve eve on Mount Battock

[malky_c]

(9km and 300m of ascent of this route were on bike)

Sadly I haven't managed to get out on the hills that much in the recent snow. One walk up Creag Mac Ranaich and Meall an t' Seallaidh down near Strathyre on Boxing Day, but no photos and barely any views. Therefore I thought it would be a good opportunity to write up last years post-christmas day out instead.

A bad cold had stopped me from getting out any sooner, but by the 30th I felt well enough to do a small walk at least. I chose Mount Battock, as I was staying with family in Dundee, so it wasn't too far away.

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The Corbetts book mentions a rather attractive looking route including Clachnaben, but I didn't really feel up to the distance, so went for the Glenesk start instead. I have linked to the walk on the site as for the most part I followed the same route. At Millden Lodge, things weren't looking that inspiring, with the cloud sitting at about 500m. For convenience, I had my bike and cycled up next to the Burn of Turret, to the point where it split into the Black and White Burns. The track was steep in places, but fairly well made.

At this point I was going to bash through heather onto the Hill of Saughs, but there was an unmarked track going that way, so I followed that instead. As I got higher, the sky gradually got brighter, until at 600m I was out into the sunshine and blue sky!

Hill of Saughs

Mount Battock from Hill of Saughs

Back to Hill of Saughs

Final slopes of Mount Battock

The inversion was pretty impressive, and it was very cold. Some of the steeper sections of the hill were very hard packed snow and I needed my axe a couple of times. From the summit, Lochnagar and the Cairngorms could be seen poking through the cloud. There was also an electric fence to spice things up. I can't remember now if there was a stile or whether I took my chances with it. Either way, I didn't get a shock.

Back down ridge

Cairngorms from summit

To the NE

Followed the fence W back into the cloud. At this point, I wasn't too sure where I was going, so I just stuck to the fence. Eventually it met a track. I followed this downhill and it brought me back to my bike very quickly. A quick whizz back down hill and I was back at the car.

Decided to drive up to the road end and cycle up to Loch Lee. I had a vague notion of bagging Hunt Hill while I was up there, but it didn't look too inspiring after the inversion I had just had. It was clear though that the Falls of Unich and many of the glens and hills surrounding Loch Lee would be worth coming back to explore in better weather. I have since been back, but that is for another report!

Falls of Unich

[DonnyW]

Wow..I love it when that happens.. slog through the mist on the way up..then the view opens and the clouds are below Nice photos of the inversion

[davetherave]

Malky

i was up to Loch Lee 2day also. Was planning to climb hunt hill, we got as far as 1km from Falls of Unich but decided to turn back because the dog was struggling in the deep snow at the far end of the loch, and great big ice balls were forming on his under belly and around his feet.
By the time we got back we had just enough time to nip through to Arbroath and buy him a jacket and hope that this helps him on our New Years day trip.
I assume that was you that past us on your bike as we were heading back towards the car park ( we were speaking to the postie )
Our plan 2morro is Loch Brandy and Lock Wharral and catch Ben Tirran ( The Goet ) but will just have to see how the dog gets on with his new Jekit.

Here is a couple pics that we took 2day

[John Burgess]

Ah lovely

I knew it was out there somewhere

I mistimed my day - ended up in a blizzard up the top of Beinn Each above Loch Lubnaig only to see lots of wonderfully clear peaks (like yours!) on the drive back.

Thanks for the report, superb photos

All the best,

John

[mountain coward]

Snow looked nice and crisp up there I'm gonna save this one for when I've time to do Clachnaben - that looks a fantastic hill!

[malky_c]

I assume that was you that past us on your bike as we were heading back towards the car park ( we were speaking to the postie )

Good photos. Looks pretty hard going though. Wasn't me on the bike though -I have confused things by putting up a report from a year ago! There was no snow down at Loch Lee when I was up there.

[hills]

Crikey 2 for the price of one, excellant photos from MB and of Hunt Hill.

[davetherave]

I have confused things by putting up a report from a year ago! There was no snow down at Loch Lee when I was up there.

Malky sorry about that, never noticed it was from last year, well i did as soon as i posted but it was 2 late by then.
Funny though, we did the walk on the 31st dec 2009 and on the way back a guy past us on his bike all kitted out, ice axe and all heading for Loch Lee, and after reading your Mount Battock report i assumed it was you......... only prob was that i was a whole year out.