This was Moira's first Munro since surgery to remove the metalwork from her ankle so we decided on a straight up and down from the car park at the Polldubh Falls.
Sgurr a' Mhaim straight ahead (Moira's pic)
Follow path by the Allt Coire a' Mhusgain
A faint path leaves the path by the river, branching off left and crossing a wet area to zigzag up to a gate in a deer fence. From this point on the path is unrelentingly steep pretty much all the way to the top. We knew the NW ridge would be a tough ascent (perhaps with hindsight not the easiest reintroduction to climbing a Munro!) but it was on the descent the zigzags seemed to go on for ever.
Aonachs appearing
Glen Nevis
Path passes to the right of crags (Moira's pic)
Stob Ban
South to Glencoe
I had remembered from climbing Stob Ban there's a shortage of natural water on the Mamores so had taken extra water for the dogs. But it was so warm they were panting and finished their water half way up so Moira and I had to share our own water with them. I was concerned about this until we reached snow cornices and could fill a plastic box with snow to melt for them on the way down.
Tess looking hopefully at Moira's rucksack
The massive bulk of Ben Nevis
Having a rest before we tackled the scree
Keeping watch, the way dogs do
There's a path through the scree, dry and dusty, but not too bad in ascent. Or maybe that's just me as I'm never so keen on moving gravel on the way down. At the top of the scree there's a cairn which briefly gave me hope we were at the top but we weren't.
The Ben again with that false hope cairn
Start of the Ring of Steall
Summit ridge
It was here I very cautiously edged down to the cornice to fill Moira's sandwich box with snow to leave to melt for our return. Jack helped himself to snow and I threw snowballs to Tess which she chomped up so I was reasonably happy they weren't about to expire from heat stroke. It's always a worry with dogs whose only means of cooling is by panting. They did at one point find a muddy hollow to lie down in which also helped.
Me after collecting snow (Moira's pic)
The final part of the ascent is a pleasant amble and there's no doubt about the summit cairn as it's massive!
The views from the top are magnificent and make all the effort so worth it.
Devil's Ridge undulating towards demoted Munro Sgurr an Iubhair
Am Bodach
An Gearanach and Stob Coire a' Chairn
Fort William and the Ben
Stob Ban and Loch Linnhe stretching SW to the Isle of Mull
In the distance we could see the Paps of Jura, but not visible to the camera. We stayed on the top about half an hour and thought about Kath (although in truth we thought about her all day) and prayed for all who love her.
Kath was a vibrant, funny, kind, multi-talented woman. On the 11 Munros, 2 Corbetts and numerous other walks I did with her, I never saw her in a bad mood - even when she mistakenly put two left boots in the car and cheerfully went on to climb Gairich wearing them! She was one in a million and I'm grateful to Walkhighlands because it was through this site I had the privilege of knowing her.
Jack in the bluebells on lower slopes of Sgurr a' Mhaim
The dogs are getting on a bit and had done well in the heat so as a reward I took them for a swim in the Water of Nevis. When we got to the bridge we saw a group of young guys poised above the waterfall trying to pysche themselves up to jump in. One watching on the bridge explained to me the first jump of the year is always the hardest. I could well believe that and while I was there no one took the plunge. I walked upstream a bit to where it was safer but less exhilerating to have a dip and the dogs went in there. Not sure if it would have encouraged the jumpers to know dogs were swimming upstream of them but it's a free river and I felt the dogs were as entitled to it as anyone else and they'd earned it!
We went into Cafe Beag for cold drinks and homemade chicken and ham pie before starting the drive home. We thought with Rockness the road might be busy but it was so quiet we think everyone was already there. Arriving back in Inverness at 10.30 we got the tail end of a glorious sunset - a fitting end to an amazing and tough day.
Sky from my garden at 10.30
