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The decision to run up the road for Klibreck came about as I was doing a small wee job for the Dornoch Inshore lifeboat and hence would be best part of the way there already.
First stop
I had done the same work for them last year and given a charity refused any form of financial reward but last year was rewarded by way of several tubs of home made ice cream, and very nice it was too.
Klibreck would only take an afternoon being a singleton and was a worthy hill for this excursion and welcome in light of some of more recent epics…2315hrs finish in the dark..in summer,,,jeez still thinking about it.
So the work, if you cam call it that, I left Dornoch complete with tubs of ice cream in a cool bag, covered with Tesco ice cubes, pondering if it would last until I got home.
My first view of Klibreck came only a short distance from the car park spot, and what a view !
My route was the one on WH, and this would take me up the first top to the right in the pic and then along the obvious ridge, although a path skirts the middle top. I had read reports of this being a boggy one, I must confess this route is soggy, but lacking any serious bog, but certainly not a walk for trainers. The reference in the title to winter hopefully didnt scare anyone, but it was a keen wind today.
Much of the climb is done at the first top and the views North to Ben Loyal, Ben Hope opened up, what a vista.
The going underfoot was now firmer but some more soggy stuff lay ahead as I descended slightly and then up again bearing left to avoid summiting the end of the ridge. I had been watching some incoming weather for a while as gradually the view vanished. I stopped to clobber up before it hit as the wind was already blowing and I didn’t fancy struggling with waterproofs at the last minute.
Afeter the sqall, the cloud boiled up over the ridge I had passed on the way in, so atmospheric when its like this.
The final pull to the summit is a bit of a shock after the relative ease on the way in and views back to the eastern slopes and lochan appear, before I ascend into the cloud for the summit.
I was denied views on the summit and so after a brief stop for the usual, I descended, and in a short while the panorama before me, showed much of the North spread out from Foinaven in the west, Ben Hope, Ben Loyal, the latter only a Corbett in name as what a mountain.
Ben Loyal zoomed, the view to Ben Loyal from Tongue is more dramatic, one to be climbed for sure.
Within about 15 minutes of leaving the summit it cleared completely, but I had had my views and I had had this hill to myself after passing 3 folk coming down on my way in.
The hill to myself, always makes me think of the words to Supertramp….
I know that there's a reason why I need to be alone
I need to find a silent place that I can call my own
Is it mine, Lord is it mine?
When everything's dark and nothing seems right,
There's nothing to win and there's no need to fight
I never cease to wonder at the cruelty of this land
But it seems a time of sadness is a time to understand
Is it mine, Lord is it mine?
I started the walk at 1pm and the stopover at Dornoch broke the journey nicely, but after 4 hours on the hill the Satnav gave me an ETA home of 1945hrs gulp, well it is a fair way.
TB 1 had been crying at me all week, I recognised the noise, brake pads needed, which I had already bought ready. So on arrival home I got these changed pronto, showered and in half hour dinner was being consumed along with a beer (from the fridge humph !!)