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2 firsts to reach the double

2 firsts to reach the double


Postby sonic » Thu Jan 08, 2015 10:59 pm

Route description: Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas

Munros included on this walk: Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers

Date walked: 03/01/2015

Time taken: 5.08 hours

Distance: 12.33 km

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Winter hillwalking is a pastime I have always admired from in front of a laptop looking at other peoples photographs and videos mainly on this website and occasionally other sites.
Have always stayed well away from the hills at this time of year when the snowfall starts for various reasons, main ones being the dangers involved in hillwalking in the winter, the cost of the extra equipment necessary and the lack of knowledge on how to use this equipment.
But having recently done Ben Vorlich and Stuc a chroin at Loch Earn as my first double hill I was itching to get back out on the hills and didn't think I could wait until springtime.
After a few text messages to my hillwalking buddy we decided we would do my first winter walk but what hills to choose as there are so many. After reading another walk report I read that Ben Chonzie is an easy but uninspiring hill made a lot more interesting by the addition of the snow and made this as a suggestion, my hillwalking mate cammy suggested that Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers would be a much more interesting proposition. This was much more suitable as it gave me a double to reach double figures.

So the decision had been made and after purchasing an ice axe we arranged to walk it on the Saturday morning. Keeping an eye on the weather reports and it was looking to be a good day weather wise and I was up at 5 in the morning and picked the mate up at 6.30 and drove the 2 hours to the car park at Ben Lawers mostly in the dark. at one point driving along the road into Killin we got a brief glimpse of the hills we were about to climb and I thought oh no look at that snow covered monstrosity.
The drive up to the car park was also a tad icy with the car wheel spinning a couple of times before we made the safety of the car park.
Got ready and we were walking for 9am.
So it was up through the walled garden and across the road and through the first gate, navigation was pretty straightforward on the day as it was easy to see the intended target and we never had to refer to the map at any point during the day.
The walk was pretty straight forward and it turned out to be a cracking day out with the most amazing views ever and to actually see it myself instead of looking at someone elses photographs was brilliant.
However I've never felt cold like that before ouch!


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So my 2 firsts were first winter walk and first hill in the top ten in height.
This was an absolutely cracking day out and took away some of my misconceptions about winter walking, however if the weather was a bit wilder it would have been a whole different ball game.
If you were to ask if I would do it again the answer would be definitely just off to google crampons :crazy:
sonic
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby AlexFrood » Fri Jan 09, 2015 12:06 pm

It was a cracking day that day. I must of walked passed you when I was doing the ridge that day.
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby wheres north » Fri Jan 09, 2015 7:20 pm

:clap: excellent report mate. Glad I was there to experience your first winter walk. Although the photographs are excellent (especially the one's with me in them) they don't do the spectacular views we had any justice. So we'll done again mate. Only one question? What's next?
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby wheres north » Fri Jan 09, 2015 10:42 pm

wheres north wrote::clap: excellent report mate. Glad I was there to experience your first winter walk. Although the photographs are excellent (especially the one's with me in them) they don't do the spectacular views we had any justice. So well done again mate. Only one question? What's next?
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby sonic » Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:38 pm

AlexFrood wrote:It was a cracking day that day. I must of walked passed you when I was doing the ridge that day.


It was a brilliant day, I'm not sure what time you would have reached the ridge as you started walking two hours before us :crazy:
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby sonic » Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:46 pm

wheres north wrote::clap: excellent report mate. Glad I was there to experience your first winter walk. Although the photographs are excellent (especially the one's with me in them) they don't do the spectacular views we had any justice. So we'll done again mate. Only one question? What's next?


Not sure what will be next just know it should be sooner rather than later mate :D
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:48 am

Smashing photos, looks a great day out. :clap: :clap:
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby sonic » Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:18 pm

Huff_n_Puff wrote:Smashing photos, looks a great day out. :clap: :clap:


Thank you was a brilliant day out, I feel the photos didn't do the views justice however :)
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby Silverhill » Sun Jan 11, 2015 1:22 pm

Congratulations on reaching the double figures and what a way to do it! Well done on your first winter hillwalk! 8)
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Re: 2 firsts to reach the double

Postby sonic » Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:28 pm

Silverhill wrote:Congratulations on reaching the double figures and what a way to do it! Well done on your first winter hillwalk! 8)

Thanks Siverhill
It was a brilliant day can't wait to get out again :)
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