Blisters, bites and a nasty rash...oh and three Munros

[railton22]

Unfortunately broke out in a hideous rash a few days before this walk. Any hopes that my upper torso would stop looking like strawberries mushed with a potato masher were futile. The only change to my yucky rash was that it got bigger, redder, itchier and uglier. Great.

Still no rash was going to prevent me from making the most of a gorgeous August day when the mountains are whispering their most seductive sweet nothings in my ears.

So antihistamines and a day on the hills it is then.

Creag Meagaidh car park easy to find and plenty of space although only a handful of cars there. C'mon people, wake up and get outside; you just can't beat a mountain walk when it's such top weather.

Creag Meagaidh. Nice board telling you useful stuff.

....and they're off.

The park also had a very nice unisex loo; smelt very un-loo like, which is always a positive.

The ascent began almost straight away.

Views across to Fersit (and some Munros that we've climbed)

The window winking at us looking all benign and not at all like a boulderfest

Lovely path until the turn to the right onto a rather challenging path; boggy, muddy, rocky and you had to hack your way through the ferns and trees.

Bogfest and jungle behind us, the dog finds a lovely spot to spend the day and encourages to go on; he kindly offered to "look after the lunch" too.

I wish she'd stop fussing me, go off on her walk and just leave that lunch backpack

As it was at the beginning of the walk we sucked it up and fought our way through with nary a swear word or a grumble. It took us 2 hours exactly to reach the summit of Carn Liath. Great views too.

The Hubs says hello to Munro No 72, Carn Liath

Munro No 72 for me

Few photos and then onto the next one........which was miiiiiles away. Lovely walking along the top and now cooler after the burning sun on our ascent. The cooling wind was great on my tragic tortured skin but within the space of a few paces the warm, steady zephyr had morphed into an evil katabatic wind that was both freezing (out come the gloves) and strong enough to knock me off my feet.

On the way to Stob Poite a' Choire Ardair (or "Fred" as we affectionately dubbed it)

The dog gets all impatient on the way to Munro No 73 as it is a truth universally acknowledged that when a hill walker hits a summit cairn, lunch is sure to follow

The nipple-shaped Stob Poite a' Choire Ardair is close...but not close enough

Conditions remained challenging on the long trek to Stob Poite Coire Ardair and we hastily celebrated Munro No 73 with a "yeah" and two photos before high tailing it down to the window and the final Munro, Creag Meagaidh.

"Fred" Munro No 73 for the Hubs

Yay! Not been blown over and another Munro beneath my boots. Stob Poite a' Choire Ardair

Dropping down to the window before the mighty Creag Meagaidh

The force 10 put paid to any plans for a nice lunch stop and the grim grey clouds building spurred us on to claim our final Munro of the day.

Whoo hoo! Munro No 74. Hello Creag Meagaidh you little beauty!

Creag Meagaidh summit cairn. Need some lunch now.....

At this point the Hubs discovered that he had a 50p sized blister right on the base of his heel and a pair of nasty bites (horsefly??? pterodactyl??) on his calf and shoulder respectively.

Nice bit of August snow on Creag Meagaidh descent

Raising his standards somewhat with some freshly melted snow (the dog usually goes for the liquid part of a cow pat as his drink of choice)

Ice, ice baby on Creag Meagaidh

After a much-needed lunch break at Mad Meg's cairn on the return, the walking wounded hauled themselves down to the Window and the massive boulder field tumbling out of it.

The Window

Wobbly knees and weak ankles not an option around here.

Challenging descent but between us we escaped with all eight legs intact (counting the dog in this, no we don't live near Sellafield).

Very long walk back but very straightforward and well-maintained track took us all the way back to the car.

Locan Coire Ardair beneath some very impressive cliffs.

Off to slather myself in Calamine and pop more antihistamines and the Hubs has a date with a sterile needle to pop that beast of a blister. Walked by David, Sarah and Nudge

[Scotjamie]

Very enjoyable report and obviously a great day for it.... apart from wind. cold, blisters, boulders and bites!! Well done.

[ancancha]

The window looks like good fun
Still snow

[penelope1]

What a lovely walk report and great photos too!

Longing to reprise these three at some point, when I first walked them about 15 years ago I chose 'the long way round' descending off the eastern side of Meagaidh in darkness as I recall.

Was up the Coire Ardair path recently and completely missed the small path going off to the right, will have to look harder next time!