free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
The forecast looked half decent, and itching to get out (despite carrying a knee injury) I was looking for some easy-ish hills to tick off. Ben Chonzie was closest, and eventually defeated my initial choice of Carn na Caim and A'Bhudeneach Bheag, as 1. I couldn't be bothered with the A9, and 2. I've put off Chonzie for years, writing it off as a boring hill to be done in winter on a nice day.
I decided to knock off two plans in one day by stopping off at Kinnoull Hill for sunrise. This time of year is perfect as the sun rises roughly in line with the Tay.
On to Chonzie. It is regarded as a boring hill, and it pretty much is, ie follow the track, hit the fenceline and follow to the summit. However, additional interest was provided by long stretches of solid ice on the track, and the snow coming in earlier than expected. On the way up I ignored the cairn to head up the southern slopes as I'd seen a group of guys struggling through thigh deep stuff, so instead stuck to the track, following the tracks helpfully made by someone else breaking the trail
By the time I hit the fenceline the snow was on, and visibility was poor, which made my decision to hump the good camera up all the more annoying. Reached the cairn, exchanged pleasantries with a group of students, ate a cheese piece in record time and headed back down the same way. However the track was a tad more challenging as a thin blanket of snow had now disguised the large ice patches. Luckily I was able to find them by stepping on them and going my length twice.
Back to the car in 4h 35m, which wasn't bad considering the injury and expanse of horrible sticky snow in the last 200m of the climb.
Here's my only photo from Chonzie.
![20160116_131707.jpg]()
- Yay.
