Hot hot hot on Buachaille Etvie Beag!

[KatTai]

I've had this one on my to-do list for a while, I'm still very much a novice when it comes to Munro's so stick to the three boot grades for the most part. My choice for the day was to re-do Ben Lawers and maybe be able to see something from the top, or at least near the top, or go get two more red balloons turned blue. Checking the forecast earlier in the week, Buachallie Etvie Beag looked the better option with poor visibility forecast for Lawers so that was the choice made, though of course on the day it was very different! I almost had a change of plans because the forecast was a little bit too hot for my liking, but I didn't want to miss a day in the hills so off we went! There was a slight worry about not being able to find the starting point among all the other laybys, given that my new car doesn't have a working cigarette lighter to plug my sat-nav into, but looking on the Google Street View meant that I had no problem finding the right place to park and we were soon heading off uphill in the blazing sunshine!

I had a new app to play with on my phone too, after hearing about it so much on this forum and now with a phone that is a bit more up-to-date than my last, I downloaded Viewranger. I'd played around with it on local walks but now I wanted to try it out on the hills! Not that I chose a good place to try it out, the novelty wore off pretty much after the bit where the track split. Maybe try something with a few more turns next time! The path is clear and easy to follow all the way up to the bealach, and then very clear where it splits to head along to Stob Dubh, which was where we headed first.

The dogs on the ridge with Stob Dubh in sight

There was little wind even on the ridge and no shade so there was no respite from the sun but we made our way along the ridge, my first ridge walk where I could see anything! The walk along the ridge was my favourite part of this walk. The views were pretty good from up there and we were soon reaching the summit, which we had to ourselves as the other people up there were further along at the lower cairn.

Dottie the Dalmatian reaching her 15th Munro, and Moss moving into double figures with her 10th! (It's also Millie's 15th Munro, but she didn't want to be in the picture)

We didn't stay at the summit long before moving down to the lower cairn where we stopped for our picnic, the dogs sharing my tuna sandwich (I made hard boiled eggs especially for them on a walk recently and Moss wouldn't eat them, my sandwich though she is happy to share!) and as the ridge and summit was lacking in water, had some water to drink while enjoying the views. I had the buddy beacon on the Viewranger app, as I walk alone (if you don't count the dogs) my OH sometimes gets a bit worried when I'm out in less busy places so we were testing it out. It was the 2nd beacon sent out, though it did send out our locations all the way from that point!

The dogs had some off-lead time here too and we spent a little bit of time here just enjoying the views and what little breeze there was, and I wondered what had happened to my 2nd bag of crisps that I had found missing from my bag (as it turned out, I'd left them at home).

Then it was leads on to return over the ridge, though it wasn't long before I figured that the dogs would be safe enough off the lead and they had freedom for the rest of the walk.

Moss on the ridge

We crossed back to the bealach and headed uphill again towards the summit of Stob Coire Raineach. Initially, it didn't seem like I was getting very far when I looked back down to the bealach. There are several paths heading up, but none really seemed to be better than any of the others as they were all made up of loose stone, I was dreading going back down again! The dogs had no problem, looking down with me as if bemused by the fact that I was incapable of running wildly around like they could!

They even decided that they had plenty of time for a good roll around while waiting for me to catch up!

However, though steep the climb up is short and we were soon at the summit of Stob Coire Raineach, and again there were great views all around including across to Buachaille Etvie Mor, which a guy we met with a lovely German shepherd had recommended to us saying it wasn't as difficult as it sounds and there was a clear path up to it...so it's on the radar though probably not until next year now!

All three in the photo this time, Munro number 16 for Dottie and Millie (and me), and 11 for Moss!

Just down from the summit was a handy watering hole for the dogs so they could have a drink and a little paddle, so I hadn't needed to take as much water as I had done but I guess better to have more than needed than not enough!

A photo of the view just because...

We didn't hang around too long before starting the descent, which while it had me worried when going up wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I managed to avoid most of the loose bits. The dogs were running around enjoying themselves, though I did get a nice comment on how well behaved they were when I called them to my side to wait while we were overtaken by other people coming down. Then ran off like nutters again once the person was a safe distance ahead checking I was still moving every now and then and occasionally offering some "assistance" herding me down the hill. We were soon back at the bealach and heading back down the way we came, as we descended it got hotter and hotter and hotter, at the top had certainly been a good place to be!

Millie just because. She's 12 in October so probably not far off retirement from walks like this now, but she has done a great job training up her wee sister to take her place! Though I'm sure she'll manage to bag herself a few more Munro's before retirement...

[tweedledog]

Great pictures of the dogs! It's a fine dog walk, isn't it. I've been up there up a couple of times with my whippet, both on and off lead. We encountered a mountain hare on the summit of Stob Coire Raineach which disappeared downhill in the general direction of Buachaille Etive Mhor. Fortunately the whippet was on lead at the time - I usually keep him attached to me where there's risk of steep edges and small furry creatures to pursue. Sheep he ignores.

[dogplodder]

Well done Millie and what a lovely day you got!

[KatTai]

Great pictures of the dogs! It's a fine dog walk, isn't it. I've been up there up a couple of times with my whippet, both on and off lead. We encountered a mountain hare on the summit of Stob Coire Raineach which disappeared downhill in the general direction of Buachaille Etive Mhor. Fortunately the whippet was on lead at the time - I usually keep him attached to me where there's risk of steep edges and small furry creatures to pursue. Sheep he ignores.

We saw nothing except for a buzzard and meadow pipits. Millie doesn't chase things and Moss, after showing some inclination to chase when I first got her, has turned out to be not that bad. But yes, great walk and with the nice pools a lovely spot for dogs

Well done Millie and what a lovely day you got!

She says thank you very much LOL We got a great day, fingers crossed we get a few more good hill walking days before our season ends (we don't do hillwalking in winter).