Woke up around 3am and found to my horror that it was snewing. This fuelled various nightmares about being trapped 15 miles from a proper road and having to resort to cannibalism to survive. When it grew light I was happy to see that the snew was very wet and wasn't lying on the road anyway - whew! I decided that we'd do Gairich today, meaning we could walk from the tent and leave it pitched with the car beside it - for some reason this is much more acceptable to me than leaving the tent standing on its own. As we started out the sky was starting to clear, with blue patches spreading. Forecast was for snew showers, but these didn't come our way.
P1180477 by Al, on Flickr
P1180478 by Al, on FlickrSuch a photogenic hill, Gairich
P1180479 by Al, on FlickrI was a little worried, looking at the steep peak section of Gairich, that avalanche risk might be substantially raised by the overnight snew. We'd gone prepared with snowshoes for the long flat section and indeed these were helpful. My memories of Gairich are of very squelchy bogs, but the going wasn't too bad today, some of the ground was frozen. As we dropped to the first bealach, crossing the Allt Torrain Dharraich we heard the piercing, glacial scream of an eagle, and could make out the receding shape of the bird round the hillside. Upwards by the fenceline then onto the long back of the mountain, snowshoes on when the snew became deeper than was comfortable in boots alone. Across the loch were Spidean and Gleouriach, looking as if they were holding a lot of snew on their south slopes. Ahead rose the slightly intimidating "summer head" with laden steep slopes. We lunched in a hollow then spent some time looking for the best line up.
P1180480 by Al, on Flickr
P1180482 by Al, on Flickr
P1180484 by Al, on Flickr
P1180486 by Al, on FlickrGleouriach & Mialach
P1180487 by Al, on FlickrPressing on, leaving our snowshoes and poles by a convenient rock just before the steepness began, we armed ourselves with axes and started up the slope. We made for a crag line where it looked possible to cut along protected from the snow-laden slope above. However, once we reached the crags, we were faced with the possibility that we might descend into an unseen cleft - didn't look a great place to be after all. I cut down and round to the left, not much liking the soft thick snew with evidence of snowballing around. Heaving myself over some rocky outcrops we haltingly made progress between 750-850 metres. There were a couple of times I thought about turning back, mostly due to the perceived avalanche risk, but after last weekend's no summits I was more reluctant than usual to give up. I was relieved to feel the snew firm up as I approached the summit, where we were blessed with fine views of the Glendessarry mountains and onward towards Knoydart.
Hmmm...
P1180488 by Al, on FlickrGlen Kingie
P1180489 by Al, on FlickrOur way in
P1180490 by Al, on Flickr
P1180491 by Al, on Flickr
P1180492 by Al, on FlickrMade it
P1180493 by Al, on Flickr
P1180494 by Al, on FlickrGeneral relief
P1180495 by Al, on FlickrWe now had to retrace our steps, which was a little bit hairy in places, but soon enough we were back at the rock where we'd left our snowshoes and could enjoy the walk out knowing there were no risks attached. The sky was blue, the sun warm and we ended up walking in baselayers. Had some fun building a small snew guardian on the way down. Back at the tent we were able to sit in the sun enjoying a salty snack until the shadows lengthened and the sun fell below the horizon.
Allison descending one of the steeper sections
P1180496 by Al, on FlickrThe Ben rears its head
P1180498 by Al, on Flickr
P1180499 by Al, on FlickrMialach
P1180500 by Al, on Flickr
P1180502 by Al, on Flickr
P1180503 by Al, on FlickrOvernight there was a hard frost, which pleased me as I reckoned this would firm up the snowpack on our hills. Up fairly early just after 7 and ready to start up Spidean Mialach by 8.30. Rhododendrons have really taken over the hillside - tenacious little fellows, ousting even gorse bushes in their pursuit of hillside domination. The path was iced over, a little difficult to follow where the snew was thick, but we pressed onwards. I wanted to climb the Sim of Meall a'Mheil on the way, which was achieved by a steep snowy ascent. Wind was considerable at 600m which didn't fill me with comforting thoughts as to how it would be at 1000m.
Sgurr na Ciche
DSC00835 by Al, on FlickrSome of my favourite hills
DSC00836 by Al, on FlickrApproaching Meall a'Mheil
DSC00839 by Al, on Flickr
DSC00841 by Al, on Flickr
DSC00842 by Al, on FlickrMialach - still reasonable visibility, but not for long
DSC00844 by Al, on FlickrWe came off Meall a'Mheil, avoiding the cornicing, and looked for the safest line up Mialach. There looked to be a shoulder between Coire Dubh and Coire Glas where there was at least some ground showing through the snew - however by the time we got above 650m we had entered {{The White Room}} and saw nothing from that point on. It was a little hair-raising, walking into blankness with no idea if there were drifts above that might give way. As we climbed some windslab started to come away - not much but enough to rack up the tension. The main concern was the summit of Spidean being a narrow triangle, with steep drops on the other two sides...I was relieved to see some rocks under the snew in the last 50m or so and we made it to the almost buried cairn solely by GPS. High wind, cornices and {{The White Room}} - a triumvirate of devils which meant there was no sense in trying to make for Gleouriach today.
Gleouriach
DSC00845 by Al, on FlickrSpidean Mialach - in the white room
DSC00847 by Al, on FlickrWe turned back, found our footprints had almost all been erased by the wind in the couple of minutes we'd been at the top, and stepped off again into the white, following the GPS route down. Came out of the clag about 700m, stopped for lunch then headed back to the car. There's no sadness at not getting along to Gleouriach today - this part of Scotland is somewhere I'm always happy to re-visit. Just need to choose a good day next time
Uneventful drive back down the road - some very tame deer heading back towards Tomdoun. Horrible weather going through Glencoe with driving rain and a really strong wind blasting the car about on the road. Felt sorry for any poor blighters out on the Glencoe hills, which - from the look of the car parks- there were some.Some visibility again - around 750m
DSC00848 by Al, on FlickrMore weather coming in
DSC00849 by Al, on FlickrRhododendron take over
DSC00850 by Al, on Flickr
DSC00851 by Al, on Flickr
DSC00853 by Al, on Flickr
This wee fellow along with the young females have been regular visitors to the houses around this area during the winter. In fact most, if not all of the retired folks in the area, seem to have sacks of the feeding pellets to feed the young deer...very harsh winter for the deer this winter. I would guess a fair loss of numbers perhaps. These deer around the houses I think are the ones from the Kingie East estate or maybe even Quoich East? ....as you drive out of the Glen the terrain of the left stretching out towards the Loch Loyne perhaps
Yes, the deer looked like they were eating food pellets on the grass, certainly not scared of humans. 
