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Thigh deep snow, blue skies and a startling sunset made for a memorable day in the Lawers range. Parking the car at an almost deserted visitor centre the narrow farm road up had been incredibly dangerous with steep ditches on both sides. The ice was inches thick and covered the entire surface, the poor Corsa struggling to find any traction.
The initial boggy ground was frozen solid and after the first gate the well worn path through the trees had almost filled with snow, drifting to waist height. Reaching the end of the fence and onto the open hillside the waters of Loch Tay lay behind and snow covered slopes ahead, crampons on axe out!
The ascent was a struggle with incredibly low temperatures and a shocking wind dragging the thermometer downwards, I was sweating from the effort bit this only made me colder due to my frequent rests giving the water time to freeze. A normally fairly gentle ascent to Beinn Ghlas was quickly becoming a marathon but despite this on reaching the summit the view was staggering.
Continuing on along the ridge towards Ben Lawers the snow was so deep that a mini step had developed just below its highest point, necessitating a short, steep climb until nothing lay between me and the top of the Lawers Range. Struggling on to the summit the wind had died and I was finally able to lift my head which had been bowed for much of the ascent. I was greeted by wonderland views expansive in the extreme, white mountains defined against a blue sky, it was one of those days.
Descending to the col between the two mountains I had the place to myself, accompanied only by a glorious sunset and the thought of a warm car heater.