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What a day!!!!
I don't usually make my posts public but it would be interesting to get others thoughts and experiences of this route.
Solo day
After checking weather forecast and realising the winds may be strong with a -11 wind chill i thought I better put on the thermals.
Headed off from the parking layby 10:10 .
Now WH says 8 to 10 hrs for the 3!!
I know I am slow however it took me 9 hrs to do the 0ne!
Usually I am pretty spot on with WH estimations. For example if it says 8 to 10 hours I'm usually around the 10.
Either I done something very wrong or WH is way off.
The path is great but when you start to strike up the hill the terrain is terrible. Boulders, bog and heather and steep all the way up." Steep grassy bank" description just does not cut it.
The sun was splitting and it would have been very pleasant if it was not for the thermals
I was cursing myself for wearing them...
I hate to say it, it doesn't get any easier when you reach the Corrie,its basically a boulder field all the way round.
It was getting increasingly windy but still a decent day and the cloud on the summits had dispersed....until I reached the summit.
Made a huge navigational error coming off (school boy error) and found myself coming down the north west side of the summit. I was aware that the terrain looked very off, luckily the cloud cleared and realised with confidence I had definitely came down the wrong way.
So I headed back up and over the correct way.
After reading my Sunnto stats when I got home I realised my detour added only an hour to my day.
I had already made my mind up at the first summit that this was no weather for the other 2 and I was very conscious at how long it had taken me to get this far. (just over 4 hours to get to the first summit.)
I had decided rather than going back the way I had came I would head for the bealach and take the very good stalkers path back down the glen. (this would be the way to the 2nd Munro of the day). I thought this was a better option rather than trying to negotiate my way back down what I had come up.
Definitely was the right option, methinks.
What I was hoping would be a lovely flat plateau to take me to the start of the decent to the bhealach was a horrendous, constant boulder field with no path ( well i never found it)
To add to it it had started snowing and blizzard like conditions, in the face!
It felt like 50mph winds in the short blizzard storms. I was now very thankful for the thermals.
Stupidly I had not packed my ski goggles ( didn't think it was going to be winter,winter conditions) so navigation and progress was hindered.
On two ocassions there was nothing else for it but to get the storm shelter out and hunker down until it passed.
Which it did quickly. This happened on a number of occasions however I was very thankful it did not last more than 10 minutes and the sunshine would beam brilliantly once more, Just like it never happened.
At one point the weather conditions made me question whether this was actually happening and I was still lying in my warm, cozy bed and just having a rather unusual dream
.
'Four seasons in one day' has never been a more deserving statement.
When I reached the edge, a path presented itself. I was never more pleased to see a path. It was very wet and slippery but the scramble was not as exposed as I was fearing.
At the start of the descent to the bealach, it had taken me 6 and a half hours. It had taken me over 2 hours to get across the plateau, obviously with my little detour (1 hr) so over an hour to get to the descent to the bealach if you take away my detour.
I have never been so happy to see the very excellent path. What a great path it is all the way back to the main track by the little beach.
Once down from height you would not have known what conditions I had experienced. It was a lovely evening, cool but sunny.
I hate admitting it but it has to be one of my least favourite day on the hills.
I know I had a lot of time consuming weather and navigational conditions but I still can't figure out why these 3 Munros are put together as a suggestion and how it could take someone only 8 hours to do the 3
I can't imagine it would be a route for even fell runners, due to the very constant boulder field terrain?
To me it seems that Beinn a Chlachair is one for itself and the other 2 seem much more understanding of why you would do those 2 together ( Geal Charn and Creag Pitridh).
The ascent to Geal Charn from the bealch looks huge?
To be continued on my return
I realise I am probably the most unfit that I have ever been but still cant see how even at my fittest I could pull these 3 off in 10 hours.
Anyhoo, I know this seems like a bit of a moany post but I just wanted to share my experience and get other peoples views of these mountains.
I think It was also a wee scary reminder of just how much the terrain can change when we are up there. Sometimes I think I need a wee reminder
No photos, as to top it off, (as some of you will be familiar), Apple doesn't like the cold and had decided to shut down before I even started to ascend.
Hope I have not depressed you all to much with my miserable post
Would be great to hear what is everyone else's experience been of this circuit?
Happy Hiking
Louise