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It's my anniversary today and funily enough it's also the misses's, so last night she suggested I go for a walk today ....what a result!!! so without showing too much emotion I said I would see in the morning, and duely set my alarm for 5.00am (well it was after 1.00am when I went to bed so technically it was morning)...... if this was a tester I guess I failed.
I had checked MWIS for forecasts and SE hills were coming out best, so I desided on a run up to Lawers with Meall nan Tarmachan my objective. So I left home this morning at approx' 6.30am, and as I headed up the M9...I recalled there was some snow in Perthshire the other day, so wasn't sure what I would be facing and as I drove along A84 through Callander the snow was about 30 feet deep at the side of the road (maybe not that deep).....Loch Lubnaig was frozen solid, and in Strathyre the cars were parked in sort of little snow garages and in Killin, the falls were frozen..... getting the picture!!!!
As I turned off the A827 onto the track upto Ben Lawers etc... it was covered in snow ice...... I have a Vectra Estate and it is hopeless on a slippy road.....it skids if I have a cold, so my first thought was I'm not going to make it up the hill followed by I'll end up off the road and stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere (without a phone signal)......but pleased to report I made it to the parking area assosiated with Meall nan Tarmachan and suited up for the walk.
- From carpark area
Last week I invested in a Satmap which arrived Wednesday PM, so didn't have time to read instructions properly before today, and just about worked out how to plot a route on a map....... I tried to plot the normal track, but my markers were not 100% accurate and I missed the start of the track by maybe about 30 metres (before at.. N56*30.858 - W4*16.310) and set off up hill initially following trail of someone who had made similar mistake before catching track again at approx...(N56*30.644 - W4*17.187)
As you'd expect, there had been a fair amount of snow had fallen on slopes and going was tough at times where I had wandered into thigh deep patches.
- Looking East towards carpark area with dam at Lochan na Lairige on left
- Looking further East out over a partially frozen Loch Tay
- Progressing.. photo taken at approx' (N56*31.149 - W4*17.852)...I'm sure many will recognise this climb
Well into the clouds and the wind was really getting up and stinging my face (blew my hat off at one point) and I really had to lean into it in some areas to stay upright.
- Almost there photo taken from approx (N56*31.208 - W4*17.942) summit ridge now in sight (almost)
As I edged towards the summit the ridges on my left as I looked up were overhanging with snow and my GPS was telling me zero distance to go but elevation of 17 metres, so I was more or less below summit crag. Fortunately there were footprints still visible from earlier walks, so followed on and eventually found the crag.
- Made it...but didn't hand around long due to strength of wind
- Meall Garbh...I believe, having a peak through the cloud...
OK that done........it's off back down out the wind for the traditional warm cuppa.
- One last shot coming off the hill....to the south
The desent was a quick one with a few tumbles on the way as one or other of my legs dissappeared down a hole and threw me off balance. All in all it was good to get back out..... it was tough going in places but thoroughly enjoyed my first real winter walk.
Sorry about the photo's but too much cloud cover along with high winds, kept the camera tucked up in it's pouch.