| Top sections | ||||||||
| Home | ||||||||
| Scotland Mountain Guide | ||||||||
| Wales & The Lake District | ||||||||
| Scotland Diary | ||||||||
| Norway Diary | ||||||||
| Europe (Austria 2004) | ||||||||
|
|
August 2001 - Last one on Torridon Liathach was a mountain I had a lot of respect for. It was the only munro I turned back on in good weather back in Easter 2000. The easiest route to the top is a well worn path tackling some of the steepest slopes of any munro. Worse still were tiers of cliffs breaking up the steep slopes. Yup, it was a serious mountain that looks even more monstrous than the Cuillin munros. |
 Sgurr Sgumain seen from Sgurr Alasdair |
The night before, the forecast was for Skye to be right on the border between thick cloud and drizzle to the north, and bright sunshine to the south. Guess what? It was right! |
 The In Pinn at last! |
May 2001 - Nastier tops on Skye After my previous Skye trip two weeks before, I was up again meeting up with some folk from uk.rec.walking. We were out on Skye for a whole week with six of us there all week and various other folk joining us for a couple of days at a time. |
 Blaven and Ruadh Stac seen on the descent to Glen Sligachan |
After 8 months without climbing any new munros, it was about time I resumed the countdown. Skye is a decidedly tricky place in winter and with summer on its way in, the time was right to herald the coming of summer in Skye. |
 Suilven seen from Cul Mor in evening light |
August 2000:- Inverpolly & Loch Broom It was the first time in two months that I had been in Scotland and boy I was glad to return. This time I travelled up by train from Sussex to Inverness - a journey time of 10 hours. I camped by the roadside at the weather station I camped at last time. |
 Sgurr nan Each seen from Sgurr nan Clach Geala |
May 2000:- South Ullapool Road travelled up the day before by train instead of the coach to give me more choice of trains to get me home. The decision to go was made spur of the moment when the forecast on Wednesday evening was for sunshine and showers through the weekend - how wrong they could be! |
 Loch a' Chroisg west of Achnasheen in evening sunlight |
Easter 2000:- Torridon & Glen Shiel This was a trip I had organised for the Manchester University Hking Club. Back in January, the club gave it the go ahead and I was put in charge of arranging accommodation, transport and food for what the eight folk who went to either half of the trip. I had arranged such a trip before on new year 1998/99 but this time everything went very snoothly. |
 Quinag seen from Inchnadamph hotel |
March 2000:- The Far North (Ben Hope) The decision to do the trip was taken three days before the departure date. A high pressure system was forecast to establish itself over the region and so I decided to get out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasted. |
 The Slopes of Am Foachagach seen on the last day |
March 2000:- The Far North - Take 1 My intention for this trip was to climb all the munros north of the Inverness - Ullapool Road. This didn't happen. In the end only Am Foachagach was climbed. |
 The Buchailles of Rannoch Moor seen from Beinn Fhionllaidh |
February 2000:- The Glen Creran Peaks The day before my departure the radio was filled with reports of snow, snow and more snow on the roads. I had this feeling that the coach up there would be delayed and guess what? The coach was delayed! |
|
This was another walk done with the hiking club. I was keen to get lots of pictures taken. In the end I only got one photo taken - and even that wasn't a scenic one. I add insult to injury, the two nights there were filled with stars, grrrrrr! |
 Bidean nan Bian seen from Meall nan Eun with the mist creeping in |
This was round 2 of my attempt to finish off the munros around Glen Etive. In doing so I would have climbed all the munros south of the Great Glen. In the end five out of a planned seven munros were climbed. |
 Garbh Bheinn in the Foreground with the Glen Nevis summits in the background |
New Year 99/00:- Crianlarich & Glen Coe My plan for this trip was to climb all the remaining munros around Glen Etive and a few isolated summits in the north west highlands like Ben Hope. In the end I gave up on the first day owing to too much snow and joined the Manchester University Hiking Club on their outing in Crianlarich and Glen Coe. . |
 Loch Arklet - east of the Inversnaid Hotel |
November 1999:- The East Lomond Hills Ben Lomond was a munro I had intentions of doing for quite some time now. It was always an elusive summit yet lay only 2km away from the main road to Fort William. If only the wet bit wasn't there! Transport was my major problem and I asked whether it was worth going out just to climb one munro for a weekend? |
 Beinn a' Chreachain on the horizon - seen from Meall Buidhe |
November 1999:- Killin to Rannoch The forecast for the weekend seemed gloomy - thick anticyclonic cloud seemed the order of the day. Indeed I arrived in Glasgow in overcast weather. It was largely overcast in Manchester for the last few days. I thought it wouldn't budge. It wasn't until the coach drove from the Central Belt to the southern end of Loch Lomond that the cloud cleared to give the best dawn I've seen for a long time. Wow! |
 Dun Da Ghaoithe seen from the Ferry to Craignure |
These views were all new to me and even the mainland summits around Glen Coe looked unrecognizable. There was snow above 1000m on the mainland summits though it was only a tiny dusting and no doubt it would melt away on Sunday. |
 From the Barrisdale path looking down towards Skye |
It was to be my longest ever time spent on a continuous backpack with no fill up periods. The timing of the trip couldn’t have been better. High pressure was forecast to arrive and assert itself over the next few days giving me the best possible start and my walk started not a day too early for heavy showers dominated the weather the few days before the trip. |
 Mayar seen from near Jocks Road |
May 1999:- Glen Shee/Doll & Ben Chonzie The tickets for the Glasgow coach were bought the week before and the weather forecast was very good. I was looking forward to this trip and I looked forward to climbing the remaining Grampian Munros on my agenda. |
 The Glen Affric Munros as seen on the way upto An Riabhachan |
Easter 1999:- Glen Cannich & The Cairngorms This was the most successful trip that I’ve done that has lasted for more than two weeks. Generally very good weather dominated the first half of the trip along with plenty of spring snow remaining. |
 Beinn Narnain and the Cobbler from Beinn an Lochain |
The day dawned cloudy but quite mild despite the forecast for cold weather. I started at Clachan farm and climbed a small moorland top first called Beinn Chas. I decided on this route as I didn’t like the suggested route in my Munros book of ‘there and back’ along the track in Glen Fyne for 7km and back again. |
 Camped in Coire Glas, Beinn a' Chocuill seen behind |
The trip was supposed to be a seven Munro trek for four days in the wilderness based around Glen Kinglass near Loch Awe. I was really looking forward to it after my exams for high pressure was forecast which potentially meant good weather. It all went to pieces when the flint on my lighter broke off and I had no back up matches. |
 Stob na Broige as seen from Stob na Doire |
New Year 98/99:- Tyndrum & Glen Coe The weather for the first half was generally rough(ish) and the majority of the people on the trip felt they didn’t have a good bargain from the weather. Personally I feel the club is going soft for rough weather along with the nice weather has always been part of Scottish weather. |
 The Glen Etive summits from Clachet with Ben Starav on the left and Stob Dubh straight ahead |
December 1998:- The Black Mount This weekend was the most fantastic so far, cold northerly winds brought the freezing level right down to the road and the views were very far reaching with Knoydart and Ardgour visible to the west and Ben Alder forest up to the north east. |
 The view from the summit of Meall Gaordaidh looking northwest |
It had been ages since I was last with the club up to Scotland, I was making a better effort to mix in compared with previous trips and actually got quite a few foreign people interested in walks I was to do. The day proved to be a relaxing outing with a brief shower on the top of Ben Vorlich. |
|
The weather forecast for the weekend was for heavy rain and gales on Saturday and showers on Sunday. I dreaded the trip with the forecast in mind, the rain however turned out to be moderate as I left the coach at Calvine. The place was bleak but the wind was on my back which made the going comfortable on the track up to Bruar Lodge. |
|
This was a truly mad hiking opportunity. Originally I had planned to traverse the two mountains over a weekend. But due to lab work needing to be done and looming mid term tests plus catching up, I decided to try these summits in one day from Manchester. |
 Bynack More from Beinn a’ Chaorainn |
July/August 1998:- Central/Eastern Highlands After the disappointment of the last trip I was determined not to let the same thing happen again. I was up on the overnight coach from London and was dissapointed when the weather turned out to be cloud and showers at Bridge of Orchy instead of the forecast good weather. After a cup of tea at the hotel I was off. |
 The Saddle from Sgurr na Sgine |
It was forecast to be a wet wet wet week. My ‘Olympus Mons’ challenge was thrown into doubt before I even got off the coach at Shiel Bridge. My plan was to traverse all the Knoydart and Glen Cannich / Strathfarrar hills + loose ends in a fortnight. For some hills I planned to climb 2500m and walk 25km on the same day. It was a truly mad plan and it didn’t work when I ran behind schedule |
 Looking South west from the plateau of the Monadliath |
The Monadliath Munros provided the ideal May Bank Holiday weekend being far enough north for a feeling of distance from the main cities. A super huge breakfast was had at Bus’y’Bite in Perth and it kept me going well into the afternoon that day. |
 Looking east from Sgurr Ruadh to the ridge of Ben Liath Mhor |
Easter 1998:- Loch Monar & Glen Spean I got off the train at Achnashellach in heavy rain with one hour of daylight left. My pace was strong for I wanted to get to my camp site quickly before light got really bad for a river crossing I had to do. I had 5km of walking and 600m of ascent, I did it within Naismiths Rule which was good going thanks to the well made paths. I crossed the river in Coire Lair with 15mins of daylight left. |
 Ben Vane seen from the south |
It was to be a super long hike for winter time, I was up one hour before the rest of the hiking club was up and set off around 8.15am. The hostel was cold with it being 9 degrees in the dining room so winter clothing was on straight away. |
 The ridge of Am Bathach as seen from the summit with Loch Cluanie seen behind |
I had three days after exams for walking in. It gave a good opportunity to climb some more summits. The group of summits generally termed as the Cluanie Horseshoe were on my mind and this provided the focus for my trip. |
 The view north west to Carn A'Gheoidh from The Cairnwell |
New Year 97/98:- Torridon & Braemar The drive up to Torridon was long with the journey taking nine hours despite Andy’s very fast driving. The Youth Hostel was brimming with climbers and hikers, finding space for your own kit proved a challenge in space management. The day tomorrow looked promising and in the end I encouraged people with me onto Beinn Alligin. |
|
As with all Scotland hiking club trips, there is a certain degree of uncertainty as to what people want to do, people don’t make decisions until a leisurely hour in the morning, this means often that plans are wrecked due to unpredictable transport provision. |
|
It turned out to be a damp arrival at Crianlarich when I arrived in falling light. I had a five kilometre walk to do to my chosen camp site and although mainly on track and road, the rain wasn’t comfortable. Snow could be seen lying down to around 600 metres, I felt apprehensive about navigation in mist and snow. |
 The northern top of the Five Sisters Ridge |
July 1997:- Glens Shiel & Affric This entire area is one big remote region by scottish standards. The eastern extremity of this area starts at Garve and stretches westwards for 40miles. The north - south extent is about twenty miles. In it lie no public roads, hardly any dirt tracks for that matter. |
|
This was the first time for me to hike alone in remote places, it was also the first time for me to travel up to Scotland independently using the coach. It was something that I was going to do on a regular basis later on. The weather was nice on the first day travelling up. |
|
Easter 1997:- Glen Shiel, Killin & Glen Nevis By now I was hooked on the idea of climbing Munro’s I felt determined to climb all of them as fast as I could. The group I was with were less eager and in the end I had to compromise. Alex was the organiser for the 14 of us at Ratagan Youth Hostel. |
|
This was to be my first Munro bagging day, and what a day it was too. With ten people in our group and a long day combined with blizzard and severe gales high up, we certainly did well to achieve that. |
|
Browse my hiking reports on a map. Toggle Map Size
|