Glencoe

OK, its time to rewrite this blog.  Everything you have read so far is nonsense, just childs' play,  a mere kindergarten in the great big school of things that are hilly.

This was my (our) first visit to the Highlands and wow!   “Massive” is too small a word, “MAHOOSIVE” doesn’t do it justice either,  “F*CKING ENORMOUS”, would be close, but still not right.  This place is obscenely beautiful, combine all that’s good about the Lakes and Snowdonia, , multiply by 10 and extend by a 100 odd square miles and you might be close.  Get rid of all the tourists and tat shops whilst we’re at it too.  Mountain pornography, at its hardcore finest.

So on with the story, this was a mini-break for me and N, booked through www.hfholidays.co.uk.  A 3 night stay in total with 2 full days of guided walking, so a 4 day holiday in total including a days travel at either end.

Day 1

An 8am depart from Congers and we made good progress  north of Glasgow to the shores of Loch Lomond and a quick stop at Duck Bay Resort (http://www.cawleyhotels.com/).  This place was lovely , a huge loch surrounded by mountains (I was to learn later that the big one was Ben Lomond, Scotland’s most southerly Munro).  Little did we know of the more incredible views that were to unfold on our journey North.

Ben Lomond in the distance

Hardly a soul in sight

The A82 is the main highway through the highlands, over 100 miles long and barely wide enough for two lorries to pass in parts, its nonetheless a great drive, fast and sweeping in places, slow and picturesque in others.

After admiring the views….

Lycra clad lovelies

… no not those views, the ones of mountains…..

We eventually arrived at the renowned Clachaig Inn (http://www.clachaig.com/)  just out of Glencoe.  Another one off the Pub Guide List and onto the village of Glencoe…

Clachaig Inn

Approaching Glencoe

Glencoe itself

Some Munro or other!

Munros overlooking Glencoe

A walk around Glencoe forest, before checking into the hotel….

N's phone

My camera

Pap of Glencoe in background

Massacre Memorial

Back of hotel - Alltshellach

View from room

View from patio

Day 2

Day 2 (our first organised day of walking)  was billed as “hard” with approx 4,800 of ascent and 7 miles, which would take us approximately 7 ½ hours.  7 ½ hours of effort, 7 ½ hours of just been outdoors all day would be shock enough to the system!

Anyway, our guide for the day was a typically stoic Scot from Dundee, called John (or was it Dave?).  Pleasant chap, who I was quite pleased to see sweated like a paedo in Toys-R-Us and coughed like a 50 a day Woodbine man all the way up the first hill.  I wasn’t counting chickens though, this guy is a fully qualified International Mountain Leader. (http://www.baiml.org/) so suspected it was just the hard jock way of detoxifying.

Anyways, our first Munro of the day and mine and N’s first Munro EVER, was to be Stob Ban (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stob_B%C3%A0n_(Mamores)) which is 999 metres or 3,278 feet in old money.

The thing to bear in mind with these Munro thingies, is that the height that is listed, is the height you basically climb, as you always start from sea level, (all lochs are at sea level obviously).  So although Snowdon is 1,085 m (3,560 ft), most start from the Pen-Y-Pass car park, so its only like climbing the stairs to get to the top  (well, not really, but you get me drift).

Ben Nevis

Our final destination and route down

Looking down Glen Nevis towards Fort William

False summit

Scrambly bit ahead

Sgurr a Mhaim

Folk on the scramble

The final haul to the top

After a  bit of a fun scramble to gain what turned out to be a false summit, we reached the top.

Cheesey first Munro

We were to then drop quite steeply off this handsomely shaped pinnacle to progress along the col and up to another summit called Sgurr an Lubhair at 1001 metres.  Despite being higher than Stob Ban, this isn’t classed as a Munro, but as a “Munro Top” – explanation here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munro.

Across col to Sgurr a Mhaim

Steep climb down from Stob Ban

The plod to Sgurr an Lubhair

Sgurr an Lubhair summit

From here it was on to one of the highlights of the day, Devils Ridge.  A narrow arête linking Sgurr an Lubhair, with the second Munro of the day Sgurr a Mhaim – 1099 metres.

Starting out on Devils Ridge

Up and down it goes.

Looking back along route

Deer in the distance

God the climb up from the ridge to the summit was hard, we were now about five hours in of near enough constant effort, but I had by now found out that by following one of our fellow holiday-makers, that the pace was just right, and could plod at a snails pace at a reasonably comfortable rate.

Once at the top, more fuel was taken on board (it stops being “food” and “drink” by now) and a micro-nap and we were ready for the descent.  We could see the car park from here, all downhill, so easy right?  2 ½ freaking hours it took!  And that’s not hanging about either!  This place is mad – when they said “hard”, they definitely meant it!

Plenty of snow on summit ridge

Back to hotel at last!

That night was a muted affair, despite best efforts only 3 pints of fine Scottish ale were imbibed and I was glad of a chance to veg out in front of Nicolas slide show. Knackered.

Day 3

Now temptation doesn’t come much stronger than when having done the longest, highest, hardest walk of your life than to have the option of “Easy” or “Medium”, rather than “hard” for your next days walk.

However, we were only here for 2 days and we were told that it would be “hard, but not that hard”, so we bravely ticked the box.

This time the group was down to 3 (as opposed to about 12 yesterday), so it was good to have (near enough) a personal guide, Nicola, another IML and a dedicated Munro-ist on having completed all 284 of them in 2 years and now steadily working her way through the “Marilyn’s” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_(hill))

Today’s weather was overcast, with no wind, so had a muggy feel to it.  This made the relentlessly steep ascent up tussocky grass a nightmare.  I was struggling bad here, flagging behind the group.  Yes, the effort was extreme, but the monotony, God it was boring.  Just grass, grass and more grass, and the same view (albeit fantastic) all the way up.



Beinn a Dothaidh (and piper)



Ruin at start of climb

Grass Galore!

Anyway, after a spell in purgatory, we reached the summit of Beinn an Dothaidh - 1004 Metres (http://www.munromagic.com/MountainInfo.cfm/129) .  Fantastic views here over Rannoch Moor, somewhere I think N especially is interested in exploring further.



How many Munros is that N?



Thats better!

Moody summit shot

Time was on our hands now (according to Nicola), so we had a long leisurely lunch on the summit.  Reality check…. here we were are, in April, sat at 1004 metres, in Scotland, lounging around in T Shirts!!!  Don’t ya love global warming?!

Anyway having learnt from yesterday that coming down ‘might take some time’ (and yes it did), I braced myself for the long descent.  Again we could see the end point (pub – yay!) from miles away, but made a conscious effort not to look at it too much for fear of it never getting any closer.

Can see the pub from here!

Nearly there.

Once at the pub (http://www.bridgeoforchy.co.uk/) we were to await the arrival of the “easy” group who were walking a stretch of the West Highland Way, so loads of time for a couple of beers.  N was kind enough to celebrate the end of our Munro virginity by treating us to a bottle of the fizzy stuff.

Thanks N!

Scrub fires on way back

That night was “Scottish Night” where the Haggis was ‘piped’ and then ‘addressed’ followed by a Ceilidh (or in our case the bar with beers and single malts).

The haggis is piped....

... and then addressed (we'll get to eat the friggin thing soon)

Day 4

Drive home.  Royal Wedding Day.  Quiet roads.

Another 90 odd miles of this before Glasgow

Sad I know.

Lunch at the Sun Inn, Poolley Bridge, Lake District. (an old haunt from a lost weekend with the boys).  Absolutely packed, which was a shock to the system after Scotland.

Home in time for BBQ with the kids.

The End

I make no apologies for the length of this post – it was a good trip and wanted to remember it. 

HF Holidays were good – can recommend them.  Although I was later to learn that HF stands for ‘Holiday Fellowship’, which explained why it was maybe a bit “Christian Gingangoolie” for late middle aged / class folk (its not religious in the slightest but hope you see what I mean).  Having said that, hard is definitely hard and not all were of the grey haired brigade (and lets face it, I’m not that far off myself).

So personally? Bagging  our  first 3 Munro's and doing 2 big consecutive days means maybe we can tackle those bigger days in the Lakes and Snowdonia a lot more confidently.  Complacency?  Nah.

Stats

Munros Climbed – 3

Real Ale Pubs Visited – 2

Hitherto un-driven Motorways driven on* – 1 (M898)

*OK, I cant see this one catching on