Blog : GA Highland Walks

Unseasonally warm on CMD and Ben Nevis

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Gordon

This week’s phenomenal weather saw us doing a traverse of Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis from upper Glen Nevis. We were reminded that it is still only March as we scraped some ice off the car windscreen in Fort William, but the morning chill made the early climbing very pleasant. As we passed through the Nevis Gorge into the Steall meadows we were treated to the spectacle of a golden eagle being harried by a pair of ravens.

Reaching the ruin at Steall, we branched off up Coire Giubhsachan and then climbed up the East ridge to the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. The layer of haze was not so impenetrable to the South and we could see as far as Ben More and Stob Binnein – this photo shows the Mamore range beyond the CMD arete:

To the North, the haze was much murkier and limited views to just a few miles, as seen in this photo down the glen of the Allt a’ Mhuilinn:

We continued across the arete – all snow has gone from the ridge line:

On the final 200m pull up the boulder field, there were some small patches of soft snow to be crossed or circumvented. On the summit itself the snow is probably still 2m deep, covering most of the observatory ruins, with sizeable cornices above the North Face:

Very pleasant conditions for hanging around to enjoy the views and take a few more snaps:

Then it was off down the Mountain Track for a short distance before dropping South-West then East into Coire Eoghainn and the steep 400m descent back to the car park.

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Ben Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg, CMD arete | Leave a comment

This Ebony Bird Beguiling

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Gordon

We were out on Beinn Chabhair and An Caisteal, above Glen Falloch, earlier in the week. It was certainly good to have a day of light winds after so many gales in the past few weeks. The weekend snowfall had done little to replenish the cover lost in the recent very mild conditions, as seen in the views North West to Beinn Laoigh:

and South to Ben Lomond:

We had seen a pair of ravens wheeling above us on the climb to Beinn Chabhair. At the summit, they appeared again and landed just a few yards away – watching and, it seemed, waiting (“perched, and sat, and nothing more”).

Clearly they were well used to people snacking there – as soon as we left they moved straight in to find any scraps we might have dropped.

Conditions stayed very pleasant as we made our way over An Caisteal , so that we could savour the fine views of neighbouring Beinn a’ Chroin:

and across Coire Earb to Cruach Ardrain, with Ben More and Stob Binnein beyond:

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged An Caisteal, Beinn Chabhair, raven | Leave a comment

Above the clouds again on Beinn a’ Ghlo

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Gordon

Monday on Beinn a’ Ghlo was reminiscent of the last visit in January 2011. While there was much less snow on the ground, the cold calm conditions had once again given rise to a cloud inversion and this time there were views off all three summits.

Setting off in a chilly -7 degrees, I climbed into cloud at about 700m on Carn Liath and only broke through into clearer air a short distance from the summit, giving me views westward:

Across to what would be the day’s second peak – Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain:

And to the Airgiod Bheinn/Carn nan Gabhar ridge, still more than two hours away for me:

Heading off from the summit, I was joined by a Brocken Spectre. This has been a common experience for me in the past few months, but always when I am alone, leading to the suggestion at home that I have discovered a specific setting on our new camera that generates them:

I sank into the murk again and enjoyed very little in the way of views until reaching the summit of Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, where brief breaks in the cloud were giving me views North to the Cairngorms:

The onward leg across to Carn nan Gabhar was again mainly in cloud, but once on the summit ridge I enjoyed the best views of the day.

Airgiod Bheinn from the slopes of Carn nan Gabhar:

South across an almost unbroken sea of cloud blanketing the Scottish Lowlands:

North toward the Cairngorms:

And South West from the summit past the trig point, with Airgiod Bheinn and Carn Liath visible beyond. I’m pretty sure the peak just poking through on the horizon on the right of the photo is Ben Lawers:

All that remained now was the steep descent down the South West ridge of Airgiod Bheinn and the long walk out round the base of Carn Liath to end a memorable day.

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Airgiod Bheinn, Beinn a' Ghlo, Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Brocken Spectre, Carn Liath, Carn nan Gabhar | 2 Comments

Wenceslas No More?

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Gordon

After the last two hard winters, my friend Davie splashed out on a pair of snowshoes. Yesterday we were out on the hills to the east of Glenshee with fairly extensive snow cover:

This gave him the first opportunity of this winter to put them through their paces:

There was quite a lot of soft snow and significant areas where this had developed a frozen crust that supported your weight for a moment before giving way. On this surface, progress (without snowshoes) becomes slow, tiring and frustrating, so normally in a group of two or more, each will take a turn breaking steps in the King Wenceslas role while the others get the easier ride enjoyed by the Page. However, by design, someone wearing snowshoes makes little impression on the snow surface:

And the following non-snowshoe-wearer gets no benefit, sinking in just as much as if they were leading:

In these circumstances, festering resentment on the part of the non-snowshoe-wearer is inevitable as they struggle along in their companion’s wake:

And I must admit to a little uncharitable glee when Davie tripped over his new toys:

So, would I invest in snowshoes? On the up side, with the right conditions like yesterday’s, they provide a clear benefit, allowing the wearer to move faster and with less effort. On the down side, they are both bulky and heavy, adding significantly to your rucksack weight when not being worn. Some more snowy winters like the last two may change my mind, but for the moment I’m going to stick with the age-old Wenceslas method. And Davie may find himself on more solo expeditions!

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tagged Mounth, snowshoes | Leave a comment

Another Brocken Spectre!

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Gordon

I took advantage of yet another day of fine autumnal weather yesterday to climb Stob Coir’ an Albannaich and Stob Dubh in Glen Etive. As I set off up the steep slopes above Coileitir, the mist lingered in the shadows at the bottom of the glen:

It’s quite a slog up broad slopes to Stob Coir’ an Albannaich by this approach, but on reaching the higher ground, you are rewarded with outstanding views to the North East. The trench of Glen Etive is flanked on the left by the ridge of Buachaille Etive Mor:

The standard onward route from here continues to a second Munro – Meall nan Eun – but my route to Stob Dubh involved a long descending traverse across the glacier-carved granite ‘pavement’ visible at the bottom right of the previous photo. A further steep pull brought me to the summit ridge with fine views across Glen Etive to the Bidean nam Bian massif:

As I reached the summit, some patches of cloud blew across and I was confronted, yet again, by a Brocken Spectre:

Brocken Spectre on Stob Dubh

It’s really not that common to see these, yet that is the fifth time this year (and the third time in succession) that I have encountered them – none of these occasions have been with a client, though!

The descent from Stob Dubh is down the unrelentingly steep South West ridge – a real knee-cruncher to finish the day. Fortunately, there was ample compensation in having the sun setting directly ahead:

After this benign spell of weather it looks like winter might be on its way now.

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Brocken Spectre, glen etive, Stob Coir' an Albannaich, Stob Dubh | 2 Comments

Loch Quoich hills revealed

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Gordon

With the continuing good weather in the West on Tuesday, I decided to take in Spidean Mialach and Gleouraich. All my previous visits to the hills on the North side of Loch Quoich have been blighted by low cloud, so I was really excited as I set off up the Coire Mheil stalker’s path in near-perfect conditions. Once clear of the rhodedendrons, the views across Loch Quoich in the early morning sunshine were fantastic:

Climbing higher up the southern slopes of Spidean Mialach, I was rewarded with broader views down the loch to Sgurr Mor, Sgurr na Ciche and Ben Aden:

Cloud was building from the East though and I started to think that I was going to be disappointed on these hills yet again, especially when the summit of Spidean Mialach offered only fleeting, limited views. However, as I set off toward the second peak, the cloud slowly started to lift and break as can be seen in this photo of Gleouraich from the connecting ridge:

By the time I was half way up the slope to Gleouraich, the summit of Spidean Mialach was fully revealed behind me:

At the summit, and for the second day in succession, I was treated to a Brocken Spectre. This time, however, the mist was much thinner so that the landscape beyond was clearly visible – adding, I think, to the ghostly quality of the phenomenon:

Brocken Spectre on Gleouraich

On the descent down the fantastic stalker’s path over Sron a’ Chuilinn, the interplay of sunlight and cloud over Loch Quoich and the mountains beyond was captivating:

I had finally got my views on this range and I wasn’t disappointed!

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Brocken Spectre, Gleouraich, Loch Quoich, Spidean Mialach | 2 Comments

Beinn a’ Bheithir Traverse

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Gordon

The soft wintry light and the autumnal colours often make for great days out at this time of year and my round of Beinn a’ Bheithir on Monday definitely fell into this category. The mild spell of weather was still with us and the SE wind mean that the West and North-West was catching the best of the sunshine. Starting out from Ballachulish, I climbed the NE ridge of Beinn Bhan – this involves some fairly gentle scrambling and gives great views back over Loch Leven to the Mamores and Nevis range beyond:

From Sgorr Bhan, it is a short stroll along the connecting ridge to the highest point of the mountain, Sgorr Dhearg. The next photo shows the view back along the ridge, with the Pap of Glencoe and the Aonach Eagach prominent to the right of Sgorr Bhan:

On reaching Sgorr Dhearg, the view westward is filled by the other main peak of the massif, Sgorr Dhomnuill:

As I continued the traverse, the views southward into the low sun were very attractive:

Sitting to have lunch on the summit of Sgorr Dhomnuill, my shadow was cast onto banks of mist in the northern corrie to create a Brocken Spectre:

Brocken Spectre on Beinn a' Bheithir

The hazy views to the South West down Loch Linnhe to the islands of Lismore and Mull were stunning:

Descending westward, I dropped steeply down the first gully into Gleann a’ Chaolais, then followed forestry tracks round to reach the main road at Ballachulish church. In the graveyard here, many of the headstones are made from slate, which is quite unusual in Scotland:

Slate was quarried at Ballachulish from 1693 until 1955 and it is more than likely that the slates on the roof of my Victorian house in Edinburgh come from here.

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Ballachulish, Beinn a' Bheithir, Brocken Spectre, Sgorr Bhan, Sgorr Dhearg, Sgorr Dhomnuill, slate | Leave a comment

After Katia, a fine day on the Aonach Eagach

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Gordon

After the stormy remnants of Hurricane Katia had passed over Scotland earlier in the week, Thursday gave some superb weather for a traverse of the Aonach Eagach ridge. I followed the standard East to West route after climbing the South ridge of Am Bodach. Right from the start, the views across Glen Coe to the massif of Bidean nam Bian were fantastic:

The summit of Am Bodach is reached very quickly and the first ‘rock feature’ to be seen is the pinnacle known as The Chancellor which, being so dramatic, features in the photos of virtually everyone who visits. I am no different:

The rock was still very wet on North- and West-facing aspects, where the strong sun had not yet reached, making some of the down-climbing sections a little tricky. This was especially true of the descent from Am Bodach but, once past this, Meall Dearg is soon reached and the pinnacled section of the ridge comes into view ahead:

The exposed scrambling is now fairly continuous for the next kilometre until the foot of the final slope to Stob Coire Leith. The views to the North are outstanding – this photo shows the Corbett of Garbh Bheinn with the Mamores beyond:

It’s actually quite hard to get photos that capture the nature of the scrambling – this one shows the view back to the descent from the last of the pinnacles:

Once on the final ascent to Meall Coire Leith, all the scrambling fun is over and the remainder of the ridge is a straightforward stroll:

At Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, the final peak of the day, the temptation to linger is very strong. There are stunning views to bask in, back along the ridge just completed:

And in the other direction to Loch Leven, the narrows at Ballachulish, Loch Linnhe and the mountains of Ardgour beyond:

The second reason to linger, of course, is to delay the knee-crunchingly steep descent back down to the glen! When not looking down at your next foot placement, there are great views East along the glacial trench of Glen Coe toward Rannoch Moor, with Buachaille Etives Mor and Beag on the right:

From Loch Achtriochtan, the line of the old road can be followed – first to the left, then the right, of the modern road – for the 3km back to the start point and the completion of a fabulous day.

Posted in Trip Report | Tagged Am Bodach, Aonach Eagach, Glen Coe, Meall Dearg, Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, Stob Coire Leith | 1 Comment

Another Limestone Pavement - On Skye

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Gordon

There is an area of limestone in Strath Suardal, between Broadford and Torrin on the Isle of Skye. This rock was created at the same time as the limestone of the far North West around Durness and Inchnadamph, i.e. about 480 million years ago in the Cambrian period, and is therefore a fair bit younger than that at Schiehallion that I describe in an earlier post. By this time, complex life forms had evolved in the oceans and, apparently, fossils can be be found in Strath Suardal. In places, the limestone has undergone metamorphosis to form a white marble – I believe that the heat for this process came from the extensive volcanic activity 60-65 million years ago which resulted in the creation of the Cuillin mountains. The rock resources of Strath Suardal have been exploited since the 18th Century – the limestone for the production of agricultural lime and the marble for decorative purposes – and there are quite a few disused quarries in the area. The one remaining working quarry at Kilbride, near Torrin, now mainly produces small chips for rough-casting.

On a recent visit, I parked beside the reed-filled Loch Cill Chroisd and followed the track on the other side of the road for about half a kilometre to the ruins of the old settlement of Cill Chroisd (Kilchrist). The limestone bedrock here has formed small areas of exposed pavement and has also created an oasis of rich grassland within the granite moorland. There are fantastic views across to the magnificent mountain of Bla Bheinn (Blaven):

In this next photo, there is an area of pavement in the foreground, Loch Cill Chroisd in the middle distance and, of course, Bla Bheinn again:

Here is an area of pavement with the ruined manse of Cill Chroisd – this is by far the most intact of the ruins – and the less fertile heather moorland beyond:

The weathering of the limestone has created some interesting shapes:

The majority of the grykes on these exposures of pavement are quite wide and accessible to grazing, which favours grass rather than wildflowers:

But some of them are narrower and deeper and I found Herb Robert:

… and Meadowsweet (though not in flower when I visited):

As well as a short visit in the passing, as I did, you can also include Cill Chroisd in the longer walk to the cleared settlements of Suisnish and Boreraig.

Posted in Geology, Mountain Plants | Tagged bla bheinn, cill chroisd, herb robert, limestone pavement, Meadosweet, skye, Strath Suardal | Leave a comment

Plants of the Scottish Highlands

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Gordon

In an effort to consolidate and expand my own knowledge, I have started building a photographic library of plants I encounter in the Scottish Highlands. Here are just a few (of the many!) that I have taken in the last couple of months.

Tormentil

This plant grows in grassland, heath and moor at virtually all altitudes and flowers from May to September, so it is a constant presence on most summer walks in Scotland. It is more tannin-rich than oak bark, so was traditionally used in the production of leather especially in those areas where trees were sparse or absent, e.g. the Northern Isles. It has also found use in folk medicine for the treatment of a wide range of ailments including diarrhoea, dysentery and sore throats.

Heath Bedstraw

Another very widespread flower – it can form dense carpets of white even though each flower is only 3mm across.

Self-Heal

Found in grasslands at lower altitudes and, as its name suggests, has played an important role in traditional medicine. It has been shown experimentally to have antibiotic and hypotensive properties and has been used both internally and externally to treat a whole host of ailments.

Yellow Rattle

This plant is semi-parasitic, extracting some of its nutrients from the roots of other plants. Its name probably derives from the noise made by the loose seeds within the papery calyx as the plant moves in the wind. A bright yellow dye can be extracted from its leaves.

Thrift

More abundantly found in rocky, coastal locations – hence its alternative name of Sea Pink – but it is also found at altitude. Its compact form and giant tap root mean that it is well adapted to growing in exposed locations.

Lousewort

A common plant of damp heaths and bogs. Its name derives from the (spurious) belief that its ingestion was responsible for infestations of lice in livestock.

I took this photo at the foot of Buachaille Etive Mor, but had no joy identifying the plant from my books. Deciding that it looked most like Lousewort – although the wrong colour – I took to the internet. Lo and behold – although white-flowered Lousewort are relatively rare across Scotland as a whole, they are locally common on the edge of Rannoch Moor between Bridge of Orchy and Glen Coe.

Common Butterwort

Also called Bog Violet, this plant derives some of its nutrition from the digestion of insects that it traps on sticky secretions on its leaves. It was once believed that a traveller carrying Butterwort root was guaranteed a safe journey.

Heath Milkwort

Abundant on heath and grassland at lower altitudes where it is often found amongst taller grasses. I have come across several explanations for the origin of this plant’s name – one being the belief that its ingestion by cows increased the yield of milk.

Starry Saxifrage

Grows on wet, stony ground and is relatively abundant above 650m. The two yellow spots near the base of the petals act as a guide for pollinating insects.

Posted in Mountain Plants | Tagged Mountain Plants, wild flowers | 1 Comment

GA Highland Walks