Johnny Walker Mountain Leading

A very wet day indeed on the Rois-Bheinn round today, not the best pics.... But very satisfying to get another three Corbetts for Orion.
You work for these hills! Pathless terrain, steep, tussocky, boggy and rocky ground all rolled into one excellent round.
The burns were raging torrents by the time we got off the hill, so we need to plan accordingly tomorrow 🙄🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️

Corbetts this week, in Ardgour and Moidart. Not the best forecast, but we nipped up Beinn Udlaidh and Beinn Breac-Liath on the way up, and didn't have that wet a day. It's good to ascend the obvious quartz vein that you can see as you drive south on the A82. It's bigger than it looks from afar.
Met a couple of lads who were panning for gold, as it's the Scottish gold area, and they had found some 👍 Not sure it paid for the round in the pub mind 😉🙂

A very windy day with Joyce today on Ben Vorlich, Loch Earn.
The squalls were a nuisance too, resulting in a proofs-on, proofs-off, proofs-on kinda walk. But it was grand in the sunny spells. Not really sunny or warm enough for tight shorts and bikini tops, but some of the young lasses tried it as far as where the wind really got going 😉😆🌀🌪️🌧️ They were soon in joggers and cagoules!

I was glad to see some rain in the forecast for the devastating wildfires in the Cairngorms, but obviously I was less enthusiastic about it where I was walking today.
Still, you can't have it both ways eh?
Joyce and I had an enjoyable if very damp ascent of two more Munros to add to her tally, Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain. We chose to ascend from Inverlochlarig, benefiting from the shelter from the SW wind, even still enough for the midges to make themselves a nuisance. Mind, once clad in our goretex kit, they couldn't do much harm.
It was very atmospheric when the cloud cleared, and we shared a moment with a very pleasant chap from Northern Ireland who was over with his two sons, bagging their 250th Munros. Good going fellas!

With a not particularly inspiring forecast today, we set off up Rueval on Benbecula with our waterproofs on, and a distinct sense of stoicism. We had come all this way, and we were walking up our hill whatever.
But as we gained height, although we could see cloudbursts all around us, we stayed dry.
Brilliant!
And then we had the most unexpected sunny afternoon on Howmore beach before visiting Kildonan museum.
South Uist delivered today, let's see what Eriskay can give is tomorrow 👍

Working for Wilderness Scotland

My group and myself only made it to the dizzying height of 40m today, as we walked out to Aird a'Mhorain on North Uist, but the views were still extensive.
The machair was in full bloom, and whilst the sea wasn't as stunningly turquoise, green and blue as it often can be due to the cloud, it was unmistakably Hebridean.
It was fun seeing the contrast in what temperatures we are used to, as one of my guests was dressed in multiple layers, a down jacket and a wooden hat, whilst I only had a tee shirt on. Okay, I know I have, er, a little more insulation maybe, but really?! 😲 She was from Tasmania though, so used to a little warmer than the comfortable 16c we had.....
We found some very interesting wee sea creatures, apparently known 'By-the-wind sailors', related to Portuguese Man o' War jellyfish, but much less harmful. Very pretty.
We are attempting to get to 140m tomorrow on Benbecula as we work our way Southwards...wish us luck 🤞 😉😆

Working for Wilderness Scotland

What a great hill Ben Arthur is, a.k.a. The Cobbler.
Valerie is working through her Corbetts, and wasn't sure that she would enjoy the exposure or the moves on the scramble to the true summit. Out of the three peaks that form the distinctive skyline, it is the Central summit. That has the iconic 'thread the needle' move, where you crawl through a hole in the schist rock, followed by an exposed ledge, a ramp, and finally an awkward couple of moves onto the small summit block.
We watched a few young folks scamper up and down, (and a similar number back off), and she decided that she would like the security of a rope, and I was happy to oblige.
That meant we could enjoy the exposure in complete safety, and we sat in the sun on the summit, feeling very pleased at having ticked this one off.
Even better, it made the awkward down climb equally safe, and one to savour, before having our sandwiches watching others going up and down, or indeed, deciding against it!
Such a quality hill, and great to see so many young folks enjoying the hills....

So, back to the U.K. tomorrow, and back to work on our hills.

But what an excellent week over here in the Brenta Dolomites with friends.

We had an absolutely roasting hot day, a very wet day, a scary thunderstorm day, an amazingly beautiful day, an easy descent day, and finally a cool via ferrata day on a shady gorge.

And all the time wonderful mountain views, lush limestone meadows, wildflowers, great laughs and hearty hut food....and one or two Radlers.

I love the Brenta.... 😍

Our last day out this week with Max, Reuben and Ollie was meant to be an ascent of Gearr Aonach via the brilliant Zigzags scramble, and then a round of Coire Lochan, over Stob Coire nan Lochan.
But it was waaayyy to hot and humid!
We really enjoyed the scramble, but decided to cut the day short and dip our toes in the cool burn instead, before descending to the incredibly busy Three Sisters car park.
A very enjoyable and productive three days, and great to see two young fellas absorbing all the information and experiences.

Tomorrow is packing, then off to the Dolomites on Saturday for a week, hut-to-hut walking 🙂