Johnny Walker Mountain Leading

My last mountain post for a couple of weeks, as I am off to Austria for my holidays, (and will be concentrating on my two-wheel steed rather than walking or climbing for once).
But what a glorious day it was. The wind was a little warmer than yesterday, and the sun shone continuously. The shade of the trees was welcome on the ascent, and doubly so on the descent. The bluebells were so pretty.
The shy retiring Corbett of Beinn Stacath was our goal from Inverlochlarig, having had to turn back earlier in the year due to swollen burns which were difficult to cross safely.
Our route has a bridge shown on the OS map, but it is long gone, so armed with the knowledge of our previous visit, we made short work of the ascent.
The summit isn't the most inspiring, despite it's trig point, (and the abandoned fencing wire adds to its mundane feel), but the views were great, and we spent a good while debating exactly what we could see, a favourite summit pass time.
Thanks to Orion for pressing me to go out today, and I am looking forward to our Torridon trip when I return.

The last day of my trip with Joyce, and whilst not as warm as yesterday, we were still blessed with mainly blue skies and a light breeze. Mind, coming from the East, it had a wee nip in it at times.
We drove over the thankfully re-surfaced Bridge of Balgie road, and through the scenic upper Glen Lyon onto Meggernie and Lochs estate before parking near the Giorra dam on Loch Daimh.
It was then a comparatively dry ascent up the dreadfully eroded path that leads steeply up onto Creag an Fheadain. Every time I visit this hill, the path gets worse, and is a real eyesore unfortunately.
Once on the 887m summit we got the first view of our target, Stuchd an Lochain, sat majestically over its eponymous wee lochan. There is another little descent and re-ascent before the final pull up to the summit, and it was certainly worth it for the views.
Thank you Joyce for bringing the weather from overseas, it was much appreciated 👍🙂

Plan, plan, but be flexible.
A motto that certainly holds true in our pursuit, usually due to weather considerations. Today however, for the second time in as many months, it was due to a second road closure to our chosen hills 🙄
So instead of Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean, we did the splendid Tarmachan ridge instead, not bad as a substitute day eh?!
The weather was hot for Scotland, with 21c on the summit, so we sweated and puffed as we scrambled up the loose Bad Step, but the views were extensive, and made up for the effort.
Well done to Joyce, getting your hill-legs going having only flown into the UK at the weekend from Afghanistan.
A respectable 5.5hrs including many photo stops and a long rest chatting on the summit of Meall nan Tarmachan.

Just dropped off a lovely bunch of folks at the railway station in Aviemore, after our High Points of the Cairngorms National Park week.
We had some unseasonably cold weather initially, with a lot of lying snow on the higher summits, but the team took it all in their stride, despite being shod quite lightly, as is the wont of the average U.S. based walker.
The snow was soft enough to allow safe travel, and with some judicious planning around the weather, we achieved all of our objectives.
Thanks to Kim, Helen, Dave, Paula, Erika and Jessica from the States, and Elaine fae Embra for your company and great attitude 🙂👍

Working for Wilderness Scotland

Our last day in Fisherfield/Dundonnell today, and we were lucky with the weather again. After some biblical rain overnight, (which made the waterfalls nice, but the river crossings less so 😉😏), we had a mainly dry but very cold ascent of Sail Mhor.
It was surprising to see fresh snow on An Teallach down as low as maybe 700m, and a reminder that this winter is most definitely still here. It was also surprising to see Little Loch Broom so turquoise blue with the cloud levels.
Ardessie falls were a delight, and a new sight for us both, and in spate, were very impressive.
Thanks to Chris for his company, and hope to see you again soon.

I know that I have been saying that my recent routes have been 'strenuous' quite a lot, but today slightly moved the dial for what that actually means.
Beinn Dearg Mhor and Bheag from Gruinard. 37k in all, 18k on the bikes on a rough track, then the rest on pathless, gnarly, rocky, tussocky and wet ground. There is purportedly a path along some of Loch na Sealga, but don't get too excited about what is actually there 🙄
Mind, we got excited when a hail shower brought a thunderclap en route to the summit!
But.
What hills.
What views.
What a sense of achievement.
I have looked at these two from every conceivable angle for decades, and now I know their considerable charms, (and challenges) a little better.
Thanks to Chris for wanting to do them, and for keeping smiling as we toiled.
Apologies for all the pics, I couldn't whittle them down!

Following on from my video, some more pics from an excellent day on Slioch. I wasn't expecting a 'compleation' this week, so I was very pleased to be able to join Chris as he finally put the finishing touches on a 49yr long campaign.
Well done Chris!

The last day of our Moidart trip, and despite legs that certainly knew they had had a busy week, we made short work of the Galmadale round.
Well actually, we didn't do the full round, but having taken Route One alongside the plantation and up onto Beinn na Cille, we did the two following Corbetts before dropping directly down the rough coire and back to Glengalmadale.
It was good to see the impressive stonework of the Colby camp just off the summit of Creagh Bheinn, where the surveyors of the initial Ordnance Survey spent months if not years up there doing their work. The walls were to protect their rudimentary tents from the elements, and it must have been a wild place at times.
An enjoyable end to a great week with Richard Coe, blessed with predominantly dry weather and clear views, grand!