Reflections

My wife has returned!!!  78 long days apart are over.  Time for a few reflective thoughts and time to plan the next adventures of our lives.

I will reflect only on my trips and leave Philippa to comment on Indo China.  My love of the Great Outdoors remains as strong as ever.  I have managed to be out and about for well over a third of the time we have been apart, travelling locally in the South East, but mainly in Scotland and the Lake District, with one day in Wales.

I have experienced all types of weather, and undertaken trips of varying degrees of difficulty.  The main problem has been the tough pathless conditions experienced on remote hills in Scotland. But this added to the enjoyment as it was an obstacle to overcome and meant that few other walkers had been in the area.  Hence an increase in  opportunities to see wildlife.

 

Travelling by bike was a huge success.  In one sense the bike is restrictive as I could not cover as much ground, but the plus side was travelling at a speed which enabled me to fully appreciate the countryside through which I was passing.

What next?  Hopefully we will not be apart for so long again.  My mountain targets include finishing the Wainwrights (20 to go) and adding substantially to the number of hills climbed, both Marilyns and non Marilyns.  I want to explore more of the remoter parts of Scotland and hopefully the islands.  Ideally Philippa and I can explore the islands together using the services of Caledonian McBrayne.

Oh and the kitchen looked worse after Philippa returned, which she claims is due to unpacking her stuff after 3 months away, and also to sorting out all the issues my time in charge had created.  I am sure some discipline, organisation and structure will now return to my life.  Hopefully not too much!  May the adventure continue!

A 12 hour journey home

But not just any journey as the first part is on one of the Great Railway Journeys of the World.  I board the Scotrail train at the request stop of Lochailort and 15 minutes later we are approaching the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Obligingly the driver slows to a crawl so cameras can be aimed.  This is the view down Glen Shiel towards Strontian where I stayed a few days before.

Then it is on to Fort William, passing Ben Nevis and travelling South towards Philippa who is due back in 5 days time.  There are numerous snow capped mountains.  This is Loch Treig and yes I climbed the hill in the picture a few years ago.

 South past the magical station of Corrour which can only be reached on foot or by train.  There is no road.  This is where we disembarked for Mick's final Munro.

Opposite is a Corbett (pictured below) I have not climbed and is a target as it will involve a night staying in the wilds of Corrour, in the station B and B in the picture above.  

However 5 hours is a long first part of th journey, despite the magnigificent views of mountains, lochs, forest and deer seemingly unperturbed by the passing train.  The train crew are excellent.  Well done Scotrail!  

Reaching Glasgow, I change stations from Queen Street to Central (below) and Virgin First Class back to Euston.  The last 12 days have been fantastic!

The next train is in 6 hours time

I am staying at Lochailort and want to climb Glas-charn, a Graham situated just outside Glenfinnan. I don't feel like using the bike so decide to travel the 11 miles by train.  Obviously I will need a return and there are 2 trains after lunch, one at 4.55pm and the next one 6 hours later just before 11pm.

It should be no problem but Scottish hills can throw the best laid plans out of the window so I decide to move fast and make sure I catch the first train so avoiding a long wait.

Lochailort station is a request stop, surrounded by high and wild hills. I am the only passenger today.

I have to walk 3 kilometres along the main Fort William to Mallaig road to get to the start of the climb.  Road walking is not something I enjoy but at least I can move fast.  The initial part of the uphill bit is on a newly constructed and very ugly forest road.  Although these roads rip the beauty out of the place, they are easy walking and also made for quick progress.

The open hillside also provides easy going and I am soon at the top where overcast conditions and a chill breeze force me to add additional layers of clothing.  I know many of the surrounding hills having climbed them on previous trips so it is like meeting old friends again.

The return trip to Glenfinan also takes less time than I had anticipated so I arrive back well ahead of schedule and in time for tea and cake overlooking the hills to the south.

Having first asked the guard to make sure the train stops at Lochailort, I enjoy the 11 minute journey back which is part of one of the great railway journeys of the world. Tomorrow I will do more of it when I start my return trip to London.

Family adventure walk

The Silver Walk alongside Loch Moidart will give young and old some low level adventure.  The path hugs the shoreline and has a few interesting exposed parts as well as fallen trees, large boulders and many ups and downs to negotiate.

I used this walk to get me to the foot of Beinn Bhreac which at 240 meters is low by the standards of Moidart. This does not mean it lacked challenge.  I walked the hill in the middle of a 42 mile bike ride and in hot conditions for April. The hill was steep, with few paths, wet underfoot and had knee deep tick laden foliage to wade through.  The usual summit view:-

Back down to the Silver Trail and the walk back.  

Eilean Shona island dominates the mouth of the loch together with the fort of Casteal Tioram.  The tide was out so the sands added to the adventure opportunities.

The accumulated effects of being out on the hills for 9 of the last 10 days are beginning to take a toll of my ageing body and the bike ride to Lochailort was hard. I started the last part of the bike ride at sea level and finished at sea level.  Yet there seemed to be twice as much up as down?  Surely it should be equal?  Great scenery though was my compensation.

Distant views

A long bike ride alongiseide a loch Sunart, a sea loch.  The road has lots of ups and downs making for a tiring journey but eventually I arrive at the tiny hamlet of Laga and start my walk.

The going for the first couple of miles is easy on a good track.  The hills are empty.  Few people walk these hills as they are lower and lack the glamour of the higher stuff to the east.  Their emptiness is part of their appeal to me.  Empty that is apart from wildlife although today I only see deer.

The main objective is the 2 Marilyns of Meall nan Each and Ben Laga.   Both summits reveal superb views. This is looking towards towards the Isles of Rum and Skye.  Note the sandy beach in the middle distance.

There are remote tarns everywhere.  This one is just below the top of Ben Laga and looks to be very deep.

A quick descent and then the long bike ride back.  But not a normal bike ride as I am on a fairly deserted road cycling alongside a Highland sea loch in glorious weather.

Spurr a'Chaorainn

Sgurr a'Chaorainn is comparatively small by Scottish standards being only 761 metres high.  Yet it has an air of majesty and remoteness common to the tough hills of Ardgour. There are no paths other than deer tracks.  It is more correct to say I didn't find any human paths apart from a sketchy track through the Glen.

I biked through the lovely Ariundle Oakwood National Nature Reserve on good forestry tracks and left the bike at the edge of the forest.

After a long walk up the Glen I faced the challenge of the very steep slopes.

Hot but happy, I reached the summit which contained the usual views of near and far hills.  Mull is in the far distance.

One view new to me, was looking straight up distant Glencoe.

Morven

Morven is a remote and thinly populated area in the Western Highlands.  I get there via bike and ferry.

Remote is wrong as it is largely empty.

My bike ride totals about 30 miles over mountain roads and on the way I see two eagles so my collection is growing.  From the highest part of the road, I make a quick ascent of Beinn am Beathrach.  The summit overlooks Loch Sunart as shown below.

Eagles

The rain relents after 36 hours.  A short 2 mile bike ride gets me to the start of an easy looking hill.

But Carn Ban is special as it is my 1000th hill climbed according to the UK Hillbagging list. The views are excellent in all directions.  

Near the top a Golden Eagle glides majestically above my head and away into the distance until just a speck.  All done effortlessly without seeming to beat a wing.  A true spectacle leaving me the spectator standing in awe.

I cycle several miles alongside Loch Spelve, a sea loch, to the start of my second hill of the day.

The going is the exact opposite of Carn Ban.  Maol Ban is a small rough hill.  Wet underfoot, I struggle up through bracken, heather and hummocky grass.  The hill is alive with deer.  They know few humans come this way and have little problem moving away as I approach. Higher up the going eases although it is still wet ground. Then I breast the final ridge and..

Jura is to the south, the mainland to the east and to the north my next objective the hills of Moidart.

I don't hurry to leave but eventually have to return and the icing on the cake, is seeing my second Golden Eagle of the day.

Snow

Sunshine accompanies me as I trudge up the service road towards to ridge of Dun da Ghaoithe, the second highest hill on Mull, and a Corbett.  Trudge? Not really as behind me a most spectacular vista opens up.

Ahead the hill is plastered in snow.  Once the service road ends, at the second of two radio masts, I am on the snow and am clearly the first person on this side of the hill today.  

All around the high tops are snow covered and inviting. 

The summit and ridge are tricky.  The snow is fairly wet and it feels to me as if there is a danger of slipping.  Although the exposure to drops, is not great, it is sufficient to inspire caution especially as I am on my own. But the effort is well worthwhile.

Dun da Ghaoithe means Fort of the two winds and this is certainly the case today as at times it is completely calm and yet at other similarly exposed points, there are strong cold winds, sometimes with a fierce hail shower, which hurry me along.  Another memorable day.

The Isle of Mull

The little train rattled through stunning scenary and a host of dreamlike Highland stations such as Arrochar & Tarbet, Ardlui, Tyndrum Lower and Falls of Cruachan, before eventually dropping us by the ferry terminal in Oban for the short hop to Mull aboard Calendonian McBrayne's ferry.

But that was yesterday and today I am in Glen Forsa tackling a trackless little Marilyn called Bein Bhuide as the intermittent blustery hail and snow showers have put me off the high ridges.

The hill is easy despite having to negotiate  2 herds of fierce looking highland cows with very small calves.  The summit is a grand central viewing station with excellent views of Ben More and neighbours, plus Beinn Talaidh and the Corbett Dun Da Ghaoith.  

And in between the showers stunning views in all directions such as the Sound of Mull. Between me and the sea is the airport.  Can you see it?  It looks nothing like Heathrow!

However my favourite view is  back down at valley level looking up Glen Forsa to Beinn Talaidh

A relatively uneventful but very enjoyable day.

Keeping the kitchen tidy

To me the decision on which action to take is simple. I was facing this

So instead I chose this

And despite slightly iffy weather on a grey day in South Wales I felt very smug!