Creag Meagaidh has been on the to do list for so long. The past couple of years have seen us have to abort at least three attempts at the last minute because conditions weren't for us.
So were we going to get it done this time................. YES
The weather bods said mostly dry with a risk of potential showers later in the day. It was warm so even if it did rain it would be warm. Off we set having smothered ourselves in factor 50 and Smidge.
Warm they said.......... baking I said!!!! We had decided our ascent would be via Coire Ardair and The Window to ease us into the walk on a good path. It felt more like a slow roasting. It is a gorgeous walk out to Coire Ardair on a very good path but as soon as we were out of the forest the heat and humidity kicked in. When we reached Lochan Coire Ardair there was only one thing on my mind, getting my boots off and getting in. It was at this point I began having major doubts as to whether we would get this done.
Break over, The Window was looming large. There was no other option to take it slow. It's steep, loose and certainly felt like torture in the heat. As we got to the beallach I was keeping everything crossed that the pull up onto the plateau was nothing like what we'd just come up. If it was ............. But it was a relatively easy angled zig zag to get onto the plateau and we were soon on Creag Meagaidh 1130m.
From the summit we had an amazing vista to look out on. I could have spent hours there but the beasties were saying get on yer way. Back to the beallach and upwards once more for Munro 2 Stob Poite a'Choire Ardair 1053m. The heat was unrelenting and was really having an impact on my ability to go at anything other than snail's pace. The fact that I could see where Munro 3 was along the gently undulating plateau was keeping me focused to get it done.
As we made our way along the ridge we could see the showers forming around. Thankfully we only got hit by one wee one. Final hill Carn Liath 1006m was eventually reached and our thoughts were of getting down before any other showers headed our way.
So we thought our descent wouldn't be too bad. It looked like a broad grassy ridge. But it wasn't. OK we were doing the reverse of the route but why hadn't I paid more attention to the route description in Walk Highlands other than it was boggy in the woods. We were trying to find the path going along nicely on the grassy slopes when we were greeted by the first of what was to be several boulder fields. My legs were not happy. Once we hit the treeline I though great we're nearly finished. Wrong. This was just the start of the jungle training section, so many beasties and the heat!!!!. It seemed to last forever. But we made it.
Considering the conditions and our conditions we were pleased with our time which was just outside the upper limit in Walk Highlands. Pat on the back to us
So were we going to get it done this time................. YES
The weather bods said mostly dry with a risk of potential showers later in the day. It was warm so even if it did rain it would be warm. Off we set having smothered ourselves in factor 50 and Smidge.
Warm they said.......... baking I said!!!! We had decided our ascent would be via Coire Ardair and The Window to ease us into the walk on a good path. It felt more like a slow roasting. It is a gorgeous walk out to Coire Ardair on a very good path but as soon as we were out of the forest the heat and humidity kicked in. When we reached Lochan Coire Ardair there was only one thing on my mind, getting my boots off and getting in. It was at this point I began having major doubts as to whether we would get this done.
Break over, The Window was looming large. There was no other option to take it slow. It's steep, loose and certainly felt like torture in the heat. As we got to the beallach I was keeping everything crossed that the pull up onto the plateau was nothing like what we'd just come up. If it was ............. But it was a relatively easy angled zig zag to get onto the plateau and we were soon on Creag Meagaidh 1130m.
From the summit we had an amazing vista to look out on. I could have spent hours there but the beasties were saying get on yer way. Back to the beallach and upwards once more for Munro 2 Stob Poite a'Choire Ardair 1053m. The heat was unrelenting and was really having an impact on my ability to go at anything other than snail's pace. The fact that I could see where Munro 3 was along the gently undulating plateau was keeping me focused to get it done.
As we made our way along the ridge we could see the showers forming around. Thankfully we only got hit by one wee one. Final hill Carn Liath 1006m was eventually reached and our thoughts were of getting down before any other showers headed our way.
So we thought our descent wouldn't be too bad. It looked like a broad grassy ridge. But it wasn't. OK we were doing the reverse of the route but why hadn't I paid more attention to the route description in Walk Highlands other than it was boggy in the woods. We were trying to find the path going along nicely on the grassy slopes when we were greeted by the first of what was to be several boulder fields. My legs were not happy. Once we hit the treeline I though great we're nearly finished. Wrong. This was just the start of the jungle training section, so many beasties and the heat!!!!. It seemed to last forever. But we made it.
Considering the conditions and our conditions we were pleased with our time which was just outside the upper limit in Walk Highlands. Pat on the back to us
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