Hillwalking Thread

[AyrshireTon]

Hart Fell today - we went right into the spa ravine and scrambled up it - very steep and tricky in places, especially when the rocks you try to pull yourself up with crumble apart in your hands.

Easy enough after that, though, apart from the very strong wind which almost blew us off our feet.

Pic of the upper part of the spa route and the summit shown below.

[Moriarty]

Did the 2 munro peaks of Buachaille Etive Beag beside Glen Coe on Saturday. Up and down in 4 1/2 hours. Brilliant walk.

[Guest oddjob]

Bump.

Camped up Torridon and Skye last week. Sorry no pictures. Heading to Ardnamurchin next.

[Fudge]

I'm climbing Ben Lui on Friday, starting from Tyndrum Lower station.

One guide I read on the internet said it should take around 7 hours, although I expect this to be an overestimate. Can anyone confirm how long it should take?

[AyrshireTon]

I'm climbing Ben Lui on Friday, starting from Tyndrum Lower station.

One guide I read on the internet said it should take around 7 hours, although I expect this to be an overestimate. Can anyone confirm how long it should take?

Think that might mean "round trip" - especially if you nip down to Beinn a' Chleibh afterwards.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on - am planning this in the summer.

[Fudge]

Think that might mean "round trip" - especially if you nip down to Beinn a' Chleibh afterwards.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on - am planning this in the summer.

It does stipulate 7 hours is the round trip, mainly because it's a 8km treck just to get to the point where you actually start the ascent proper, and then obviously 8km back one the descent is complete.

I'm arriving about 10.30am, and my train back to Glasgow is at 7.15pm, so if it takes 7 hours then I will have enough time for my dinner in Tyndrum, but it would be quite annoying if it only took 5 hours and I was left sitting around myself for hours on end.

I'll let you know how I get on.

[Guest oddjob]

You could always hitch from Tyndrum up towards Dalmally and make your way back that way.

[Moriarty]

Anyone tried the alternate route (North Face) up Ben Nevis? Contemplating doing it, but it's apparently fairly tough and very exposed at parts. Want to avoid the tourist route, but slightly concerned about going the other way if it's a bit risky. Any thoughts?

[Guest oddjob]

Anyone tried the alternate route (North Face) up Ben Nevis? Contemplating doing it, but it's apparently fairly tough and very exposed at parts. Want to avoid the tourist route, but slightly concerned about going the other way if it's a bit risky. Any thoughts?

You'll need a good head for heights, a good day, a rope for backup, and a map and compass.

Disclaimer: I'm mad.

[Moriarty]

You'll need a good head for heights, a good day, a rope for backup, and a map and compass.

Disclaimer: I'm mad.

Cheers! I think the phrase 'you'll need........ a rope for backup' has probably made my mind up!

[Supras]

No, but I have silver duke of edinburgh in a few weeks.

The first day is 25km, and that's the easiest day

[Fudge]

Climbed Ben Lui on Saturday. Took about 7 hours in total but that was mainly because instead of walking up into the Corrie via the path before moving onto the arete I decided to climb the rather steep part of the corrie wall to get to the arete which was near vertical and I was handing onto clumps of grass to avaoid falling to my death

This was the visibility at the top.................

I blundered my way down as I was the last person up there and knew that lower down it would clear a bit, but ended up heading down into the wrong corrie, having to wander by a a corrie locan, up the corrie wall, then along the correct ridge to get back to the path. All in all it was a bit of an adventure.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Fudge

[Fudge]

Did Ben Cleuch, Ben Buck and Ben Ever today. Took about 3 1/2 hours in total and was a relatively easy and enjoyable walk.

[Moriarty]

Anyone here done Ben More on Mull? Going to be climbing it next week.

[Socks]

We were up Ben Vurich (Corbett in Blair Atholl area) last Sunday, and it turned out another pretty decent day. It's quite a long walk from the start and obviously the same back again, but I like doing these more remote hills where generally you tend to see less folk - as it happened we never spoke to anyone else all day.

We were thinking of going to Mull for a day or 2 in the summer - I've heard Ben More isn't that hard, and there's a couple of Corbetts as well. We usually head away for a couple of days camping in the summer to do some walkingin in an area that's too far away to get to in a day - we were going to do the Rum cuillin but after checking the ferry times it's not looking likely, as the only day you can do it without needing to spend 2 nights on the island is a Saturday and that won't be possible. Any suggestions for where might be good? It's now looking like Arran, Knoydart or somewhere up in the far North around Suilven and Quinaig. It's unlikely to beat the two days we had at Glen Shiel last year where we got up The Saddle, but you never know.

Interesting to hear about Ben Nevis the hard way - I was thinking of that some time as well. If it needs rope work I probably won't bother either though. I've been along the ridge of Liathach and The Saddle which are both quite tricky and felt fine with that. Is the ridge round to Ben Nevis any harder than these?

[Guest oddjob]

Interesting to hear about Ben Nevis the hard way - I was thinking of that some time as well. If it needs rope work I probably won't bother either though

I only said take a rope as a precaution.

And gloves.

[Middleton Mouse]

Myself and a few others went up Ben Nevis for a laugh yesterday and I paid for it last night (more on this later).

It was a bright clear day and though we could see the summit was in cloud we took the sun trying its best to come out to be a good sign. A few of us wanted to do this last year but we had too many hill snobs in our party who were unwilling to walk the tourist path and others who couldn't think about attempting the other. Thankfully no snobby fuds in the party this time though so we went up the tourist path which we were confident all of us would manage.

I expected it to be a bit of a plod but not really too tricky and that's how it turned out. If visibility had been bad this wouldn't have been worth doing but the views were absolutely stunning. It took us around 4.5 hours to reach the top as there were a few in the party (including myself) that aren't very fit and we needed a few breaks. That and the three peaks challenge was on and I kept freezing in panic when someone came hurtling down off the mountain towards me.

The weather was very comfortable with the sun shining but it wasn't too hot, even when we reached the summit it wasn't too cold and we were all very comfortable eating lunch with our fleeces on with the other 12,900 or so people there were at the top. B)

The way back down started with a bit of a laugh when the two guys went over a patch of snow that was maybe 15 or so meters. They got down and waited for myself and the other lady in our party to try it but as none of us had walking poles we found it difficult. I slipped and landed on my arse in the snow, thought "f**k it" and decided just to slide down on my behind. This was quite fun and my friend behind me slid and decided to do the same but she slammed into my back which sent us both hurtling down the slope unable to slow down or do very much at all really. The ride was punctured by one of us shouting at the other to try and steer us away from a couple of walkers coming up and also the cairn at the bottom. We had very wet tracksuit bottoms at the end of it but we had fun, there are photos of this somewhere so as soon as I get them I'll post them.

We also saw a few snow buntings on the way down which was lovely. another one to cross off the list of "Birds I haven't ever seen".

I was flagging a bit on the last quarter as I was and still am shaking off the end of a chest infection, every time we stopped I tried my hardest to cough up my own lungs. It was quite an enjoyable walk that although not very tricky was still a bit of a slog in places but the views were utterly magnificant. B)

Unfortunately I did pay for it, I feel as though I've wreaked my throat with coughing and I obviously didn't drink enough as I was very sick last night.

I'll get photos up when I get them, I forgot the memory card to my camera and to make matters worse this morning I realised that the memory card in my phone is the same one my camera uses.

[LTP]

No, but I have silver duke of edinburgh in a few weeks.

The first day is 25km, and that's the easiest day

I just got back from my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition on Monday. Four days, three nights and 91km in total. It was very tough but I'm glad I done it.

[Socks]

It was a bright clear day and though we could see the summit was in cloud we took the sun trying its best to come out to be a good sign. A few of us wanted to do this last year but we had too many hill snobs in our party who were unwilling to walk the tourist path and others who couldn't think about attempting the other. Thankfully no snobby fuds in the party this time though so we went up the tourist path which we were confident all of us would manage.

A wee bit harsh there I think. If I was in Glen Nevis on a morning and ready to climb something, going up the tourist route of Ben Nevis would probably be about my 15th choice. A long boring track with loads of other folk around wouldn't make for a good day's walking for me - does that really make me a 'hill snob' or a fud? Maybe the folk you were there with last time who didn't fancy it were the same?

Anyway, we were out on Saturday as well and had a good look North to Ben Nevis - maybe I should have waved to you! We were climbing the two hills at Dalmally, not Ben Cruachan but the two next to it. Not a bad day, but I went from arriving at the first top with just shorts and a t-shirt, to leaving it wearing two jumpers, trousers, a hat and gloves! Nothing particularly spectacular for photos, although the angle you get of Ben Cruachan from there is pretty impressive, as is the view down Loch Etive to Loch Linnhe. Only slight moan is the bloody midges - stopped for a minute in Glen Ogle on the way up, must have been out of the car for about 20 seconds before the bites round my ankles started. Presumably I'm one of these folk that have a sweat type they like, as my Dad wasn't bothered by them at all.

[Guest oddjob]

Only slight moan is the bloody midges - stopped for a minute in Glen Ogle on the way up, must have been out of the car for about 20 seconds before the bites round my ankles started. Presumably I'm one of these folk that have a sweat type they like, as my Dad wasn't bothered by them at all.

It's weird that. The midges are fond of me but my dad wasn't bothered by them and neither are my daughters. It's not all bad, because I just get the elder one to put up the tent while I wait in the car. I do use Skin so Soft, which works for me, but I still get her to put up the tent, saying she needs the practice. She's twelve, my other daughter's five, she's the trainee. B) They're not bad with a map and compass either.