Some thoughts and reports from outings...
Blogs from some outdoor adventures.....
Sgurr Mhic Bharraich Winter was in full swing in the Highlands of Scotland and a few days of snow further south had made the news also, but the snow had been falling in the north west for a lot longer than a day up here. I had a couple of days off work and was headed for Skye. The forecast was uncertain with a low pressure centred off the NW Highlands and not moving anywhere very quickly!! However the gamble was that the winds and showers may ease up here as the centre of the low was almost on top of this part of the world! On the flip side, it would also mean that there was also the chance of the low moving and the showers and winds being a constant companion !! The last few weeks had seen every summit I stood on being blasted by gales and had me longing for some High Pressure systems ! Anyway, leaving Inverness in the morning and the forecast was for a thaw in the wintery conditions and the sleet fell on the shores of Loch Ness as I headed towards Invermoriston. The good news was that with the thaw , the roads would be black (wrong!). As I headed west towards Glen Sheil, the snows hung heavy on the Glen Moriston trees and the roads held onto their icy, slushy mess! Feeling like Bamby on Ice , I was glad when I pulled into the Sheil Bridge parking bay! The snow had turned back to rain here and it was battering off the windscreen – I really didn’t want to leave the car! … After wondering why I was about to head out into the rain and then up into a waiting blizzard, I eventually hauled myself into my waterproofs and set off along the shores of the Allt Undalain. The snow on the lower slopes was a bit slushy but soon after leaving the car, the rain went off!! I carried on the stalkers path around the eastern slopes of Sgurr Mhic Bharraich and eventually reached a very snowy Loch Coire nan Crogachan. I had planned a wild camp here but to be honest, I was really glad I didn’t have the extra weight of camping gear! Breaking trail through the powdery, deep snow was tiring enough!! At the loch, the sun actually made an appearance and the views back towards the saddle and the five sisters was amazing! Next up was to gain the ridge of Sgurr Mhic Bharraich. Had snow conditions been better I may have taken a more direct line, however the loaded slopes and the prevailing winds of the prior week, made my decision to take a wide berth of the steeping slopes ad head onto the ridge further east. A bit of a detour but a much safer option. Once on the ridge the snow was at times waist deep. Some of the drifts I had to swim through as there was no way around them!! I had left my poles with the snow baskets at a friends so was cursing every time they and I sunk into the drifts !! Snow shoes would’ve been useful!! As I neared the summit the visibility was still ok but the skies were pitch black!! Made a nice contrast to the white mountains but I knew it wouldn’t be too long before they engulfed me! And so it was , as I reached the summit they came down and from there on the snow fell! I took a direct route back down the eastern slopes of Sgurr Mhic Bharraich and soon made it back to the car. The snow was now falling as forecast ( the thaw was only in the morning!!). Next up SkyeJ My favourite place and the next day was one that will live long in the memory……..
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WilkieMurraySome thoughts and reports from my outdoors activties... Archives
August 2017
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