Ben Nevis - Rush Hour!

Glen Nevis

Well obviously you don’t take the Tourist path up Ben Nevis on the 3rd Saturday of July in bright blue sunshine and expect to have the hill to yourself. We didn’t!

Bill & Adam Lead the Way

A veritable swarm of walkers, runners, charity teams, family groups, dogs and a lady in a burka accompanied Bill, Adam and myself up the UK’s highest chunk of real estate. They were still heading up late in the day as we were finishing – mainly Three Peaks challengers embarking on their 24hr quest.

Tower Ridge

The summit was predictably busy but a snow bunting proved to be a welcome distraction perched on top of the emergency shelter and tweeting his heart out. He’s probably quite a fat little snow bunting by now given the amount of discarded food I saw!

First Munro - Not a Bad Start!

Needless to say, wide expansive views were available all day long and the Ben was in an unusually benign mood – and probably will be for the next few days. Grab it whilst it’s hot!

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm

Pyrenees 2011

Cirque de Gavarnie

Last week saw a welcome return to the Pyrenees and a 5-day hut-to-hut trek criss-crossing the French/Spanish border. Eighteen months in the planning, the trip was largely the culminating expedition in a programme of walking trips and Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions for 10 cadets of No 633 Air Training Corps Squadron. Helene, their boss, came along to help provide a mutually-beneficial interface between the quinquagenerian (try saying that after a glass of Merlot - or before, for that matter) mountain leader and his boisterous band of teenagers! Friend (and cadet instructor) Dave was there too, not only to provide invaluable help, but also to carry the sponsor's flags and provide a sonorous soundtrack to otherwise long silent nights in the mountain huts!!! The trek started and finished in probably the most-visited village in the Pyrenees: Gavarnie.

Mt Perdido (3355m)

The village stands at the end of a steep-sided valley at the foot of the Cirque de Gavarnie, a curved amphitheatre of towering rock, snow and ice down which drops the highest waterfall in Europe, the Grand Cascade. The trek is fully contained within the French Pyrenees and Spanish Ordesa National Parks which are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The primary geographical feature on the Spanish side is the Ordesa canyon, a 1000m-deep cleft of vertical limestone cliffs. Trekking between Gavarnie and the canyon involves a steep climb across the Pyrenean watershed, a line of 3000m mountains along which the French/Spanish border runs.

Le Grande Cascade

This watershed is spectacularly breached at the Breche de Roland, a 40m wide, 100m vertically-sided gap in the mountain wall and a key crossing point for trans-frontier trekking routes in the area. We also planned to climb the 3rd highest mountain in the Pyrenees, Mt Perdido (3355m) which completes this stunning collection of outstanding topographical features conveniently arranged within a 50Km circuit in this spectacular pocket of SW Europe.

Approaching the End of the Ordesa Canyon

Following a night in Toulouse we drove to Gavarnie under gloomy skies that promised little for the coming days. We needn't have worried, however, as the following morning dawned bright and clear and we set off in high spirits and under blue skies towards the first great landmark of our trek: the Cirque de Gavarnie. Mule trains still carry tourists between Gavarnie and the Cirque and their sight - and smell - are an enduring feature of this first hour! We left the tourist trail soon after the first of several cadet Magnum fixes at the strategically-placed Hotellerie du Cirque and walked across the floor of the Cirque towards the start of the day's climbing.

Up the Ladder to the Roof!

A steep path up rock terraces lifted us out of the Cirque and it fair took our breath away (almost literally for Selina) as we climbed in the afternoon sun up the Echelle des Sarradets (ladder of Sarradets). Half way up, some cretin (Fr = pratt) above us let loose a sizeable block of local geology which narrowly missed the whole party except for poor Rosie who coolly elbowed it out of the way to prevent further damage! Rosie being Rosie, nobody realised she'd been hit until she displayed a sizeable bruise some days later! A withering look and some blunt Anglo-Saxon advice at the guilty yoof didn't appear to have much effect on the guilty party but at least it made us (me) feel better! Eventually, the slope eased and our home for the night appeared: the Refuge de la Breche de Roland (or Sarradets Hut; 2587m).

The Refuge de la Breche de Roland (or Sarradets Hut).

Day 2 (much to Selina's relief) was downhill all the way, initially over rock down to the Port de Boucharo where we crossed into Spain, and then down the grassy Lapazosa valley to a sunny Valle de Bujaruelo and a stop for lunch at the picturesque Puente de Bujaruelo (Bujaruelo Bridge). Here we were entertained by watching 2 youth leaders cajoling their group of under-10s across the Ara river as well as our own gang failing miserably to master the art of balancing on a dry rock in a wet river (you know who you were...)!

Puente de Bujaruelo

An hour down a dusty track lay the beautifully-placed and well-appointed camping/hostel facility of Camping y Refugio Valle de Bujaruelo (1250m) where the joys of porcelain conveniences were once again reunited with our grateful youngsters! Funny old thing though: there's obviously something in the water hereabouts as once-exhausted international trekkers suddenly found the energy to rush around noisily playing hide and seek whilst more senior heads lay on comfortable beds and dreamt of silence!

An Atmospheric Ordesa Canyon

Day 3 started with more of the dusty track before joining the GR11 long-distance footpath at the Navarros Bridge at the entrance to the long-awaited Ordesa canyon. From here, soaring limestone cliffs filled the sky and shafts of sunlight cut through translucent clouds creating a real atmospheric ambience to enhance our journey up the canyon.

Mr Hillways and One Big Canyon!

A further hour took us to the road-head and tourist centre at the Pradera de Ordesa (Ordesa Meadow) where more Magnums were consumed before the cadets led us up the 600m switchback of the Senda de los Cazadores (hunter's path) to a lofty viewpoint high above the canyon floor with stunning views across - and along - the canyon. Half-way through the trek it was particularly pleasing to see Mat (one 't'), Ollie and Emma respond so well to the challenge of leadership and ensure everyone got up OK. There followed the long, but entertaining, traverse of the Ordesa canyon towards its head below the bulk of Mt Perdido largely unseen under its misty shroud.

The Head of the Ordesa Canyon

The excellent Faja de Pelay clings largely to the 1900m contour and is a superb rolling vantage point from which to observe the graceful crescent of the canyon. Gradually the canyon floor rose to meet us as we approached the head of the canyon at the Circo de Soaso and began the final 400m climb to our refuge for the next 2 nights: the Goriz Hut (2170m).

The Goriz Hut

Circling Griffon vultures seemed to have noticed the increasing (and inevitable) weariness of our gallant group and were no doubt eyeing up any stragglers! The typically crowded Goriz Hut proved to be a popular stop for us (apart from the toilets...ugh!) with friendly staff, warm sunshine and grassy surroundings on which to relax after all the walking. Even Chris found something he actually liked on the menu!

Spring Snow on Mt Perdido!

Day 4 was to have seen us stand triumphantly atop the summit cone of Mt Perdido (3355m), 3rd highest Pyrenean peak. Unfortunately, late spring snow had overstayed its welcome and proved to be initially difficult to cross and then dangerous so we limited ourselves to a snow-free viewpoint at 3050m/10,000' which we rightfully all agreed was a tremendous achievement in its own right. Helene led an emotional group hug and said some fine words, the team posed for numerous photographs in their expedition t-shirts (I didn't!!!) and Dave got the flags out again for more pics to send to the sponsors. We returned the same way to the hut, not too disappointed, and ready for our last day back to Gavarnie on the morrow.

Descending the Breche de Roland

Our last day proved to be quite a challenge one way or the other. The first part of our walk back to the Breche was trouble-free - a good path, great scenery and some chamois and griffon vultures for company. As we neared the Breche though, more snowfields resulted in a number of diversions and an interesting rock step gave everyone something to think about! It was a great learning experience for the team and everyone acquitted themselves admirably, particularly Ollie who became our 2nd falling rock casualty. He couldn't quite get his head to a weighted pass from Matt and took a nasty knock on the knee which caused him to say 'golly-gosh' a number of times!

Approaching the Breche

Eventually, we toiled through the spectacular gap of the Breche de Roland and returned to France - only to be confronted with yet another snowfield! Fortunately, this one came with a flattened path created by hundreds of fellow walkers and was safely - if slowly - negotiated by everyone, including Mat, whose walking lessons were showing clear signs of benefit! Below the snow we passed once again the Sarradets hut and continued down, down, down to the beautiful green valley of the Vallee des Pouey Aspe across the Plateau de Bellevue and down into Gavarnie where food, drink and porcelain awaited, probably in reverse order of importance!

The Gavarnie Valley

In all we trekked 41 miles/65 Km and climbed 19,000'/5100m over the 5 days. Well done everyone and a big thank you to Mat, Ollie, Emma, Chris, Chris, Jack, Matt, Jackson, Selina and Rosie for being such great company. And to Helene and Dave, where's my bloody t-shirt?!!! This particular trek can be walked in either direction but I would recommend our route as it splits up the hut stops and gives a better balanced route profile. In Gavarnie we stayed at the Hotel le Mabore http://www.lemarbore.com the best place in town for location, accommodation and friendly and effective service. Say Hi to Bernard and Roselyne if you’re passing through but watch out for Jack Daniels – especially if your name’s Helene!

Assynt & Coigach 2011 – Walking Through Time

Suilven

Jennifer put down her fancy software analysis testing tool (sorry, hammer) and decided she should check out the far north-west of Scotland with a visit to the rather special mountain paradise that is Assynt & Coigach. The area immediately to the north of the bespoke fishing village/foreign tourist magnet of Ullapool boasts a unique combination of colour, light and scenery that comes with a generous array of ⅔ scale mountains. These model hills give a great return for the relatively modest amount of energy required to climb them. As an added bonus – and partly due to pesky weather re-thinks – we ventured a little further afield and also enjoyed good days on Ben Hope and mighty An Teallach.

The Coigach Hills

Ben More Coigach

First up, the usually reliable opening-day hill of Ben More Coigach (743m; big hill of Coigach) couldn’t shake off its cloak of orographic cloud and we traversed its impressive sandstone wall enshrouded in mist with only occasional – and tantalising – glimpses of the surrounding hills and the sea at our feet. A noisy, though welcome, golden plover and a young family of ptarmigan were the only warm-blooded creatures we saw all day, apart from each other – although at times the keen northerly wind threatened to make that a contentious point!

Cul Mor From Stac Pollaidh

Similar conditions on Day 2 gave us an almost identical experience on Cul Mor (849m; big back), the highest of the Coigach hills, but on this occasion, one with few views, no shadows and little reason to linger on the high tops.

Ben Hope

Ben Hope

Come Day 3 and we started to turn things around. A planned attempt on Suilven was soon dismissed as cloud and rain made driving, let alone walking, difficult! Jennifer had already decided that Scotland’s most northerly Munro deserved her close attention and so we duly ventured north to the end of the known world and a 3hr drive brought us to the foot of this fine peak. It never takes long to climb Ben Hope. A good path, no discernible walk-in and a summit that sits just over 3Km from the start point ensure you can normally complete the ascent in under 2hrs. Some begin (and were doing so today) from Alltnacaillich farm further up the glen. Although longer, this route gives an enjoyable traverse along the crest of the amphibolite sill of Leitir Mhuiseil that leads to the mountain’s southern ridge. Both routes then converge and climb steadily above the mountain’s steep western flanks until the small flat summit is reached: Ben Hope (927m; hill of the bay). Remember to seek out the trig point though as it is easy to mistake the small pile of stones that mark the end of the climbing for the summit. It’s one hell of a distance to travel to make that mistake (and I’d have never heard the end of it…)!

Ben Hope - The Ascent Route

As if the mountain day wasn’t memorable enough, the long journey home was greatly enhanced by the sight of a snipe bursting from the verge-side followed a few miles later by some close formation flying by a great spotted woodpecker! And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we had that amazing first sight of Suilven from Strath Oykel – a view that never palls.

Stac Pollaidh

Stac Pollaidh

This diminutive, perky and pert little peak (try saying that after your 2nd single malt) never ceases to provide a half day’s entertainment. At last, we got our first cloudless summit and a bit of sun to warm the rock as we scrambled along, over and around the sandstone pinnacles that form the rapidly eroding summit crest of this model mountain. Jennifer proved that steady concentration and a few deep breaths were all that was needed to tackle the most difficult problems. She also demonstrated a commendable lack of hesitation in nimbly negotiating the final ‘difficult step’ that leads to the summit cairn at the western end of the kilometre-long summit ridge.

Jennifer in Her (New) Element!

We had the summit to ourselves and did it justice by remaining there for a good half-hour mesmerised by the amazing panoramic view this gem of a hill provides: Stac Pollaidh (612m; steep rock at the pool). We returned the same way (you don’t have much choice) and took time to visit the far eastern end of the summit ridge which is slightly less eroded than the remainder of the crest. Finally, we begrudgingly descended around the back of the hill thereby ensuring we covered just about all the angles of this fine peak. As always, this was a fun day!

Suilven

Suilven From Elphin

After a long absence, Suilven finally lifted her petticoats for me again and reminded me why this masterpiece of mountain architecture will always repay the long drive and walk-in (not to mention walk-out)! We started from close by Glencanisp Lodge and followed the excellent path/track past Suileag bothy (an hour’s walking, and unseen from the path), to the small wooden bridge (1½ hrs) and thence across country to the base of the climb up the Bealach Mor (2½ hs). Patience and a steady pace will bring you to each landmark in turn and there is no point in rushing – save some energy not only for the climb, but also to enjoy Suilven's piece de resistance: the mountain's sublime summit ridge.

Suilven's Summit Ridge

This priceless – and only – weakness in the slopes of this battleship of a hill is the key to the climb. A clear, but steep, path (which won’t suit every software-testing analysist) eventually leads you to where you’ve been yearning to get for the past 3 hrs – the summit ridge of the finest peak in Assynt and a permanent resident of Scotland’s Top Ten: Suilven (the pillar). On this occasion, and with timing, choreography and stagecraft that I take full credit for, our arrival on the ridge was heralded by a majestic flypast by a golden eagle so close you could hear the airflow hissing over this sublime flier’s primary wing feathers. You couldn’t have scripted it!

Suilven From Glencanisp Lodge

A short walk along the ridge leads you to the mountain’s highest point, Caisteal Liath (731m; grey castle). As with Stac Pollaidh, this is a really special place and a spot to linger as your eyes gaze out over the ‘knockan and lochan’ landscape of the Inverpolly National Nature Reserve towards the blue shining waters of the Minch and the islands of the Outer Hebrides.

Suilven From Stac Pollaidh

Closer to home, the inselberg peaks of Assynt & Coigach stand their ground whilst back along the summit crest, Suilven’s eastern summits send an impressive wedge skywards and complete a spectacular picture show. Make sure you always save Suilven for a clear day; otherwise, little of what I have described will make sense. But as for that eagle, well I’m afraid that’s reserved for Hillways gold card holders!

An Teallach

Corrag Bhuidhe

Best day, best mountain: it was as simple as that! By common consent, this mighty castellated cathedral of Torridonian sandstone with quartzite trimmings is one of the 2 greatest mainland peaks in the UK and holds within its ramparts one of the 2 greatest corries in the land! As usual, we started from Corrie Hallie and walked down the road for 10 mins to the beginning of the path. As usual, it was raining. As usual, Jennifer was loving it!

Sail Liath Across Toll an Lochain

Half way up the climb and well into the imposing corrie of Glas Tholl, the weather cleared and stayed fair for the remainder of the day. A passing walker in running shoes and lycra shorts threatened to upset Jennifer’s equilibrium but she soon recovered when she realised she was stuck with me for the rest of the day! Three hours from the car we stood on top of the mountain’s highest point: Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill (1062m; pinnacle of the grey-green hollow). The view from the summit trig point across the yawning depths of Toll an Lochain to Sgurr Fiona must be the single most impressive view from any UK mountain top and never fails to take your breath away (unless you do it on a cloudy day of course)! We paused to take it all in. I recommend you do likewise!

Sgurr Fiona From Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill

It never seems to take very long to descend and re-ascend the connecting ridge to An Teallach’s 2nd Munro: Sgurr Fiona (1060m; white peak). This is probably due to the magnificence of the surroundings as much as the relatively short distance (1 km). Again, this is a magical spot from where countless mountains, islands and lochs can be viewed – not to mention the blue waters of both the Moray Firth to the east and The Minch to the west.

The View From Sgurr Fiona

Following a leisurely lunch, we (she) decided we would dispense with the traverse of the jaw-dropping leaning spire of Lord Berkeley’s Seat and the sandstone pinnacles of Corrag Bhuidhe. We opted instead for the narrow path that skirts the south-western slopes of the mountain. The path is no walk in the park though and care should be exercised – the drop may concentrate the mind of those not well-acquainted with airy sandstone terraces.

The Fisherfield Six From Sgurr Fiona

Eventually the path re-joined the ridgeline and we continued up and over Stob Cadha Gobhlach and Sail Liath before descending the tricky quartzite scree path that led us to Lochan na Bradhan. Everything started to happen quickly now and we were soon intercepting the track back to Corrie Hallie and the waiting car. Such an amazing day justified a truly special dining celebration and so it proved to be. Fish, chips and mushy peas never tasted better………!

Thanks to Jennifer for being such an enthusiastic companion on some of my favourite hills. It's off to the Pyrenees next week with a party of 12 - and a slightly different group dynamic! I love my job!

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm

Skye 2011 - A Romp Around the Cuillin!

All Smiles - Only 11 To Go!

This past week I have been helping out the good doctor (http://www.darrenmcaulay.com) guiding clients on the Black Cuillin of Skye. Whilst the weather was significantly better than on my previous trip last month, a relentless succession of depressions, fronts and troughs conspired to ensure a flexible approach to the daily programme!

Loch Coruisk

By the week’s end, all 12 Cuillin Munros had been climbed by at least some of the group including a full house on the west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean and the Inaccessible Pinnacle!

Classic Skye Scrambling

Throughout the week, Fergus has been regaling us with his full repertoire of...err...jokes, Duncan has been reeling off his various club memberships and demonstrating the virtues of a healthy lifestyle, Lynn has been chatting away (and occasionally head-butting the gabbro) and Julie has been trying to forget she’s an overworked vet!

Am Basteir

Subjects discussed included the relative merits of adding a third lane to the M8; whether boiled potatoes taste better unpeeled; just how many apples can one man eat and what colour of a mountain guide’s trousers most appeals to a female veterinary surgeon!

Sgurr nan Gillean From Am Basteir

Throughout the week, Darren was his usual cool, efficient self, tying knots and stuff and pretending he wasn’t interested in the louseworts. As for myself, I trailed dutifully behind, did what I was told, removed bits of climbing gear and, like the rest of the party, listened to Fergus……..

Me & the Doc!

Here are some pictorial highlights of the week showing what we got up (and down) to!

Lynn Starts Up the In Pinn

Half-Way Up The In Pinn

Julie Contemplating the Colour of Mountain Guides' Trousers...

Duncan Abseils Off the In Pinn

Climbing the Difficult Step on Am Basteir

Evening Rainbow On Loch Harport

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm