Hail ! The Conquering Hero !

Friday 15th October 2010

It had been a damp,rainy night, and as the alarm went off at 6-30 a.m….I kept snoozing,warm in my sleeping bag, however eventually I had to make a move, and having packed up Wally set off for Ichnadamph.. the base for my days adventure..but not before carefully negotiating my friend … 

who I had discovered the night before, sheltering under my wheels, and I had shifted.. it had obviously been too wet a night for him !

I arrived in Ichnadamph around 9-30 a.m.- a wild desolate place, home to the ‘splendid’ Ichnadamph Hotel, which looked more like it was closed than open!, and had over the years been the base for many geologists and explorers studying the region ..

It was a cloudy,desolate sky that greeted me, but, once decided,I wouldn’t change my mind… and I knew that a few showers were forecast for the morning, but later in the day it was due to be sunny ( I didn’t know then…how late in the day!)

My targets for the day were to be the two highest peaks, in the wild land of Assynt – Conival at 987 metres high, and Ben More Assynt at 998 metres – the highest peak in Sutherland ! – both of them being ‘Munros’

Off I set, a lonely figure.. no other cars on the car park, and no signs of anyone having already set off…this was to be the first ever Munro I had done for the first time, without my ace navigator (Susan) guiding ! and so I had learnt the route off by heart, bought a new large scale map, read numerous descriptions..and written the route down in fine detail…all would be needed by the end of the day.

As I went up the River valley toward my first top – Conival, I should have been able to see it – all I could see was cloud/mist shrouding it, and my route disappearing up and into it..Ah well, it’s going to be sunny later…’er the rain started after an hour or so, again this didn’t bother me, I had selected wet weather gear so carried on regardless.

As time wore on, and I got further up into the cloud, with a brisk wind at my back i wondered how the day would go, and would I be able to find my way if all I could go off was my map and compass! as I looked own the clouds didn’t seem to be lifting, in fact they threatened worse..

I was quite impressed at my navigation, as one by one I stumbled across the waypoints and intersections exactly as they should be, and at the right distances… although I did get a bit tired of counting my paces all the time, but, it was the only way to keep on track. I traced the ridge up to my first top Conival, and arrived there,around 1-30 p.m., to sunshine ? – No a stinging hailstorm battered at me, I could hardly see where I should be, and every time I looked into the wind I was peppered by hailstones, that felt like being sandblasted ! ( good for the complexion though!).

No time for lounging about though, nor pictures, as I started for the ‘big one’, which was around 1500 mts away, along a ‘knife edge’ ridge,which was shrouded in mist, although I could see the drops on either side! This is different ,thinks I, with the wind doing it’s best to blow me over the edge … ever upward and over, still counting my paces, with the hail easing up,to be replaced by rain! however, by 2-30 p.m., and after a couple of false tops, I managed to get to the summit, to be greeted ! Yes, by another, more fierce hailstorm, by now everything that was exposed was frozen, so it was a good job there was no one there to talk to ! But, Success…. now you know todays’ title!

I started back, retracing my route of earlier in the day to get back down, not long after starting back,well ! the rain and hail stopped, the mist cleared, and for once I was able to see my route down…however it didn’t last, it soon misted back over, but it couldn’t fool me, I knew where to go to get back down!

At the foot of the ridge I saw 2 other climbers, who were doing the same route..into the fierce wind.

I arrived at Conival for the second time that day, and again, was greeted by another hailstorm, more persistent than earlier, and peppering me continuously.

I hurried down, with the hail easing to rain as I dropped lower and lower, the rain was heavier and heavier as I carried on down into the valley, as I trudged down on my route back.

As I dropped into the valley I could hear, and see the Deer who were in the Rut, stags challenging other stags by bellowing, and in some cases I saw them butting each other with their horns. I’m sure not many see this at close quarters, at one stage I was on the path, with battles occurring on the hillside on each side of me , I could have watched for ever, but rain and cold defeated me, and I carried on my way.

Lower down as I neared Ichnadamph I saw that the ‘sun’ had finally arrived ! Not nearly early enough for me, I was soaked to the skin, freezing…and my boots had finally given up on me, and were awash with water..

I was then caught up by the other two climbers, and all three of us returned to the car park, and Wally’s heater was soon on full blast ! A successful and satisfying adventure !

Having stripped off my wet clothing, and got some dry clothes on, and warmed up slightly I went to Knockan crag for my spot for the night.. the stars were out, and so was I !