Watch out…there’s snow about !!

Wednesday 20th October 2010

Shiveringly cold I awoke just before 7, to a bright, although foreboding day.. Kate had rang me with the weather forecast the night before, and I was expecting a bad afternoon ahead.

I was greeted with a pale blue sky, and obviously there had been a lot of overnight snow on the mountains. 

and the prospect of plenty more to come, so having prepared everything the night before I quickly breakfasted ( 2 Weetabix today!) and set off for the hills, intending to climb up onto Beinn Eighe, and do as many of the tops as would be reasonable. I had not been going long when the first of the days snow/hail storms blew in…stinging my face (delicate skin!) ,but I knew the path well, and continued towards the first of the days objectives Coire Mhic Fheachur, a black gloomy lake, with the famous ‘Triple Buttress’ cliffs at the back of it.

It was almost 11 a.m. by the time I got here, ready for the first big climb of the day, up a gully in the far corner of the rocks, and even as I approached from a distance, I could see that it was deep with snow, which got even worse as another wet snow storm blew in, quickly filling everything in its path ,this is what it did to my pack in the few minutes it took me to put more gear on !

I then traversed over a boulder field, having to work out my own route up,any path having been obliterated by the snow, on and up I went, slipping and sliding, with the snow battering at my back.  I finally managed to break out onto the summit ridge, into the teeth of the raging storm, however, nothing would stop me reaching the summit now, even though I knew even worse weather was forecast for around now !

I trudged along the summit ridge, eventually reaching the summit of Rhud Stac Mhor, the highest top of Beinn Eighe, and a glorious achievement, although the views weren’t up to much ! none the less success !

I swiftly turned around and reversed my route back along the summit ridge, back to the top of the gully I had climbed earlier, and without much ado ,plunged straight over the top, and down the snow filled gully, slipping and plunging ever more downwards to the coire floor below.. the gully is in the corner..

 

Having got back to the valley floor, I felt able to relax, although I had still 2 hours of walking back to Wally, and the blizzards forecast along with 60 mph winds ! Bliss !throw anything at me, I can deal with it…and so, a blizzards of hailstone came in, being drilled into my face, and I had to continue looking into it to see my route home …thankfully it eased after about 10 minutes ,and I was able to skip my way back to Wally…relief  and a nice cup of tea, just as more rain and hail landed, and the winds seemed to be getting stronger, but what did I care…I’d already cooked my bolognese the night before !!