Eight Days

Go-go gadget Lucy- I don't seem to have stopped this week.  It kicked off last sunday with a fantastic training exercise with Arran Mountain Rescue Team.  I don't usually blog MRT stuff, but it was a cracking way to get a super week going, so this time it gets a mention.

HMS Gannet buzzing in.

Rescue 177 from HMS Gannet dropped the team in the hills on a beautiful day.  It was an emotional occasion, because depending on what happens with the handover to private helicopter SAR which is being phased in over the next year, this could be our last exercise with her. The partnership between civilian MRT and our military SAR services is a long and mutually supportive one.  Gannet will be missed on Arran.

That night I was propping the eyelids open on a long drive to Ullapool with Wally for a week in the hills with friends.

Hills on the north side of the A835 plastered with snow

Monday I was good for very little so Wally and I took the skis for wander in the hills on the south side of the A835. The touring was good, and I skied my first proper powder. Heaven!

A snow covered Beinn Gobhlach across Loch Broom

On Tuesday I was still feeling a bit useless, so while the rest of the team broke trail part of the way up Gleannn na Sguaib (they didn't get too far), I took the bike for a Jantastic spin, exploring the coast road North of Ullapool. I was treated to rolling hills and stunning views like this one across Loch Broom.

Suilven's western peaks. Where's Wally?

By Wednesday I was getting my mojo back, so I joined the team on a bike/hike mission in to Scotland's most striking mountain- the lovely Suilven.  It was a big day, and the conditions were interesting with plenty of exposure on the snowy ledges along the ridge.

Bone Caves of Inchnadamph

Thursday was thawing badly and we all needed a rest so we sauntered up to the Bone Caves of Inchnadamph for a spot of speleology and botanising, followed up by tea and cake in the cafe above Northwest Outdoors (recommended).

Above the Inversion on Beinn Dearg

On friday things got very good.  We battered our way in the Gleann na Sguaib, following the trail broken by many hapless folk over the week.  None had made it beyond the final lochain, but we soon found that the snow thinned towards the bealach and before long we were stood in the mist contemplating the final snowy cone to the summit of Beinn Dearg. Miraculously, the mists parted as we climbed, and we were soon above an incredible inversion!

Scrambling on Stac Pollaidh

On saturday it was back to the clag, and a soggy scramble along the ridge on Stac Pollaidh.  We baulked at the final technical section to the summit, which looked horrible- something to come back for on a dry day!

Lonely and lost

 Finally there was yesterday.... I should have been resting but I was up early for a bike/slog back up on the the Beinn Dearg ridge to retrieve my lost ice axe. Doh! 

Sutherland Adventure Part 1: The Pillar

I'm just back from 4 days incredible walking in Sutherland, plus an ace day climbing on Arran yesterday, so have a lot of blogging to catch up on.  I'm going to have to post this in bite sized bits as there seems to be so much that I have crammed in to the last few days. 

My original Sutherland plan, had been to roughly follow the route of the Sutherland Trail, first laid out by Cameron McNeish. My plan was scuppered early on whilst waiting for a bus at Tongue, where I had left my car, to take me to my start point Lochinver.  The bus never came. 

Plan B wasn't bad though.  I drove to Lochinver through some of the most gorgeous country I have ever seen.  Left my car in the village, and planned a 2 day walk in and around Suilven. Suilven means "The Pillar", in a mixture of Gaelic and Norse, and stands some 723 vertical metres above the sea, just like a great pillar of Torridonian Sandstone.  

The approach to Suilven (right) from Lochinver.

The weather was absolutely magnificent, and the 6 km walk to Suileag Bothy was filled with wonderful views, buzzing insects and flowers. 

Golden Ringed Dragonfly

I pitched my tent near to Suileag Bothy on the advice of estate owners, The Assynt Foundation, after contacting them to find out about stalking in the area.

Fantastic views of Suilven out of my bedroom window!

That evening I went for a wander around the surrounding moorland. I watched a blackthroated diver on a nearby lochan, and was wowed by the sheer amount of wildlife in the area, including lizards, toads, pipits, buzzards and lots of invertebrates. And everywhere there were spiders! (I guess they do well on the midges?)

The next morning dawned bright and fine.  There was a little cap of cloud on the summit of Suilven, which soon burned off. The light was wonderful, and spent a long time walking up the glen very slowly to the start of the climb, sidetracked constantly by flowers, insects and interesting things to look at.

Ling heather in full bloom in the morning light. 

Remains of a scots pine, eroding out of the peat in which it has been preserved for hundreds or even thousands of years.

 My route took me up the steep gully that leads to Bealach Mor. The path is eroded in places, and I had to pick my way to find the best route up (and down again). 

View down the gully from near the top of Bealach Mor.

I was soon on the ridge, with incredible views south across Inverpollaidh

Looking east along the ridge. 

The ridge itself is narrow and interesting.  There is some complicated scrambling to be had for a full traverse.  On this day I was cautious, and just went to the main summit Caisteal Liath, at the western end of the ridge.  This means I have an excuse to come back with Wally for a full traverse- perhaps winter?!

On the top!

After climbing Caisteal Liath, I returned by the same path, and headed back to my tent. I packed up, and instead of following my originally intended route on foot to Inchnadamph, went back to the car, to drive along the shores of Loch Assynt and arrive at Inchnadamph later that evening.
More to follow....