The Jewelled Mountain..

Last day of the Whit trip was approaching; the forecast was good and Claire and I were vacillating over what to do....(at least one of these things was not unusual!!). We had done Canisp earlier in the week and had a little trip along Loch a' Bhraoin with the new tent - which was very good. First choice was An Tellach - however it was not 100% sure that our fitness levels would be up to such a mega route...so we went south.

Getting to Torridon took the scenic route - via Loch Maree and Gruinard Bay. After a brief panic at Gruinard where I thought I'd lost my midge hat (essential for me as the little horrors love me) we went for a paddle and then for a bit at the cafe in Gairloch. This is an amazing place for those who haven't been - a very odd place for an alternative cafe and one the best bookshops anywhere. We'd found it a couple of years before - driving round after Claire had hurt her knee on Ben Wyvis; it was a lovely place; very alternative and did a very nice chocolate fudge cake as well!!!

From the cafe the road follows Loch Maree down to Kinlochewe. We stopped for a quick photo or two of Slioch  (harassed by midges) and then headed down Glen Torridon. It was Claire's first visit to Torridon - you would have to be a little odd to not be impressed really. We stopped at the Coire Dubh car-park between the giants of Beinn Eighe and Liathach. A short leg stretch and some supper later it was starting to get a little midgy; so it was off to the Beinn Damph bar for a pint before retiring for the night...

Sgurr Mhor and the 'Horns' of Alligin

The night wasn't the best - there was no breeze whatsoever in the glen and it was hot and midgy - as it was the next morning, trying to put boots etc on was fun....Once out of the van and having run across the road to try and break clear of the little beasts it did soon become worth it however..as can be seen.

The path has been much improved since I last climbed Alligin (over 10 years ago and coming the other way - Horns first). It snakes up into the corrie and then ascends the headwall to the summit. Claire set a really good pace and we were soon able to enjoy the views from the summit of Tom na Gruagaich. Some deer were on one of the shoulders of the hill and the vast empty quarter of the Flowderdale Forest was also visible - as was the onward journey. This was also a Munro for Claire (not that she collects them at all - so I'm told...repeatedly!!).

The Horns with Beinn Dearg beyond

The onward view is spectacular with the drop and rise to Sgurr Mhor the main summit of Alligin and the 'horns' of Alligin beyond. Although they appear incredibly spectacular and exposed they are actually very easy in summer - a gentle scramble. I've never done them in winter (yet), however they are probably a good grade 1 - probably harder than the CMD Arete but a lot easier than Liathach or An Tellach...

Looking across at Beinn an Eoin

Looking across Loch Torridon 

We climbed into mist as we ascended Sgurr Mhor, which fortunately began to lift as we descended the steep ridge til we were under the Horns. Claire scrambled very well in her boots - which were more suited to scrambling than mine  for sure - and the Horns were over all too soon. The descent to the glen was on a path that was better than I remember it as well - we also began to see a few more people; almost all going the opposite way to us. It's a bit of a debate which way to go - I suppose going anti-clockwise (Horns first) gets them out of the way and spares people from being intimidated by them (as I was a child many years ago when Mum and I climbed Tom na Gruagaich); and you get lovely views out to sea...but then go our way around and you get amazing views of the wilderness of Flowderdale and the Torridon giants....six and two three's really.

Arriving back at the car-park in the hot sun was nice - no midges!!-  so we were able to relax and stretch out and reflect on what an amazing day it was - not a bad intro to Torridon and Alligin living up to it's name.

Dovestones Skyline..

Bank holiday weekend here in UK; with a terrible forecast for the Monday....par for the course.

Claire and I debated heading off in Suilvan to Wales; however the fact that everyone and his wife would probably be there as well put us off slightly!! So, today it was a lovely walk at Dovestones.

Looking up the Chew Valley across Dovestones

The car-park was already busy at 10.45 when we arrived. The aim of the day was a walk that we had attempted in the first couple of weeks of arriving; with Mum and Peter. At that time (mid Feb) the icy path was basically impassable as we tried to scramble up the stream - so we escaped by a very steep pull up the slopes to underneath Ravenstones.

First order of business was to walk along the 3 lakes that part of the Dovestones 'complex'; the main lake (Dovestones reservoir); Yeoman Hey and then Greenfield reservoirs. The day was half-way warm for the time of year - a pleasant change from the previous 10 days or so - as well as being nice and sunny. In fact, I actually had to apply sun-cream for the first time since Scotland.

After clearing Greenfield reservoir, the path follows the stream under Ravenstones until the stream divides. A much smaller path is then followed onto the plateau - it was this path which we had failed to ascend last time. A group of rotunder walkers were making a bit of an effort in crossing the stream to get onto the path - a feat which took both of us all of 10 seconds. Luckily they allowed us passed and we made good time up the path. In a couple of spots the path is quite badly eroded - not a problem if you can see it as we could; however it would be less fun in winter. There was also a 10' scramble that was a delight on warm grit - less so when damp/icy I would suspect.

The plaque near the summit

Once on the plateau we revelled in the views and solitude before wandering on. This walk is easily accessible from Chew Valley - however most people don't tend to venture beyond the Ashway Gap - so we were largely alone for this bit of the walk. We headed up to the plaque commemorating the killing of an MP (something you would arguably get a medal for now let alone a plaque). Once beyond the gap the number of people did pick up - and by the time we hit the main path around the lake we were feeling claustrophobic - and the car-park was basically full. There was still time for an egg/bacon sarnie and hot-dog before heading home....

Ravenstones

The crops keep coming...

     I'll be honest - never really thought I'd be massively into gardening... However, Claire and I have been building up the garden with different crops. We managed some spuds last year; but this year we have done SO much better. Peas, Mange Tout and more potatoes.... coupled with the garlic you can see  in the picture....Living simply is actually a lot of fun and very satisfying...

A brief history of Mammoth - with apologies to Stephen Hawking...

So, I finally got a comment about the blog - "you didn't mention much about the history of Canisp" I was told....so.....

It all started with a rope - probably would really. Claire and I were living in Penrith, and we were in Keswick one day after a short walk - being Cumbria it was probably raining, and we wandered into Needle Sports. Needle Sports were having a Mammut promotion day - and we brought a 30m rope which could be used on the grit (being fairly sure we were heading Tameside way in due course) as well as on classic mountain ridges and scrambles. Some of these, especially in winter, might require a rope on parts (especially if abseiling i.e Anoach Eagach) and lugging my big 60m rope up was a lot of energy...

Those who know Mammut will know they have a little mammoth as a logo - and with the rope came a little stuffed mammoth. Very nice he was too...he came home and sat on the sofa and we called him Foinaven.

Then there was Arkle - those who know Arkle know he is a LOT bigger - this is because he likes to eat cake!! He was from the Braemar Mountain Sports shop in Aviemore. I had brought a new winter shell and we saw Arkle..he had some horrid red bootees on but he had a gleam in his eye. We brought him, ditched his bootees and had a second lovely mammoth to come along in Suilvan on our adventures. Given we were about to move to our Sutherland cottage, Arkle was an obvious name.

Canisp - he was rescued by my mother and step-father who saw him, looking very lonely, in a shop in Gateshead (I believe). He spent some time with them in the NE, however he did eventually come down and join the herd...so now we have 3 lovely mammoths - and they all lived happily ever after!!

The end...

Living well...

is very important to both of us - with having a bit of garden in Sutherland (the name of our cottage); we have begun to grow things. 

Some spuds have already appeared this year (and last) and the peas/mange tout and beans are all progressing/have already been munched..Our Spinach has produced lots and lots of food for us as well...

Around the local area are heaps of blackberries - we picked a load last autumn and this year's crop has already begun (amazingly). My mother and step-father have been here for a couple of days doing some work on the left - and Mum took the opportunity to pick some blackberries - these are now stewed and ready to go in the freezer...

     

This is not saving us much money - if at all given the outlay on cold frame etc and seeds - but it does make it feel mighty and good and with blackberries being £2 a pop at Sainsbury you never know....

Canisp...

is one of the mammoths we have acquired by buying lots of Mammut gear (they give you lovely little stuffed mammoths!!) - it is also a lovely mountain in the NW of Scotland...

Claire and I had been driving back down towards Ullapool from a couple of days exploring the far NW - we had hoped to get some climbing in at Sandwood Bay, however the weather wasn't perfect for this. So we were taking in the sights and sounds instead. 

This is the view of the mountain from the car-park at the head of Loch Awe - to the north of Ullapool. Canisp happens to be a Corbett; more to the point it is one of the (many) lovely mountains of Sutherland. Sutherland is a place which actually defies the tradition of doing the Munro's for getting the best hills - the majority of the best hills here aren't Munro's.

Another big advantage of Canisp is that it's a relatively short day. Claire and I had both been working far too much and walking/keeping fit not enough and so a nice shortish day without too much ascent (by Scottish standards) would be good.

The cloud was down as we set off up the hill. It's only a 6km walk to the summit from the road and we actually made reasonable time. The top is a little stony and we had to pick our line ok but the walk was very nice. Like a lot of the Corbetts it doesn't have a massive path up it (unlike most of the Munro's which do); this is good as it makes one think on the hill about things such as choice of line etc.

After lunch on top the obvious decision was for a descent to the road and head off to Ullapool, before this happened...

The picture above is of Suilven from the shoulder of Canisp (Suilven not even being a Corbett but being one of the finest hills in Scotland full stop). It was taken as the cloud lifted for a few minutes on the descent and we got clear views. Given the remoteness of Sutherland the views were magnificent, not the row and row of amazing hills one might get around Ullapool but the lovely wastes of Sutherland.
Braebeg was seen across the road - giving me immediate thoughts of
a long backpacking circuit involving Ben More Assynt and Conival.
As we got further down and could see out West, Cul Mor (pictured) was seen and glimpses of Stac Pollaidh as well.
We took a different path on the way back - which came and went from time to time; and by the time we got back to Suilvan (as opposed to Suilven :-) ) the views were a little hazy - as can be seen from the top picture which was taken just as we were about to leave....

Driving back to Ullapool we drove through a 20 min absolute cloudburst - so lucky to have avoided that and got a lovely walk in.

Back from Scotland...

Claire and I had an amazing week in Scotland - barely a cloud in sight and far too hot to climb or backpack - amazingly for Scotland. Being on the East coast (largely in the Gorms) meant fewer midges - although the little so and so's still managed to bite me enough.

Before that, we had also spent our Whitsun week holiday in Scotland, as we usually do. This is the anniversary of our honeymoon (not our actual wedding) and is a special holiday for us. Much of this was spent in the NW where we had an excellent time...

Typical conditions for the last trip - this is a view up Glen Derry with Beinn Mheadhoin in the distance.