I'm back....

sorry for the lack of posts in quite some time. The new term has started and with the training course I have OCEANS of paperwork to do; not to mention observing lots of lessons; having lots of meetings and teaching a year 7 class.

Anyway, it was good to get out today - especially having had two utter monsoons in Penrith on Friday and Saturday which had not mad the cellar any
 better either, stress and time spent sorting that out which I could well do without - ho hum.
So, with a nice morning finally dawning we drove down to Mardale Head; planning a nice jaunt up Harter Fall - a good 3 hr or so leg stretch; ideal for knackered and unfit people.

I didn't have much zip at first - and the climb up Gatesgarth is quite steep. However; some nice light helped for photo's..which you can see here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/AutumnOnHarterFell

Anyway, we had a nice walk and both felt a lot better for it....the weather pretty much held, apart from a brief gusty squall as we started the descent - nicely fuelled with xmas cake!!

This picture here is taken from very near the bottom of the pass and shows the autumnal and changeable day it was -  the leaves are turning and the hillside is getting very brown....

Last days.....

of the long summer break - although it has been rather a busy break for me this time around.

I was up at the school I start working at on Monday yesterday - BRAND spanking new and rather nice...still the same old IT staff though as they wouldn't give me the password to get onto the internet with the Macbook Air...hope they will on Monday.


Will still be blogging about my doings - although I feel that the next 10 months are going to be VERY busy.

Approaching the end....

of summer....I don't just mean the weather either.

Claire got in on the (delayed as per usual) train from London on Sunday evening and I wandered up to the station to meet her. When we got back to the flat and had tea and cheese and biscuits it was about 9.30; and  was going seriously dark. Likewise, the daylight of early morning is receding as well today which is not good either...the daylight is starting to draw in a bit.

Have got SO much to do for the start of next term - as well as hopefully trying out the new bike and doing some running etc...should be a busy couple of weeks.

Beinn Dearg (Inverlael)..

that is how it is known as there are lots of Beinn Deargs in Scotland..this one I have to say is probably the best..

As can be seen from the first photo, the new bike Andruil was used for this walk. The 3km ride (which was largely uphill) was actually quite hard - I needed to get the saddle height right and also get used to riding without clip pedals; I rode in in my walking boots. There was a nice fence where the estate track stops and the stalkers path begins and I left him chained to a fence. The path up Gleann na Squaib is well made and divides after a very impressive waterfall.

As can be seen it was a lovely morning - this was the view from the stalkers path up to Beinn Dearg (R) and Meall nan Ceapraichean (L), two hills I would do later in the day. At the fork in the path I headed left - up towards Eididh nan Clachan Geala. The path peters out as it approaches the Lochan under the hill - however it is only a short, steep pull onto its ridge and then the final climb to the summit. Those who have looked at the picasa folder: https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/BeinnDeargAndTheInverlaelHills   will have noted that it is an amazing viewpoint. The journey out to Seana Bhraigh would be possible but one would need to wait for a clear day or be VERY good at navigating across peat hagged deserted wastelands...or of course do it in winter!!

From the top I dropped down to the col under Meall nan Ceapraichean and ascended steeply up the top of Ceann Garbh, before making the minimal climb to the summit. Having 2 munro's and 1 top under my belt seemed to be a good stop for lunch so I did. I was also experiencing trouble with the knee brace on my right knee. It was chafing a lot on my knee...I ended up taking it off and walking without it  - which actually went surprisingly well...we shall see.

After lunch it was a descent to the 3 way col at the head of Gleann na Squaib and Glen Lair; before heading up off the steep scree of Cona' Mheall. The ascent was not too bad, and I picked an even better line coming down and was back at the col under Beinn Dearg in about 45 mins. I decided to go up and down Beinn Dearg, to descend the stalkers path back to the gate rather than go down the long NW ridge; so it was a stiff clamber up and down before I was able to have a second lunch and toddle off down the stalkers path.

Two people who had been staying at the bunkhouse ran past me with about 1km to go until the gate...I was SO gutted that they also had bikes as I wouldn't have the pleasure of blasting past them as they ran back to the road...they were still getting ready when I arrived to collect Andruil...I think I lost them in about 100yards...7mins (easing off at the end) for the 3 km was a good whizz down...

A lovely day; shame Claire wasn't able to share it....more hills to go back to.

An amazing day on the Inverlael hills....

will blog about it in detail later...pix are here: https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/BeinnDeargAndTheInverlaelHills


Oh, and Andruil got to have some fun on the 3km descent back to the car from the gate at the edge of the forest...which took about 10mins (easing up at the end)...4 munro's and 1 top done today....and some amazing views... the scale of this place is mind-blowing..

Western Fannich hills....

Mum sent me a text when we got back from the last trip...saying about how one forgets the scale of these hills....today brought that point home to me.

Nowhere else in the UK would 10 miles and 3850 feet of ascent be considered a relatively short day..I wanted to start with a quite short day and also the forecast for tomorrow (Fri) was much better so I wanted to be fresh to do a sizeable contribution tomorrow..also; these hills were outstanding on the Munro's list!!

Anyhow; I set off nice and promptly after another breakfast from Ian; only to realise about half-way there I had forgotten my camera...oops...so; take two and I was parking up at the end of Loch a' Bhraoin - this time armed with midgy face net and chicken noodle smelling repellent!

Don't know if I mentioned this last time - Claire brought some repellent in Gairloch - it works but it smells like weak chicken noodle soup; something we both noticed on our stroll in from Poolewe on that trip...anyway...it works which is good.

Midge net soon off and I was soon squelching through the path on the way up the slopes of Toman Coinich; which is the top in between the two hills I was doing today. The path picked quite a clever up through some rocky outcrops which deposited me (very sweatily as it was completely still) on the plateau of Drum Reidh. Once on this plateau the angle eases off massively and walking becomes underfoot as opposed to under ankle. There is also a small path up here that I followed and eventually made my way to the col between Toman Coinich and A' Chailleach (which is the mountain in this picture). I
left my sack on the col and panted up A'Chailleach, an ascent of only 400' or so. I met two Scottish blokes near the top who said that they had disturbed an eagle which had flown off - and the midges. I

can't comment on the first - can on the second so it was a quick run down and back to the sack. The ascent of Toman Coinich was, frankly, not much less than that of the mountain. It was soon done and after a country slice or two I set off for the last climb of the day - Sgurr Breac. This was longer, although only around 500'. My timing was excellent as I arrived on top at lunchtime - so I did. The mizzle began as well and continued all the way down - except for a half hour burst of quite steady rain - enough to get me into overtrousers anyway. The walk back down the stalkers path that Claire and I had used on our Sgurr nan Each/Sgurr nan Clach Geala walk seemed longer than I remembered. I had felt full of beans on top of Sgurr Breac and had half considered throwing in another 2000' of climbing and 2 more mountains - luckily I did not as I felt a bit more tired than I expected on the descent. It was quite hard to keep a rhythm up as the path was very wet and quite slippery....Having said all that the round took me under 5 1/2 hrs which is pretty good....and the forecast for tomorrow is quite encouraging as well!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/WesternFannichHills

pix here....

Back in the NW...

for another few days - with poor Claire having to work I am on my own; although Andruil (the new bike) is with me.

Not sure what to do exactly yet - there are some outlying munro's to tidy up; however the forecast is a bit iffy although Fri looks pretty decent  - might be the best day for a long, challenging walk...

More to follow