Eerie Meall a Bhuiridh

I had taken some time off from le metro boulot dodo and headed North for a couple of day's Winter hill-walking. The rain was falling as I parked in the Glencoe ski car park and not a soul to be seen. Rather than head straight up alongside the unsightly ski tows towards Meall a Bhuiridh, I decided to try an alternative route, heading along the West Highland Way and then up the East shoulder of MAB. As I said before, il n'y a personne and all I needed to was find the Ba Cottage remains before heading into the mist. Well, I couldnae find them so I took a compass bearing and proceeded to head up through the murk. The amount of deer on the hills were incredible and they soon scattered as I trumped my way ever upwards. I began to make out a rocky North face and headed onwards - by the time I reached the 800m level, there was quite a bit of snow about but the weather was stable. The usual ptarmigan flew out of nowhere and scared me shitless but I began the careful approach up through the crags rather than walk up the scar of ski-tows. I had forgotten that this hill was over 1100m high and with a full Winter pack on plus a recent mouth infection, I was beginning to cramp up. Eventually, I made it up on to the level ridge and walked past a rather poignant plaque/cairn dedicated to Charles Kennedy. Not sure what happened to him but I continued on past the ski paraphernalia and touched the summit before a bit to eat back at Ski Hut. As I was eating, the wind moved all the equipment and snow fell from the lines, making odd and unanticipated noises. I felt quite freaked. There is something quite nice about hills in good weather on yer own but when it's cold, dark and bleak, it's very lonely. No-one to trump lunches with, no-one to laugh at. :-( I decided not to hing aboot and belted down past the now welcome ski paraphernalia until I hit the car park in double quick time. A quick drying out and off to Glen Nevis for my next sojourn. A tiring, cold day and more a test of goretex and sanity than anything else. Creise can wait another day.