Ricky Pig on Sgiath Chuil

The MWIS forecast was not promising - an Arctic wind, snow and moving South over the course of the day. However, we (me, David and Mark) decided to hit the hills early and beat the poor weather for an attempt on Sgiath Chuil and Meall Glas, if the weather held. We parked beside the private road to Auchessan and the view up to Ben More was splendid. It was a lovely, sunny cold April day and we followed the excellent track up past the farm and on to the open hill-side. We approached a herd of deer and this prompted a story about a deer being fed a bacon roll, up at the van before Rannoch Moor. Forget the issue of climate change, we can't have our venison being tainted with ricky pig! It's jist nae right. Once we had digested this anecdote, we began the steep plod up the South face of Sgiath. The weather was good but as we ascended, the dark clouds were sweeping in over Ben Challum in the distance. After some lung-bursting strides, we made our way up to the craggy summit, revelling in the unseasonably warm temperatures and laughing at the -20C wind chill predictions. Until we actually got on to the summit. As usual, you can't prepare yourself for that icy blast and we didn't hing aboot. A couple of chirpy summit shots and we were on our way back down as the weather had changed. We stopped for lunch in the sheltered area below the summit - I had chilli con carne a la Emma and once again retained the top prize for the lunch du jour as David and Mark tucked into their wheat products. The route back was uneventful though the snow was beginning to pick up and self-congratulation was in evidence in our decision-making. As we supped our wee ales back at the Lade Inn, we revelled in an enjoyable and for once, uncomplicated day on the hill and postulated on how good it would be to take a driver and golf ball and hit a ball from a Munro summit, twice the distance of Tiger Woods. Sun-stroke? Fore!