Governed by the Gaor-Bheinn-or

It had been 4 months since I'd set foot on a Munro. While I had done a few Corbetts and Grahams, I had missed the big hills. A 2 hr 45 drive saw me at the bottom of the forest track, where an unhelpful woman wouldn't let me know whether I had parked in an okay place. I absolutely belted along the forest track, past the cute wee house of Wauchan. As the forest was left behind, my task ahead grew larger. The two Grahams to the right would keep for another day and there was a nice bealach between them. I sat at the bottom and had some food, putting off the inevitable. The book describes it as a steep and unrelenting climb, which is entirely accurate. However, it made for a fairly rapid ascent. Once point  855m was reached, I was in the clouds and the snow started. At this point, hill fitness wasn't as good as it has been and I struggled to the trig point. I couldn't hang about and took a bearing for the ridge. The amount of snow was incredible with huge ice cream waves. It was frustratingly slow as I couldn't see the way ahead. Cramps in my thighs and calves kicked in. I seemed to go on forever but eventually, the narrowing ridge brought me to the large cairn. I had a cup of tea, some food and considered where I would head off the ridge. I got back to the bealach and descended West as the map looked crag-less. It was very steep though and I had to ice-arrest several times. In retrospect, it was daft but surprisingly I did find other footsteps. We're a funny bunch. Once down at 523m, the walk back out was uncomplicated and I got back to the car in 6 hours 20. They won't come much tougher.

After induction..the Beinn Dearg 4

Since my last Munro outing, I became an uncle to little Freddie. A humbling experience and the wonder of a new human life. Everything pales into comparison when you see how helpless they are but fortunately my sister-in-law's boobs provide his worldly energy requirements. And so I drove North to UHI student induction and having induced/ducted them into the way of the Masters, I had myself a deserved day off. I started from Inverlael at 0930 and began the long walk in along the excellent track and then path. My targets seemed quite a way off but it was a good walk in, which climbed steadily to the bifurcation of tracks. I went grande first and headed for Dearg and the famine wall. An extraordinary feat and testament to the amazing efforts of yesteryear, driven by a paltry wage so the hungry could eat.  The climb beside the wall, led me to the last rise up to Beinn Dearg but the cloud came in and I sat in blind cloudy silence, while having lunch. The silence and calmness was quite strange. I descended back to the origin of the wall and then headed for Cona Mheall. The view from this bealach is extraordinary. An easy climb and a very surprising view opened up across to Am Faochagach. The view back over to Beinn Dearg was great too but the jewel in the crown was the splendid An Sgurr over on Seana Braigh. I will definitely do that via Corriemulzie.

As I descended, I scared a hare and a couple of ptarmigan, which were turning white already. From here, it was round/over the bump before the climb up to Meall nan Ceapreachean. A harsh wind hit me at the summit and I struggled to remain upright, while appreciating distant Stac Pollaidh and the Summer Isles - next week! I didn't dally and checked the map before the descent - it looked uncomplicated aside from rock bands further down. Ha! This was a tricky descent as the rock and grass was very slippy. I was thankful to get down to the stream, where I left my rucksack for the final climb up on to Eididh. I was surprising how fit I felt and I was at both cairns before too long, as the wind dropped and the sun emerged once more to broil my coupon. All that remained was the final descent and long walk back out. I tried to relax and enjoy the walk out but my tootsies were hoitin. I saw a bike at the re-entrance at the forest and for a brief moment, considered pinching it for the ride out. I banished the thought and wondered where that had come from. I got back to the car and raced to Inverness to have dinner for a fantastic night's sleep at the Torguish hotel. Fab four.

Eibhinn, Beag and Charn from Corrour between trains

It should be relatively straightforward to do the two hills between morning and evening trains apparently. I'm not sure which evening train the SMC books refers to but I thought I would also add on Geal Charn to these two and play it safe with the last train at 2051. This would leave me a full 8.5 hours with a bit of time to play with. I'm not slow and I didn't hang about but I got back to Corrour train station with 50 minutes to spare so I'm not sure where this leaves my trip in the scheme of fitness. At 33km and just over 900m of ascent, it doesn't appear the most physically demanding but the walk back from Geal Charn was pretty brutal and my legs were very sore the day after. It was a rather hot day so that didn't help. Essentially, this was an 8 hour walk with two 10-minute breaks for refreshments and while there may have been a pleasure sitting at the summits and taking in the views, I found it one of my more physically and mentally taxing hill days. The walk along Loch Ossian is straightforward and allows for a quick pace but once the climb up on to Beinn Eibhinn starts, the pace slowed dramatically. This is by far the hardest part of the round however the summit affords views across the valley to the 2nd and 3rd objective and one begins to relax in the knowledge that the sortie is eminently do-able. The amble over to Aonach Beag and Geal Charn didn't feel tough at all and there is a great sense of isolation. This was the most enjoyable part of the day for me and I nestled under a rock prow with a can of San Pellegrino limonata, which has never tasted so fine. I never met a soul except at the train station. The venison sausages, mash and gravy along with an unbelievably refreshing bottle of Stag at the new Corrour Station House Restaurant were supreme and rounded off a good but hard day out. All that remained was to get the last train back to Glasgow and relax after a triple M-point day.

Ca Cannich

The great thing about UHI Exam Board is the chance in the afternoon to stretch the legs and take in the local hills. My last attempt to get to Cannich had been in February during a cold snap and I couldn't even drive out of Cannich due to the icy conditions. No such problems this time around but a late arrival at the car park beside the dam at 1400 meant I would struggle to do anymore than 2 of the Munros, since I'd still have a long drive back to Glasgow. It had been a while since I had been out and the breeze meant that I was exempt from midge lunch. I fair flew up the slopes of Carn nan Gobhar's southern satellite, Mullach na Maoile. Steep but it afforded a quick ascent and once on to the gentle rise before the Munro proper, the sweeping corries of Sgurr na Lapaich lay before me. It was a fabulous looking hill and I cursed my absence of mind in forgetting my camera, although the iPhone was a back-up of sorts. I hit the summit in 1 hour 50, which was decent going. However, it was just after 1600 so it would be the two for today and that suited me as the corrie rim of Sgurr nan Clachan Geala looked great. I descended to the eerily silent bealach, with its huge boulders and sat and had some food beside eagle poo. How comforting. The ascent on the 2nd hill was steep but a good path wound its way into the cloud and the large cairn and trig point were easily located. I would imagine this to be a fantastic viewpoint on a clear day but this hill was too high for the clouds. I took a compass reading and headed due South past a rather odd fireplace! At 1100m? It was beautifully constructed but at this height, it seemed very out of place. This was also beside another large solid square cairn structure. As I descended towards the Allt taige, I thought I saw a man hunched on a rock until a golden eagle majestically lifted off into the air. The first time I had seen one up close. I dashed down to its perch to see if I could feel its heat and found a lovely huge feather, easily measuring a foot - present for Emma. Not long after this, I found a fantastic specimen of a deer antler - almost 2.5 feet. Present for me. I know eagles have voracious appetites but surely it didna eat thon deer? All that remained was the trek back to the car and at 1930, I reached the VW. It was a long drive back to Glasgow but it was worth it.

The Innaccessible Pinnacle feat Kate Winslett

Nail-biting. Hair-raising. Terrifying. What it is to be an Aberdeen fan. However, I digress. I had recently notched up my 200th Munro and yet did not have a single Skye experience to show for it (getting blootered in Elgol doesn't count, does it?) In the days leading up to the Inn Pinn, I had managed to get a few Munros under my belt including Bruach Na Frithe, the Executioner and a great day out over Sgurr nan Eag and Sgurr Dubh Mor. The Cuillin are seriously impressive and make you re-assess mainland 'scrambles'. Would they prepare me for the Inn Pinn though? Many have written far more eloquently on this, notably the great Sorley MacLean. His description of the Cuillin is so apt: "Reaching the blade of Bruach na Frithe, I came in sight of the savageness of the country....hurricane clangour of every blast about the grim savage pinnacles; shaking and quivering of the yelling blast about the battlements of every grey bare-swept summit". Wonderful. What wasn't wonderful was that our forecast for the day ahead was of snow and wind. Hardly ideal conditions for the obelisk. Fortunately, we hired an impressive guide by the name of Jonah Jones. Jonah is a real character; no-nonsense with some rather terrifying but truthful tales of his experiences in the Cuillin as both a guide and a member of the Skye Mountain Rescue Team. His reassurances reassured all perhaps except Tracy, a lass from London who was only doing her 20th Munro and had been trying to sum up the courage to do the IP for over a year. I wasn't confident she would get over it but she would prove me wrong and I was so glad she did. Jonah set off at a good pace and we 'cracked' the 1st 1000ft in quick time. By 2000ft, we were all building up a good sweat and conditions were favourable, with fine views across to Sgurr Alasdair and its massive scree field. In fact, I had almost forgotten what I was here to climb until Jonah suddenly uttered 'helmets on'. A shot of adrenaline raced through my veins and my throat became rather dry. I looked all around and everybody seemed quite cool and collected. Would I be the one to freeze? We had some nice scrambling up to the main ridge of Sgurr Dearg, where Jonah reiterated that we should wherever possible, use small footholds and get used to those as we'd experience exactly these little ledges on the Pinn. "You four are up first - harness up". The 4 being me, Daz, Scott and Derek. This was it. Right Pollock, keep the head. We carefully made our way down to the base of the Inn Pinn, whereupon Jonah showed us the rope system we would be using. "Keep 5m apart, wait until the line is tight, keep the head down and focus on the rock in front of you." We all nodded. His words reverberated around my frenetic brain, which was firing messages to my common sense centre shouting "What are you doing???" The nerves and apprehension were evident in all. As if by magic, Jonah was at the belay point and shouted down to Scott to climb. Next up was Darren, then me followed by Derek. Before I knew it, I was on the Inn Pinn. At first, I had gloves on as the temperature had plummeted but these were cumbersome and I stopped to take them off. The rope pulled stiff and I had to get a move on. The crux move is awkward as you move from the relative safety of the left ledge on to the exposed climb itself. You are climbing a 2 ft spine of rock and you sense the exposure rather than see it, especially in the cloud. However, at the halfway point, I took a look down and could make out the crags and snow below - it seemed far enough for me not to take another look and I gripped the rock tighter than an Aberdonian holds his wallet/sheep. Once Derek was up at the belay point, Jonah made for the summit - to me, it looked like he just walked up the bloody thing and then we were off again. By now, I was pumped but still wired to the moon. The last 10m felt like an eternity but at last, the platform arrived and we clipped into salvation. For the final 4 of the group, their fun was just beginning. And Jonah maintained his 100% success rate about 45 minutes later. The walk back to the car was relaxed and the contrast in conversations and hilarity, post-Inn Pinn was remarkable. In fact, I felt so happy that when I bumped into a female guide who had just come down off the Pinn, I couldn't help but remark to her how much she looked like Kate Winslett. I got pelters for that one but not everyone can say they went over the Inn Pinn with Jonah and Kate Winslett. I did and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Sgurr Dubh Mor and Sgurr nan Eag - Big lad!

The second day of our time in Skye saw us take on the last 2 Munros of the Cuillin at the Southern end. The weather was fantastic today and our day couldn't have been any better. The walk from Glen Brittle over to Coir' a' Ghrunnda was again swift with Scott and Darren leading the way. When we got round the corner, the view stunned us - it was like something out of hell. Masses of molten rock, gabbro and slabs everywhere - it looked impenetrable. However, a fine path adhering to the rocks of Sron na Ciche saw us make steady ascent over some slabs and through some large boulder fields before we levelled out at the Loch - what a loch it was and we vowed that we would all go for a dip in there after we had done the 2 Munros. The climb up towards Alasdair was steep but we soon emerged on to the airy ridge and made our way over to Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn. From here, Sgurr Dubh Mor looked quite tricky. Scott created a new route and we cursed him for an unnecessary but fun ascent up to the summit. Our descent was much better and rather than go over the top of the Top, we bypassed that and headed for An Caisteal. What a brute of a thing it is. Once past this, the route up to 2nd Munro was relatively straightforward and afforded brilliant views over to Rhum, Eigg and proximal Gars-Bheinn. In itself, it looked a fine hill. We chilled out at the top, had a few photos then descended down into Coir a Ghrunnda. Daz, as true to his word stripped off and jumped into the loch for a swim. Scott commonly calls him 'Big Lad' but that would soon change as Darren rapidly emerged, feeling a new woman. I had got down to my briefs but could not bring myself to charge forth as I liked having just the one Adam's apple. Our return to the car was quick and most enjoyable. The Cuillin really are quite remarkable hills.

Bruach na Frithe and Am Basteir

201 Munros and not a single hill on Skye. This would just not do. Daz, Scott, Derek and I travelled round to the Carbost road and parked up the road from the Slig. The path across to the Bealach a Mhaim was great and afforded us a quick romp over to the Fionn Choire. Scott pummelled his way up to 600m and we all huffed and puffed - a fell-runner and his fitness was to be admired. We then made our way on to the ridge and began the climb, just as the weather cleared and afforded us our first proper views of the Cuillin. Dramatic and we were all amazed. As the ridge narrowed and became more exposed, our sense of fun grew. We could now see Am Basteir, and climbers who were dwarfed by the peaks. There had been nothing like this in all my Munro days. It really was that dramatic. We topped out at the trig point and had some lunch away from some miserable hits - even Darren was embarrassed by their being English and not even saying 'howdo'. Rather than return the way we came, we meandered over to Sgurr a Fionn Coire and climbed that. Daz was keen to add in Am Basteir - how though? We dropped on to the bealach nan Lice and cut down steep scree slopes to the South of our intended peak. This entailed a re-ascent over a very awkward and exposed 'chimney' - it took us about 20 minutes to get up this and at one point, both Darren and Derek were on very exposed holds. I had a terrible thought that one or both would slip and how the fuck would I explain it to their respective partners. We managed though and our ascent on to Am Basteir was exhilarating. The summit is very isolated and no place for those without a head for heights. Our return was via the Basteir gorge though not before Daz and Scott had a look at the Western face of Sgurr nan Gillean. I told them to go for it but it looked impossible to me and I stated so. I had decided we had been lucky enough with the 'chimney'

although Darren felt that was being negative. Maybe it was, but it was important for me to make the point, whether it was perceived as being negative or not. I was comfortable in my decision to head down and I waited for the others to meet me at the base of the coire. The walk out was quick and we got back to the car just before the rain came on. A truly superb day and quite an introduction to the Cuillin.

Beinn Sgritheall jaunt

As I was due to head up to Skye for a week in the Cuillin, I fancied this hill and the two Corbetts beside it as a nice little route. Typically, the further I drove, the worse the weather became. It had been blue skies the whole way to Kintail but then it changed. I drove down the long road to Arnisdale and eventually parked quite late at 1300. I decided to park on the small jetty area, which would leave a short walk once off Sgritheall. I headed past the private estate and on into the glen before ascending the zig-zag track on to the Graham, Beinn Clachach. Had I known this was a Graham, I would have added it to the triumvirate but I'll take it in from the Loch Hourn side in years to come. The first Corbett of the day, Beinn nan Caorach comes into view and it is a little uninspiring. The slog up its South face has little to commend it and I just felt funny and apathetic for much of the first hour. What was wrong with me? Once up on the summit, I had a nice view over to Beinn na-h-Eaglaise and the main meal was just hidden in cloud. The climb up Beinn Sgritheal looked very steep from here. I descended towards the grassy basin at 600m and contoured round and then up the steep North incline. The views from the 2nd hill were fantastic but still Sgritheall wouldn't show its top. It looked ominously dark. The SMC book describes the descent off Eaglaise as being incredibly steep and tricky - it is. I was glad to get down to the bealach and had a wee bit of food, while keeping out of the bitterly cold wind. Is this May? I soon warmed up with the climb up the Munro and while it was a good ascent to 800m, the last 100m were a nightmare. The scree-filled path was slippy and with wet snow, it would claim a part of my flesh before the day was out. Unfortunately, I only had fleeting glimpses down to Loch Hourn but it looked beautiful. The last 75m up to the summit were in flag and finally to the broken trig point. I had a bottle of Fentimans ginger beer and it made my day. The descent back down to the bealach was interrupted by a few curses as I slipped and cut my hand. I had never been so glad to get back off a hill, as these are a nightmare in wet slush conditions. My walk back to Arnisdale was quick and i did the whole route in 5.5 hours, which was a good time. All that remained was the drive to Portree, before a fire, food and bed. A weird day.

No Beinn na Lap dancers for the 200th Munro

And so the 200th Munro arrived. I had intended to do Stob Coire Easain but I decided to combine Beinn na Lap and an overnighter in Staoineag bothy before a nice walk out over Beinn na Cloiche and Leum Illlil...William's Leap. I had company so was mindful of CF's hill fitness. I think he was very relieved we didn't add in SCE but I'll leave that and Creag Guanaich for another overnighter in Staoineag - one of the finest bothies I had the pleasure of staying in. We decanted off the train on Friday and were assaulted by a snow storm in full sunshine. Odd. The trek over to Beinn na Lap was interrupted by an attractive young lady and her dog who were going to run around for a bit before getting the train back. Nice to spraff with her but we had a hill to do. The walk up Beinn na Lap isn't the most scenic until you look back and see the vast wilderness of Rannoch Moor open up. Schiehallion was stunning. A very serene place to be and not a sound except laboured breathing and digested korma. Nice, CF. We topped out after an hour and I did the celebratory pose. We descended off the Munro and made for Creaguanaich lodge to take it in. I walked around only to hear some very odd sounds from a green North Face tent. Seemed they too were enjoying the surrounding scenery. Exit right. The walk over to Staoineag was a bit boggy but we found the bothy and it was a delightful location. Furthermore, there was an axe and a tree, which afforded a night's worth of wood and burning. Much chopping was had and there was even a fresh air swipe combined with a triple salco that Torvill would have been proud of. And that was before the Laphroaig. We got the fire going, had dinner and a few drams while celebrating future generations, shortly to be with us. I took in the cyan night sky, which was so dark but still illuminated by the moon. Lights out at 2330 and a decent night's kip

.

The Ring of Steall

Had a few days to contemplate this trek with Daz and Graeme. Possibly one of the best days on the hill but doing this in anything other than good weather does not do justice to such a classic. We were rewarded with our patience on what proved to be a lovely day for it - snow above 800m and dark clouds meant that the contrasts of the day were really emphasised. The Ben accompanied us round the whole route and dwarfed us. Anyone on the CMD arete would have been in for an interesting route.

G and D found a couple of the scrambles very 'airy'. The second on Devil's Ridge was exposed but for me, the awkward clamber over a part of the Saddle is still my most precipitous moment. Skye awaits next month of course when it'll be an entirely different KOF.

The view looking back from Sgurr a Mhaim to the Devil's Ridge is quite stunning and an A3 colour glossy is 'en train'! Add in the piquancy of the wire bridge and the crossing of the Steall falls and you have a perfect cocktail of a hillwalking day.

Gleouraich and Spidean Mialach

After the Walkhighlands meet, I was feeling slightly fragile. 5 pints of Red Cuillin had gone down well 12 hours previously but I had a wee, sore heid. I popped a Co-codamol and began the walk up Gleouraich. The stalker's path is supreme and the initial steepness isn't too bad because of that. Fantastic views across to Sgurr Mor and beyond help. Things plateau'd out at 840m but I still had a last plod of 200m up to the beautifully perched cairn. The North face of this hill and its neighbour plunge away into the glen below and no doubt will hold snow for quite some period to come. It is a fair descent to the bealach and you really earn the 2 Munros here. A lovely sheltered cairn allows for lunch to had with views across the South Glen Shiel Ridge. I heard a dog barking at this point and could not for the life of me work out where it was coming from - until i remembered that I had changed my ringtone on my phone. Mum. Ko'd from work, puir sowel. I bounded down off the hill and found a great path back to the day's starting point. No doubting the effect of medication but the hills help too. Couple of great days in the Munros again. The 200-mark approacheth. The 12 in Skye in May will add to this considerably. Fingers crossed for good weather and next time take the Sun cream, Kev.

Creag Meagaidh - majestic and apt medication

Was invigorated after a 4 day trip to Iceland (not with the mums though) and had taken in some of the most wonderful scenery ever. I was quite sad coming back to Scotland after the spectacular beach at Vik in the South. I needed a great Scottish mountain to cheer me up and as the day was warm and sunny, Creag Meagaidh was the medication. I set off quite late in the day but the sun followed (and roasted) me through Coire Ardair. The cliffs, lochan and remarkable nature of that glacial cleft never fails to amaze me. It is one of the best coires in Scotland. My plan was to grab the summit then return over the South side of the cliffs and take in a couple of airy shots. I wasn't to be disappointed. Taking Meagaidh in from this angle, really does it justice and I sat out on a couple of the airy tops beside some small cairns, erected by the more courageous (or daft). At this point, a partner in crime would be useful but I wasn't going to try a 10-second shot and run for the vertiginous perch just in case I flew off the end - what a photo that would be. The trek back to the car felt like a bit of an anti-climax after the grandeur of what had gone before but I still had the Walkhighlands meet to look forward to. Furthermore, the Vik inhaler was no longer needed - Scotland isn't a bad place after all, is it?

The hare and me on Carn an Righ

This had been mooted as a potential date for myself, Graeme D and Curlywurly to meet up but I took the executive decision to stay East and grab this Munro, which had been a troublesome M-point for quite a while. Graeme texted me to say that he had been 'grounded' - quelle horreur! Daz was heading South to see Donalds. I parked at the Dalmunzie and paid my dues but it had a lovely look to it. I would return for afternoon tea. Got to be good to yourself. I decided to head via Glen Taitneach for the solitude. I really needed it. It had been a difficult few weeks but there may be sunshine ahead. Carn Bhinnein and it's shapely nipple were prominent as were the crags just below it - there even looked to be a decent rock climb on one of the towers. After a while, the land rover track petered out and I crossed the burn, which began its life in Loch nan Eun. The walk up to Glas Coire Bheag was steeper but to have walked to this point felt like it had required little effort. This boded well and I was really relaxed as I walked over towards the Mam nan Carn. A couple of walkers were descending off Tulaichean but I kept ahead - my competitive instinct cannot be quelled. The walk along to Carn an Righ was made even more pleasant by the morning clag being burned off and the profile becoming more apparent. The final hike up to the summit was much steeper but once at the cairn, I was alone and settled down to enjoy lunch in peace. Honey tea, melton mowbray pork pies, some Quality Street chocolates - wind diverted via the excellent shelter - bliss. I sat for 15 minutes and supped it all in. I decided to head back via the Tulaichean path but wanted to just head straight down off Carn an Righ before the steep re-ascent up towards the land rover track - while toughish, it offered the quickest way back to the best carrot cake I have ever had. Before I got there, I saw a mountain hare sitting happily, while the clouds broke behind him. Sometimes a day on the hill is made my such a fleeting moment and I cherished that experience. Great day out.

Spanked on A'Chralaig

Sitting in work listening to people at lunch-time say "You should pop out, Kevin, it's lovely out there...." I just knew that with a week off and my first day up North, the weather would be keech. And so I was proved right. However, as I drove past Loch Laggan, I was lucky enough to have a cracking view over to Binnein Shuas (or is it the other ene?). As I sat and took a couple of snaps, the ice at the edge of the loch crackled and snapped with the tidal sway. It was wonderful. BUT I had some hills to climb. My target for today was A'Chralaig and its partner in Kintail. Weather pending. I knew the forecast was pretty mince but as I left my car, it wasn't drastic and I could see the top of Am Bathach. Surely it couldn't get that bad before the next high pressure moved in? The ascent from the road is unrelenting but is great for higher aspirations and within 90 mins, I was at about 800m and things levelled off - should be fine from here. I strode past a small cairn and quite simply was hit with a body punch out of nowhere. A Westerly wind sprang forth and I was doing my best not to be forced over towards the large cornices. Jings - it was goggles and extra bunnet time. I checked the map and I still had a fair bit to go. I'd carry on and appraise further up. I was never so glad to see the monstrous cairn and it provided some shelter, albeit my goggles had totally frozen and were now useless. My face was stinging and it was only after I had photo'd masel, did I realise that a nice ice beard was building up. I peered out into the Wintry blast and the snow was getting in behind my goggles - it felt like it was getting in behind my cerebrum - how was that possible? Rather than return via my route, I checked the map to see if there was a quick way off this hill. I headed SW and found myself at the top of a large coire - I kept S of the crags - it was steep but looked do-able. Then I was on my arse and sliding nicely for about 30 feet before I could get that ice axe to bite. F*** me, this was desperate. Never have I been so glad to get feet on a path and walk back to the car. By the time I hit the 300m mark, my jacket which had been frozen was now sodden and I could feel the first trickle of bum damp. Back at the car relieved, I changed only to cast my eye on a rather intact adult magazine at the side of the parking area - Men Only - looked like an old one - indeed, 85p on the front cover. A voluptuous lady was clad in the lingerie and I shot off towards the Cnoc Inn, my destination for the evening, leaving her behind. Two pints of Red Kite and a venison casserole later and one can relax and say it was a great day on the hill once again. A dram of the Tamnavoulin please....

Beinn Sgulaird - illegitimacy proven

The Bastard. According to local farmers but why? At only 937m, this is one of the smallest Munros. However, there are as many up and downs on this hill as there are to Tiger Woods non-golfing history. I started at 0930 and noted Ian Watson's car - he too was up there somewhere. It was a cold, clear day and the track from Loch Creran was steep. I spotted the cairn and started heading up the SW shoulder to point 488. The view back down Loch Creran was pretty and I figured I'd have this one in the bag in quick-time. Alas, there was a drop of about 50m from point 488, so I had this to re-ascend before entering the snow-line. it was quite a plod up to the 863m mark and from here, I could see I had quite a bit of distance to go but this was no ordinary ridge. Soft snow interspersed with boulders made for a tricky walk and what with more descent and re-ascent, it was beginning to feel like a bloody hard walk. A couple of walkers had come straight up the coire and once i finally reached the top, I really didn't hang about. 3 hours to this point. It was indeed a tough, little bastard. Rather than go back down the way I came, I continued N and then W down the steep slopes. I followed a chap in the distance down to the fence but traversed back to my destination rather than follow his descent. It wasn't until I got an old steading structure that I realised it was Ian and we chatted on the way back to the car. I arrived back in 5 hours, which I thought was decent going - only a 10 minute break for banana bread and tea. A cracking wee hill, which has to commend it even if the farmers don't agree.