Beinn Bhreac and Beinn a Chaorainn

The dodgy knee had been playing up again but a long walk was needed to clear the rustiness of the body since its excessive calorie intake from the honeymoon. These two Munros appear to be non-descript judging by recent reports on WalkHighlands so I waited for a clear day and hoped that they would be kind. I love the walk into Glen Derry and the path from Derry Lodge wends its way into Glen Lui offering lovely views up to Beinn Mheadhoin and its summit tors. The path up on to Beinn Bhreac was boggy but I was surprised how quickly I was at the summit. I met an older chap up there who was obviously glad of the company and proceeded to tell me about his 3-day supply of food and his needs (at 55) to use an old empty milk bottle to pee into at night. Aye, eh, thanks for that. See ya! The 4km trek across the Moine Bealadh to my 2nd objective of the day and the cloud had lifted so that it never seemed to get any closer as I walked towards it. Beinn Mheadhoin looked cracking and at the summit, the impressive cloud banks over Strathdon provided a nice contrast to the wonderfully clear conditions I was experiencing. Just an amazing day being out again. The descent down to Glen Lui was quick and offered a nice view over to Coire Etchachan and the Hutchison memorial hut. I must stay there some day. The sun was shining, the stags roaring and my 10 mile trip back to the car was a joy. Okay, the last few kilometres were murder on the feet but pain is temporary and memories are forever!

Ben Avon and Beinn a Bhuird

Utterly stunning day out. Wild camped at 180009 beside the river Gairn and the walk up on to Ben Avon was tough but worth it for these babies. I was utterly blown away by Clach Choustaich, the massive tor - something quite magical about it and rarely visited by those who just bag Ben Avon and return. Ben Avon itself was fantastic and a wee scramble on to the highest point was fun. The Sneck is pretty tasty as are the views across to the Garbh Coire and then on to Beinn a Bhuird, it's quite a nice hill too. The descent back to Keiloch was looooooong though. Ben Avon has to be my favourite hill.

Wild camp by Sgurr Eilde Mor with Curlywurly

With some trepidation, Darren and I left the car at Kinlochleven and headed for this Munro, 7km east of our point of departure. Trepidation for me because I hadn't slept a wink last time out. However, on a balmy evening, we began the ascent taking a wrong turn or two initially but eventually finding the excellent stalkers path which took us up to the land rover track at 300m. Views back to Loch Leven were beautiful but it was bloody warm and the sweat was lashing down. Midges were biting too, the vampiric basas. Once we saw the excellent path wend up and over the shoulder of Sgurr Eilde Beag, we really began to enjoy the walk as it got cooler and while it wasn't quite an amazing sunset, it was good visibility which afforded views over to the Buachaille. Within 2 hours of leaving the car, we arrived at the loch below Sgurr Eilde Mor and found a suitable place to camp. Tents up, dinner down and the Ardbeg was proferred. It was a great spot, which had a nice view over to Binnein Beag as well as the vast space of Rannoch Moor opening up below us. We discussed many matters and I even got reception to phone Pumpy. I headed to bed at 2305 and got some SLEEP! Awoke at 0605, had a good breakfast and we began our Munro tally, heading up the steep shoulder of SEM by 0800. A small rock prow jutted off the summit and afforded a nice photo down to the loch. From here, we fairly pinged it down to the path which ultimately took us on to Binnein Beag. At 946m, it's almost 200m smaller than its bigger brother but its conical shape did confirm that small is beautiful. By 0930, we descended back down the path (Darren taking a small fall but no harm done) and picked up the heavy packs before the ascent of Binnein Mor. Had some bugger put rocks in our bags - they felt much heavier than before? As we climbed, we got stronger and we had this bad boy in the bag by 1110. With Na Gruigaichean on the homeward journey, we included this one too. However, the descent off this back to the car felt long and sustained and weary legs finally arrived back to the car, in sweltering conditions. Another fine trip ably sponsored by the wonderful Ardbeg.

Dr Pepper on the Aonachs - what's the worst that could happen?

If you're ever wondering how much caffeine there is in a can of Dr Pepper, there's 41mg. That's half the content in a can of Red Bull otherwise known as anxiety in a can. I had been looking to replicate a Kinley-esque camp and hoped to improve on my previous night's sleep when I last did a high camp (I'm free!) - 2 hours 10 minutes. This time, I ascended the shoulder of Aonach Beag and camped at a location just under the crags of Stob Coire Bhealaich - at 850m, the views were super - all the Mamores came into view and having done the bulk of ascent by 2200, I felt that a good night's sleep was in order - why I decided to drink Dr Pepper before bed rather than the fine bottle of Erdinger I had brought is beyond me. I settled down for sleep at 2345 (still light enough to take a couple of atmospheric photos) to begin the previously problematic task of sleep. And for 3 hours and 25 minutes I stared at the tent walls while periodically listening to a ptarmigan laughing and a sheep baaing in symphony - 'you fool human, you will not sleep tonight.' I couldn't even blame Kinley for my insomnia. I 'got up' at 0310 (still light, I don't think it got dark actually) and had my porridge before packing up and beginning my Munro trip at 0400. Someone once asked 'How do you avoid tourists on a hill?' My advice is replicate my trip and start your walking at 0400, at 850m. It was unseasonally cold and once on to the ridge proper, the wind was biting. Unfortunately, at 1050m, I walked into cloud and saw no more of Aonach Beag aside from the crags disappearing off to my right, still full of massive snow cornices. There is a path which you can follow but I headed straight up on to Aonach Beag as it began to circumvent the hill - don't know where it was going - anyone know? I don't recall passing a cairn at the top but I stood at the highest point on a snow bank before continuing on to Aonach Mor. After quite a steep descent, a gradual incline over a km of walking led to the massive cairn and odd ski pole. At 0550, I had bagged two Munros and began my descent - queer. Funnily enough, I never met a soul on the hill at this point. That's because they were SLEEPING! What you should be doing ye foo. I intended to head off Aonach Mor via a narrow arete and found a cairn, which indicated the start of the descent. WARNING! This path is very tricky to descend in places due to loose soil/stones - care needed. However, its steepness means a quick descent to the bealach at 830m. From here, it was an enjoyable enough return to the car, where I attempted to stay awake on my drive back to Glasgow. Dr Pepper - what's the worst that could happen? NAE SLEEP!

Dr Pepper on the Aonachs - what's the worst that could happen?

If you're ever wondering how much caffeine there is in a can of Dr Pepper, there's 41mg. That's half the content in a can of Red Bull otherwise known as anxiety in a can. I had been looking to replicate a Kinley-esque camp and hoped to improve on my previous night's sleep when I last did a high camp (I'm free!) - 2 hours 10 minutes. This time, I ascended the shoulder of Aonach Beag and camped at a location just under the crags of Stob Coire Bhealaich - at 850m, the views were super - all the Mamores came into view and having done the bulk of ascent by 2200, I felt that a good night's sleep was in order - why I decided to drink Dr Pepper before bed rather than the fine bottle of Erdinger I had brought is beyond me. I settled down for sleep at 2345 (still light enough to take a couple of atmospheric photos) to begin the previously problematic task of sleep. And for 3 hours and 25 minutes I stared at the tent walls while periodically listening to a ptarmigan laughing and a sheep baaing in symphony - 'you fool human, you will not sleep tonight.' I couldn't even blame Kinley for my insomnia. I 'got up' at 0310 (still light, I don't think it got dark actually) and had my porridge before packing up and beginning my Munro trip at 0400. Someone once asked 'How do you avoid tourists on a hill?' My advice is replicate my trip and start your walking at 0400, at 850m. It was unseasonally cold and once on to the ridge proper, the wind was biting. Unfortunately, at 1050m, I walked into cloud and saw no more of Aonach Beag aside from the crags disappearing off to my right, still full of massive snow cornices. There is a path which you can follow but I headed straight up on to Aonach Beag as it began to circumvent the hill - don't know where it was going - anyone know? I don't recall passing a cairn at the top but I stood at the highest point on a snow bank before continuing on to Aonach Mor. After quite a steep descent, a gradual incline over a km of walking led to the massive cairn and odd ski pole. At 0550, I had bagged two Munros and began my descent - queer. Funnily enough, I never met a soul on the hill at this point. That's because they were SLEEPING! What you should be doing ye foo. I intended to head off Aonach Mor via a narrow arete and found a cairn, which indicated the start of the descent. WARNING! This path is very tricky to descend in places due to loose soil/stones - care needed. However, its steepness means a quick descent to the bealach at 830m. From here, it was an enjoyable enough return to the car, where I attempted to stay awake on my drive back to Glasgow. Dr Pepper - what's the worst that could happen? NAE SLEEP!

An Socach, Glen Ey

After an enjoyable enough workshop in Aberdeen, I returned via the butcher's at Braemar, the chippy (yummy) and parked up at Baddoch road end on the A93. I had planned to ascend via Sgor Mor and then round to An Socach - the path was excellent but not before I had time to get very close to some white ponies, which were asleep. Lovely looking creatures. It was a fairly uneventful outing though I did manage to scare the crap out of a ptarmigan and her young. Cue one angry male ptarmigan who cajoled and ushered me away from the helpless chicks. Rather unsettling. The ground between the false top and the actual summit was hard-going, very bouldery and made for some awkward walking. At the summit, I chilled out, phoned Pumpy then came down the 'normal' route, which was fun as I more or less ran down to the land rover track. A nice walk back along the Baddoch track and I was back to the car in under 4 hours. An uncomplicated tick and an enjoyable stretch.

Beinn Alligin

My 2nd day in the North-West - plan A had been to go for Liathach but the vagaries of Scottish weather meant that with snow forecast (it's May FFS!), I didn't fancy doing Liathach on anything except a clear day. I therefore chose Beinn Alligin - how glad was I? It turned out to be a stunning day in the hills and I was simply blown away by the magnificence of this mountain. From the atmospheric, silent amphitheatre of being in the corrie below Tom na Gruagaich to the beautifully poised summit cairn, with the plunging cliffs of Toll a Mhadaidh, to the quite stunning Sgurr Mor. Then there is the chasm of the Eag Dubh. I won't bother going on anymore (though I am) except to say that by the time I was on Sgurr Mor, the snow was fairly dinging it doon. All views were obliterated and I had a made a good decision to leave Liathach for another day - on the occasion I did see it, it was quite a wonderful set of peaks and jagged edges to look at - Sabatier would have been proud. I had really looked forward to going over the Horns of Alligin and worried slightly when a party of three passed me on the opposite route saying they had given them a miss, opting to take the path below the Horns - could it really be that bad? I decided to go over them and was glad to have done so. The airy, scramble really is the way to go and just added to the experience that I was having possibly one of my best days on the hill. Also, the fluctuating cloud/snow conditions afforded some magnificent views over the Horns. Then, there is the views across to Beinn Dearg - what a majestic Corbett it is - very impressive. Unfortunately, it all ended too soon and I was descending quite steep ground back to the glen. No need to further expand on this day, just look at the photos. Astounded on Alligin.