Too much snow... no really?!

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

As every kid, big or little knows, you can't have too much snow. No such thing. Well, ummm, hate to tell you but I did. You see I wanted to go and camp out at Ba cottage or Ba Bridge out on Rannoch Moor. It wouldn't be far from Glencoe ski centre where I could leave the truck overnight, and if all else fails I could walk out in the dark if I didn't like it. Ideal! That was the plan...

...it didn't really go that quite like that because I found the snow was beautifully deep, soft, purest white, and incredibly hard work!

Buachaille Etive Mor

Everything was covered in a fine white blanket which had been dropped at the end of Jan, a good week had passed since then. The weather was beautiful, sun shining, blue sky, and just a slight breeze.

The 'electricity' people were using this little helicopter to buzz the power lines in the more remote and inaccessible areas.

I set off south along the West Highland Way

The going was amazingly tough so I slowed down to stop myself overheating too much in the hot sun. I tried to walk in some ski tracks but at every footstep as I went 'over-centre' my weight would break through the light crust and I would drop 3 or 4 inches with a bump. The middle of the actual path had the deepest snow. I walked on the edge, over the heather, narrowly avoided the ditches, and generally took it really easy; like 4 hours to do 2.2km kind of easy! I seemed to be having a really great day.

The views from the high point, 445metres, were stunning!

Bridge of Orchy hills

Schiehallion in the distance...

Fleming memorial and I think Clach Leathad

Some guys came up the Way from the south as I stood for a breather. They had started at Bridge of Orchy that morning and had bashed through deep snow since leaving the hotel, they were a little moist!

As I continued my journey down into the bowl towards Ba cottage my knee started to get a bit painful. Nothing to get worried about I thought it'll soon lift it's probably just a bit stiff from hanging about a while to have my piece and take photos. And then it really hurt. I yelped out in pain and swore a lot. This didn't feel good. I rubbed my knee some and took a few gingerly steps. About 10 steps later it did it again which made my eyes water. I found I could put weight on it standing still. I could walk uphill okay with a little pain. But downhill, no way. This left me a bit of a dilemma: I feared it might get so stiff and painful overnight that I'd be unable to walk out in the morning. That would be very embarrassing! Or do I scratch the plan and head back for Glencoe Youth Hostel at whatever speed I could muster. The later seemed to be more sensible. I was hugely dissapointed.

The only good thing was I got to see the helicopter take off for another power line survey