Beth's Stuff, of a Random Nature

Am Bàthach near the Cluanie Inn

I don't usually mind a heading up a steep path straight from the road, especially with the morning starting atmospherically misty and pleasantly cool. But all that went away quickly! We were soon above a stunning inversion, the sun beat down on us requiring shedding of my windproof, and I had wet feet already.  read more ...

  (20/09/24)

Into the mist on Beinn Airigh Charr

The Met Office mountain forecast for the north west said the mist would clear giving 80% chance of cloud free summits "early afternoon". So I hoped I'd have a nice cool walk-in and get a good view from the summit...  read more ...

  (19/05/24)

Sail Mhòr from Ardessie

As it turned out, occasionally, I can read the mountain weather forecasts cross reference them with the low-level ordinary forecasts and the synoptic, and do better than the Met Office. I'd pencilled in going to The Fara at Dalwhinnie or this one. The forecasts kept changing, but the synoptic suggested high pressure stable conditions. I chose west, not south.  read more ...

  (24/04/24)

Ben Vrackie

The day started early... and cold. The dash said -12c whilst heading south on the A9. Think that must be the coldest I've ever seen. At Pitlochy the road up to the car park was clear and dry with only frost around so drove up to the top car park. Again just frost and no snow. Quietly, I was glad. I could wear my bigger boots rather than heavy and stiff winter boots which I still really need to wear in a bit more. Whilst I took my lightweight ice axe I didn't take crampons.  read more ...

  (04/12/23)

Sgurr a' Chaorachain - Applecross

Whilst the warm and dry weather has been nice, I've been sleeping badly and waking early unable to get back to sleep. Unsurprisingly I've been feeling tired and not fired up for a walk. Thinking about a photography trip instead I latched on to the idea of going over the Bealach na Ba to Applecross and wandering off to the easy Corbett of Sgurr a' Chaorachain.  read more ...

  (25/06/23)

Beinn Damh - a Torridon Corbett

Beinn Dàmh (Ben Damph) means the hill of the stag, and is a Corbett (just missing out on munro status at 903m) just south of Torridon village. It's lower slopes are of woodland and waterfalls on the Allt Coire Roill, then peat bog, increasingly rocky with some Torridonian sandstone and then capped with quartzite boulders and scree.  read more ...

  (30/07/22)

Canisp, of bog and rock

Yesterday saw me and Skye back in Assynt to walk another corbett. Canisp, old norse for white mountain, rises from the loch-strewn landscape of the far north-west, between Ledmore Junction and Inchnadamph. The usual route of ascent is from the east on the A837 at the northern end of Loch Awe.  read more ...

  (20/08/21)