Hillwalking Thread

[Whitburn Vale]

Meall a Bhuiridh and Creise on Saturday there,wet to start with but on the way back out the clag lifted and it was glorious.......

[Whitburn Vale]

[Benjamin_Nevis]

I've been trying to be more efficient with my trips North as everywhere feels far from the Borders and so with the Cup game at Dens (which I'll make no more mention of [emoji4] ) on Saturday, I decided I'd squeeze a walk in that I wouldn't be tempted to do as a full day, so I went for a very early start and a quick walk up Mount Battock from Glen Esk.
I knew this was a big shooting estate, so I was a bit wary of heading out so close to the 12th, especially as this estate don't seem to publish anything regarding access. There was a sign at the start of the track that said as long as I stuck to the main route, I would be fine - so I headed off. 

Speaking as someone who loves the East Mounth, this is a pretty depressing walk - the whole thing was as far from feeling like wild land as it's possible to get. Apart from a section at the start, the whole walk is along a huge estate track through very desolate, intensively managed grouse moor (there was a comedy amount of the poor wee buggers everywhere). The track itself would allow a normal family car to get within a few hundred metres of the summit and it would appear to drop clients off at individual grouse butts without them having to step on any actual muddy ground.

Due to this, I was at the summit very quickly and the views are at least decent, especially as it is the end of the hills in an easterly direction but your eye is drawn to the sheer number of these unregulated hills roads that cover the place. Not sure if the longer route from Glen Dye is better, but time was the main factor for me).


The only positive thing was that I was back at the car in just over 3 hours and was in Dundee in time to head in the town centre for some lunch (although the walk back up the Hilltown felt worse than Battock did [emoji4] ), get a quick pint and still be at the game in good time. 
Efficiency good - the rest of the day, meh.
PS - get driven grouse shooting tae f**k.

Aye Milldens is a huge shooting set up and makes a shit ton of money. They pay their beaters about 20 quid a day more than anyone else [emoji23]

I did this in April IIRC. I hadn't realised how extensive the tracks were and was gutted I didn't take my bike. It would have been a complete piece of piss.

[derrybiy]

I did Ben More and Stob Binnein yesterday. I started at 6.45 and was surprised that there was already a few cars there and more not long behind me. I knew it's a popular one because the layby is always full on my way home, but I was surprised because it was a weekday and I've passed around that time at weekends and not seen any cars.

I was prepared for the relentless steep climb and although I could have said differently at the time I think I prefer that to hours of walking towards the start. Thankfully the sun wasn't out until about 900m up because I really would have struggled with that start in the heat. 

The views were worth waiting on a decent day for. I’ve usually been doing less "rated" munros when it's going to be cloudy. After the first summit I was ok until midway up Stob Binnein then knackered again and really feeling the heat when I was out of the wind. The top of Stob Binnein had a cloud of midges moving around so I didn't stick around to watch a guy with his drone (he did ask if I minded him but I didn't).

In the end I got back to the car in about 7.5 hours from the start. Being in the hot sun that long made the last few hours a slog. I'd gotten through 8 bottles of water and was glad I'd started taking that much after getting heatstroke a few months ago after feeling fine during the walk. I guessed it had been 20 degrees and sunny for the last 5 hours. The car said 25-27 degrees on the way home but I'm assuming it was slightly cooler on the hills.

[invergowrie arab]

All you b*****ds with your inversions are really getting on my nerves. 

Im in Ullapool next week and no doubt we will be back to wind rain and fog 

[derrybiy]

Anyone know how reliable this is?

https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

I can't see how it could be but I have been letting it be the decider for where I'm going after a bad few hours on Ben Lomond last year. It's most of the reason I've been putting off the glencoe munros until it gets colder. But I've got limited time on Saturday so I've narrowed my options to buachaille etive beag or nothing. 

Also I'm assuming it'll be busy and I have been taking a weekday off work most of the summer but I've ran out now so I'm just going to have to get used to the crowds.

[Swello]

2 hours ago, derrybiy said:

I did Ben More and Stob Binnein yesterday. I started at 6.45 and was surprised that there was already a few cars there and more not long behind me. I knew it's a popular one because the layby is always full on my way home, but I was surprised because it was a weekday and I've passed around that time at weekends and not seen any cars.

I was prepared for the relentless steep climb and although I could have said differently at the time I think I prefer that to hours of walking towards the start. Thankfully the sun wasn't out until about 900m up because I really would have struggled with that start in the heat. 

The views were worth waiting on a decent day for. I’ve usually been doing less "rated" munros when it's going to be cloudy. After the first summit I was ok until midway up Stob Binnein then knackered again and really feeling the heat when I was out of the wind. The top of Stob Binnein had a cloud of midges moving around so I didn't stick around to watch a guy with his drone (he did ask if I minded him but I didn't).

In the end I got back to the car in about 7.5 hours from the start. Being in the hot sun that long made the last few hours a slog. I'd gotten through 8 bottles of water and was glad I'd started taking that much after getting heatstroke a few months ago after feeling fine during the walk. I guessed it had been 20 degrees and sunny for the last 5 hours. The car said 25-27 degrees on the way home but I'm assuming it was slightly cooler on the hills.

Great Photos. And I'm impressed you carried 8 bottles of water - because I used to run out of water all the time and never thought of that

 

[Swello]

1 hour ago, invergowrie arab said:

All you b*****ds with your inversions are really getting on my nerves. 

Im in Ullapool next week and no doubt we will be back to wind rain and fog 

I'm off to Skye and Kintail this (long) weekend and the weather looks like it could still be liable for some inversions - I wasn't planning any summit camps but if things stay the same....

1 hour ago, derrybiy said:

Anyone know how reliable this is?

https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

I can't see how it could be but I have been letting it be the decider for where I'm going after a bad few hours on Ben Lomond last year. It's most of the reason I've been putting off the glencoe munros until it gets colder. But I've got limited time on Saturday so I've narrowed my options to buachaille etive beag or nothing. 

Also I'm assuming it'll be busy and I have been taking a weekday off work most of the summer but I've ran out now so I'm just going to have to get used to the crowds.

It's not very reliable at all in my experience although it is better than nothing. My advice would be just get on with it - midges should never be a reason to put off a hill day IMO - long summer days on the hill should be taken advantage of if you can live with the heat - on day walks midges tend to only be an inconvenience at the car and when you stop at low levels - I genuinely can't think of a day walk that was really ruined by them (clegs and deer keds are a different story).

Buachaille etive beag will probably be quieter than most of the hills round there (although it's all relative).

[invergowrie arab]

Tuesday is the earliest I can get on a hill so fingers crossed I get the tail end of it.

It's really perfect weather to be out at the moment, bright and sunny but a wee chill on the wind. Fucking love autumn walking 

[derrybiy]

10 hours ago, Swello said:

I'm off to Skye and Kintail this (long) weekend and the weather looks like it could still be liable for some inversions - I wasn't planning any summit camps but if things stay the same....

It's not very reliable at all in my experience although it is better than nothing. My advice would be just get on with it - midges should never be a reason to put off a hill day IMO - long summer days on the hill should be taken advantage of if you can live with the heat - on day walks midges tend to only be an inconvenience at the car and when you stop at low levels - I genuinely can't think of a day walk that was really ruined by them (clegs and deer keds are a different story).

Buachaille etive beag will probably be quieter than most of the hills round there (although it's all relative).

Yeah your probably right. It's more likely that tiredness and needing to be back in Dundee for 5ish will put me off.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Gulvain today. It was fucking scorching and the entire walk was beset by fucking deer Keds. Horrible b*****ds. Still, blue skies, no wind and glorious views all round.

[Swello]

1 hour ago, Day of the Lords said:

the entire walk was beset by fucking deer Keds. Horrible b*****ds

My main worry about heading for Kintail this weekend - I've seen them more in that area than anywhere else and I *hate* them

[Benjamin_Nevis]

My main worry about heading for Kintail this weekend - I've seen them more in that area than anywhere else and I *hate* them

They were the worst I've ever experienced today. Actually prefer Clegs [emoji23]

[IrishBhoy]

On 06/07/2021 at 14:05, Central Belt Caley said:

Bagged another Munro this morning taking my total to 3! Set off for Ben Chonzie this morning at 5:45, picked a mate up en route and on the trail by 7:00. Mate has 0 fitness and was doing his first so struggled at the steep mid section but got there in the end and was rewarded with some cracking views at the top! 

Not a breath of wind at the top either! Beautiful day for it! 

Was literally coming on to ask about Ben Chonzie and this was the first post I seen. Planning on doing it on Monday morning, and from anything I can gather online it’s at the lower end of the scale when it comes to difficulty, however still a fair walk. How long did it take you all in? It’s a strange one as it just stands alone a fair bit from any other Munro, but it still looks like it’s able to produce excellent views. 
 

I done Ben Nevis on Thursday as I’m doing the Glencoe half marathon next week and I wanted to try and give some ‘mountain muscles’ a work out before I go. I usually struggle with fatigue around the top of my hips/pelvis, especially on walks of over 4 or 5 hours, but I had absolutely no pain doing Nevis, and only stopped for a total of about 10 minutes on the way up. This was somewhat enforced due to the fact that anytime you stood still for more than 10 seconds every midgie in a 10 metre radius swarmed you. Never experienced midgies as bad as that before, had them in my mouth, nose, eyes, ears, it was just impossible to stand still. They disappeared by the time we got to the loose scree higher up but by that time we decided to take advantage of the fact we hadn’t stopped and march on to the summit. 2 hours 45 minutes it took us to the top. 
 

We tried to get down quick as well but there was just far too many people on the hill, I don’t like barging past people on the way down, especially on Nevis where there is so much loose ground and it’s very easy to take a fall. We jogged down the parts where we got a bit of space though. 4 hours 45 all in which I’m quite proud of, it took me over 7 hours the last time I done it in 2017. 
 

That’s my third time on Ben Nevis and everytime I’ve seen people trying to climb it in ridiculous attire. A group of English girls were struggling over the rocks literally 10 minutes up from the visitor centre as we were on our way down, when we got close we realised two of them were wearing sandals that were falling off their feet. A big guy walking behind us told them they weren’t going to get far in those shoes and they just laughed, but he ended up giving them a right earful (rightly so imo) about how stupid they were being to even attempt it and to get back to the bottom before one of them breaks an ankle. Do people not have a look on Google before they go and climb the highest mountain in the UK? Also had a group of Scousers ask us if there was a shop at the summit when we were half way up, although I would like to think they were joking. 

[Swello]

4 hours ago, IrishBhoy said:

Also had a group of Scousers ask us if there was a shop at the summit when we were half way up, although I would like to think they were joking. 

You should have told them that you've never been in the shop because you were always too busy drinking ice cold pints in the summit bar.

[Central Belt Caley]

7 hours ago, IrishBhoy said:

Was literally coming on to ask about Ben Chonzie and this was the first post I seen. Planning on doing it on Monday morning, and from anything I can gather online it’s at the lower end of the scale when it comes to difficulty, however still a fair walk. How long did it take you all in? It’s a strange one as it just stands alone a fair bit from any other Munro, but it still looks like it’s able to produce excellent views. 

It’s fairly easy I reckon, as mentioned in my post I had a mate who slowed me down loads and it took us 4.5 hours. I’d imagine without him I could’ve done it in 3.5 I think. 
 

It had the best views of the 3 Munro’s I’ve done purely because it was very cloudy & raining on Ben Lomond and snowing on Ben Vorlich when I done them. 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Did the other two Glenfinnan hills today, Christ they are brutal in hot weather. Awesome day though with cloud inversions and stunning views, and a glorious cycle out [emoji41]

[IrishBhoy]

19 hours ago, Swello said:

You should have told them that you've never been in the shop because you were always too busy drinking ice cold pints in the summit bar.

Imagine the amount of casualties there would be if you were able to get a pint on Ben Nevis. 

If this TripAdvisor review is intended to be a joke then it’s very very funny, but if it’s genuine then I dread to think how that person gets through their life.

[microdave]

Beinn Narnain today with my brother and nephew. We went the normal route by the cobbler on the way there and returned via a mega scramble (see second pic). I think it took us far too long and could've been a couple of hours shorter but I suppose I have to give my nephew a bit of leeway since it's his first munro. It's fair to say we're all knackered this evening.

Incidentally, at the summit, I found a hard boiled egg with no shell sitting in a hole on top of the trig point.

[Chinatoon Bairn]

Heading up to Fort William with the intention of getting myself up Ben Nevis via CMD. A few of the boys have seen a few pictures on Instagram and started getting wet feet already as they’re not massively experienced walkers. 

We’re considering splitting into two groups to try and reconvene at the top and head back down together, would a 2.5hr lead time for those doing CMD be enough to do so?