Hillwalking Thread

[Chinatoon Bairn]

Not seen as much complaints this weekend as I did previous.. Hills still absolutely heaving? Might get up one this weekend weather dependant.

[Adam]

Not seen as much complaints this weekend as I did previous.. Hills still absolutely heaving? Might get up one this weekend weather dependant.

Done Ben Lui on Saturday, walked in from Tyndrum. I reckon we encountered a maximum of 10 groups between 10am and 6pm when we got back.

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

17 hours ago, AL-FFC said:

I always find i carry too much kit but pal of mines done his mountain leader and way he looks at it is be prepared for to survive 24hrs on the hill as you never know and in all fairness i do carry bivvy bag, first aid kit etc probably go over the top but like you say if things take a turn am prepared for it.

Total overkill for a hill like Ben Lawers. It’s a piece of piss. I went up in trainers with a small backpack with some lunch and water. For other Munros I agree that it is sensible to pack what you’ve mentioned but the chances of getting stuck up there were pretty much zero.

[AL-FFC]

10 minutes ago, Bonksy+HisChristianParade said:

Total overkill for a hill like Ben Lawers. It’s a piece of piss. I went up in trainers with a small backpack with some lunch and water. For other Munros I agree that it is sensible to pack what you’ve mentioned but the chances of getting stuck up there were pretty much zero.

Ben Lawers i wasnt too bad with mind you i was just starting out then with that and Beinn Ghlass very easy but even with the pandemic Mountain Rescue have been called out to Conic Hill, Ben A'an and Ben Lomond whilst the first 2 are nothing more than hills but to have mountain rescue called out to you on those 2 just shows how bad some people can get it wrong. The Ben Lomond one visibility deteriorated and the walkers didnt know where they were.

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

16 minutes ago, AL-FFC said:

Ben Lawers i wasnt too bad with mind you i was just starting out then with that and Beinn Ghlass very easy but even with the pandemic Mountain Rescue have been called out to Conic Hill, Ben A'an and Ben Lomond whilst the first 2 are nothing more than hills but to have mountain rescue called out to you on those 2 just shows how bad some people can get it wrong. The Ben Lomond one visibility deteriorated and the walkers didnt know where they were.

Yeah I’m probably being a bit of an arsehole tbh, and it’s better to be over prepared than under. I do think you can use your own judgement though based on the season and what munro you’re going up. 

[jamamafegan]

Total overkill for a hill like Ben Lawers. It’s a piece of piss. I went up in trainers with a small backpack with some lunch and water. For other Munros I agree that it is sensible to pack what you’ve mentioned but the chances of getting stuck up there were pretty much zero.

This is nonsense. It doesn’t matter how easy the munro is, everything changes if mist comes down and reduces the visibility to nothing more than a few metres in front of you. It can be very disorienting. You should know better after our experience on Mayar and Driesh!

I’m just off the back of an epic munro weekend. First I tackled Ben Klibreck. I was in a rush to get it done and meet mates in Aviemore, I completed it in under 4 hrs.



Then on Saturday it was a full on day doing Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Cairn Toul. Long day, started at 09:30 and was back at the car for 19:15. Maps and compass were required ([emoji6]) on the summit of Cairn Toul which got very misty and left us confused as to which way we were going. Hike was rounded off nicely with a wash in Loch Morlich.

[Gnash]

6 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

everything changes if mist comes down and reduces the visibility to nothing more than a few metres in front of you. It can be very disorienting. 
 

 

I can attest to that.  I walked up one of the Red Cullins (forget which one, it was about 15 years ago) on a fine day without a map or compass, but there was a clear path so I thought it was no problem.  By the time I got to the top, the clouds had descended and visibility was 10m or so.  But I still had the path, so again, no problem.  I'd got a third of the way down and beneath the clouds when I saw the view looked different - I'd come down a completely different ridge!  Away from the ridges the terrain was appalling, so had to back to the top and very carefully make sure I went down the right path second time.

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

31 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

This is nonsense. It doesn’t matter how easy the munro is, everything changes if mist comes down and reduces the visibility to nothing more than a few metres in front of you. It can be very disorienting. You should know better after our experience on Mayar and Driesh!

I’m just off the back of an epic munro weekend. First I tackled Ben Klibreck. I was in a rush to get it done and meet mates in Aviemore, I completed it in under 4 hrs.



Then on Saturday it was a full on day doing Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Cairn Toul. Long day, started at 09:30 and was back at the car for 19:15. Maps and compass were required () on the summit of Cairn Toul which got very misty and left us confused as to which way we were going. Hike was rounded off nicely with a wash in Loch Morlich.








 

 

I just think I have a better natural sense of direction than you. Mayar and Dreish was a totally different scenario - barely anybody up there, different season and not the same level of obvious path. It’s good to see you are now using a compass after having to get saved by a mountain man in his minibus after going the wrong way. 

P.S I think you should bear in mind you’re talking to a Perthshire schools orienteering champion here (P7).  Don’t recall you ever achieving such an accolade.

Edited July 20, 2020 by Bonksy+HisChristianParade

[the aggressive beggar]

21 hours ago, Swello said:

You did the right thing and those hills have a proper drop between them - better not to overdo it. When I was starting out, the most difficult part was getting it in my head that getting to the summit wasn't the hard bit over and done with - getting to the point where you can drop off the first hill and then put in another big effort to get to another summit and then still be in a reasonable frame of mind for a big walk out takes a bit of getting used to.

My tip would be to take particular notice of the vertical ascent in a walk as well as the distance when you're planning it - it makes it a bit easier to get your head round it. If a walk has over 1000m ascent, it will be hard work for most (the shorter the walk, the worse the pain) and it gives you a hint that there will be a decent drop between hills - without checking, I'm sure the Loch Lochy walk will be in that bracket given how low that bealach is.

If you want to string some Munros together, try some in the East Mounth - the drops between hills are over a longer distance and it feels more like a continuous walk rather than a succession of sharp peaks like you get more of in the West. @invergowrie arab  or @Day of the Lords would much more on authority than me as it will be their back yard and could make better suggestions than me i'm sure - but i really like the walking in that part of the world. Look at walks from Glen Doll for example - Dreish/Mayar is a really nice walk and the round of 4 munros (Tom Bhuidhe/Tolmount/Cairn Bannocch/Broad Cairn if I remember correctly) up Jock's Road was one of my favourite Munro days...

Cheers for that Swello.  Mayar and Dreish are already in sight for the end of August, will check out the others.

I spend a good bit of time looking over the maps before setting off but not yet got the experience to fully understand them, will keep that in mind about the ascent.  Gonna take a wee step back for the next couple of weeks and do Ben Venue and Ben Cleuch.  Then take another crack at some Monro's.

Some photos from yesterday,

View to the west

Sron a'Choire Ghairbh

Loch Lochy from the summit

[paul-r-cfc]

Good wee walk today. Weather stayed decent for the most part. Got a bit chilly at the top but we got there just in time to quickly take in the view it disappeared.

[Dunning1874]

Another beginner w****r, started off with the Cobbler today. It was predictably really busy and only got a view for about 10 seconds at the summit before cloud enveloped everything, not a chance I was threading the needle in that weather. I'll definitely be doing a few more corbetts to build my fitness up before tackling the easier Munros considering how my knees are feeling after a basic one like that.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Another beginner w****r, started off with the Cobbler today. It was predictably really busy and only got a view for about 10 seconds at the summit before cloud enveloped everything, not a chance I was threading the needle in that weather. I'll definitely be doing a few more corbetts to build my fitness up before tackling the easier Munros considering how my knees are feeling after a basic one like that.

You'll find a lot of Corbetts tougher than the munros tbh. They are often rougher than the average munro. The Cobbler is fairly unusual in having such excellently maintained paths.

[paul-r-cfc]

The view we enjoyed for about two minutes before it disappeared. Also met these two characters on the way down.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

44 minutes ago, Monday 13th July said:

Indeed I found Stac Pollaidh harder than Ben Lomond, and sometimes Corbetts are actually taller than munros.   

Some of the scrambling on Stac Pollaidh is "interesting" if sticking to the crest but it's quick and has a good path around it. Ben Lomond is just boring, unless done via Ptarmigan, which upgrades it to mildly interesting. 

There might have been some measurement anomalies in the old days but unless someone has seriously fucked up, there won't be a Corbett taller than a munro 

[invergowrie arab]

1 hour ago, Monday 13th July said:

It's gauged by height and difficult, but some Corbetts are indeed higher, there's 4 in total.     Do you have a favourite Scottish mountain, mines certainly Braeriach.  Love that hill.     

You're on the wind up.

 

ETA worked out who it is now.

Edited July 20, 2020 by invergowrie arab

[Benjamin_Nevis]

8 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

You're on the wind up.

 

ETA worked out who it is now.

Ah of course. It's the Perthshire weirdo 

[Swello]

13 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

Another beginner w****r, started off with the Cobbler today. It was predictably really busy and only got a view for about 10 seconds at the summit before cloud enveloped everything, not a chance I was threading the needle in that weather. I'll definitely be doing a few more corbetts to build my fitness up before tackling the easier Munros considering how my knees are feeling after a basic one like that.

The Cobbler is quite steep and as it's all on a hard path, it probably is a bad one on the knees and after a couple of years of concentrating on them, I'd say that "normal" Corbetts are worse for beginners in a lot of ways (especially navigation/route finding when the weather comes in).

The 2nd Munro walk I did after Ben Lawers was Glas Maol/Creag Leachach (I also climbed the Cobbler as my first walk) - and with the high start from Glenshee (that road goes up to 650m), I couldn't believe how easy it was to get to the summits compared to the other walks I'd done at that point. Even though Glas Maol isn't a classic hill, it was that walk that got me hooked, not the other more celebrated ones (it was a nice day and the snow was still lying which helped). 

Meall nan Tarmachan is the one that I take beginners on whenever I get asked to. The road goes up to 450m, so there isn't much climbing (and it's all on a good path), it's a great viewpoint and if they feel up to it, I extend it to do the ridge route so they get to experience a wee bit of exposure and the feeling of doing some extended walking at height. Would recommend doing the Munro walk initially - the ridge would be a good one to return to when you've got a bit of experience (not my photo):

[invergowrie arab]

34 minutes ago, Monday 13th July said:

I was indeed joking.   But sometimes its hard to remember whats the taller of the two, I was something I used to struggle with until a mate of mine gave me this:     Donnie Munro is BIGGER than Ronnie Corbett.    Remember that and you'll never be confused.   

 

Olga Korbut and Ronnie Corbette both very small.

Donnie Munro and Munroe Bergdof both very tall.

Makes you think 

[Thereisalight..]

I've did hillwalking for a few years now, but I’ve yet to climb a Munro! Headed to Girvan yesterday and did a few of the hills there - grey and byne. Don’t know what the hell is wrong with me as anytime I do do strenuous exercise like  hiking or cycling, my heart rate races for hours afterwards and I can’t  get to sleep. Don’t know if my heart is fcked or what the problem is

[AyrshireTon]

17 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

Another beginner w****r, started off with the Cobbler today. It was predictably really busy and only got a view for about 10 seconds at the summit before cloud enveloped everything, not a chance I was threading the needle in that weather. I'll definitely be doing a few more corbetts to build my fitness up before tackling the easier Munros considering how my knees are feeling after a basic one like that.

I'd start with the easier Munros - many Corbetts are pathless (and steep).  Ben Vorlich at Loch Earn or Beinn Ghlas & Ben Lawers once the crowds have dropped.

The dip between a pair of Munros can often be very little due to Munro himself never really specifying. The dip between a pair of Corbetts has to be 152m for them to class as separate, making the re-ascent something of an ordeal. That said, there are some fairly straightforward Corbetts such as Ben Ledi and Goatfell.

Initially I made a point of aiming to finish Chapter 1 of both the SMC Munro book and the Corbett book. The former is still waiting on Beinn Bhuidhe, the latter was done but had to be re-finished after Cnoc Coinnich was re-measured. My toughest days have almost always been on Corbetts (Stob a' Choin being a particularly memorable case).