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When it comes to
weather, I've been very
lucky this winter. It started with Beinn Dorain at the start of November,
and then I
figured I wouldn't see another winter's day like it for a long time. At the end of
November, I had another amazing day in the Luss Hills. But today, the good weather
had come again and I had a new camera - a Canon EOS 400D. I've still been
getting to grips with the camera as I try to get beyond simply pointing
and shooting but several images turned out very well in the end. All the
images put up, bar one or two, I've spent a lot of time working on.
Glued to the internet, and looking at weather reports the night before,
the Mountain Weather Information Service were predicting a cloud inversion
above 800m. This, combined with my lack of hillwalking in December left
me eager to go. There was no question about it. If I could arrange travel to the
bottom of Beinn Ime (highest mountain in the area, highest chance of an
inversion) then I'd be sorted. Dad took the opportunity to do some
photography by the lochs, so things were looking up.
Early on the 31st, we were driving up the A82 into Arrochar and around
to Glen
Croe. There was a lot of cloud clinging to the higher reaches of the
hills, although the Cobbler had been clear. It's snow-clad eastern corrie radiated pink morning light
and it was quite a sight. At the time, it seemed
to me that I wouldn't see an inversion. I'd come to take my chances,
knowing well that trying would pay off one of these days. A peppering of snow or frost coated the slopes before the faces soared into cloud. The cliffs of The Brack were
mysterious, almost
frightening and for a moment in time, the prospect of going alone was
daunting.
At Butterbridge I looked up to the hills, thought about the navigation,
the hours of walking alone on those hills in
the cloud and the snow... Something was putting me off going up there. It didn't
feel right. I'd guessed the cloud inversion wasn't a possibility anymore
but I thought I should go for it. If I went for it, then perhaps I'd be
rewarded. I was doubtful, but I'd give it a shot.
Ascent to Beinn Chorranach
I set off at 9.20am, following the forestry tracks before crossing the
stream and cutting straight up the side of Beinn Chorranach. There were
walkers above and I decided to catch them up. With mountains hidden
under duller grey, I shot off up the hillside. At 600m, I met with these
people and asked them if they knew if it was safe to climb the side of
Chorranach safely. It seemed like the steep way to go. One of the guys,
who perhaps thought I may be lost said they'd tag along behind me. I
felt okay so far, but having them about suited me well. I kept them within 30 metres or so as we
headed into the cloud. The slopes steepened and snow cover was
as expected. I felt good by now, realising the slopes were tamer than
I'd thought them to be. As a means of navigating, I kept the sound of
traffic to my back and it took me up the hillside on a straight course
to the top. Very clever way to
navigate...
Then the verglas came and the angle of the slopes became tremendous. If
these guys hadn't been around I wouldn't have ever come up this way. The
Ime-Chorranach saddle would have been my route of choice. On steeper sections I let them
lead and then at 850m, the
slope angled off. I then began to notice a change in the air, and I
could sense shadows appearing. Cloud around us glowed, and it went
through my mind that perhaps I was about to walk out of the cloud.
In a moment, we walked straight out the mist and into brilliant
sunshine. All these views appearing at once - it was so spectacular...
blue skies embellished by high cirrus cloud were spread out above and it
was bright all around. I looked out to the west where Ben Cruachan and
neighbouring peaks were spread out, while beside me, the rocks were covered with wind sculpted ice. Feeling well,
the four of us walked up onto the summit of Beinn Chorranach together. I
introduced myself to them properly and we got talking. They were nice
folk and had been a great help, keeping me confident on the way up the face. Beneath
us, clouds spilled over the Chorranach-Ime saddle and the sun shone low
in the sky. Only the highest mountains - almost all Munros - showed
through the top of the cloud. It was simply beautiful. I was happy to be there,
happy to have the unexpected company of some very nice people and I felt
superb.
Beinn Ime
The group of three asked me if I wanted to tag along with them to Beinn
Ime and I accepted that offer. We headed down into the cloud, across the
saddle and climbed back up the other side and out of the cloud. I
picked up a path and followed it upwards. Behind me, Beinn Ime cast it's
shadow on the clouds beneath and I regularly stopped to take in these
views while I had them. The route up Beinn Ime turned out to be a lot
easier than I had anticipated it to be, and although steep, I kept
myself paced. As we reached the top, a Brocken Spectre appeared on the
mists below. We were too high to see our own shadows in it, but to
witness a pyramidal shadow cast below, topped off by a spectre was a
sight in itself. We arrived at the top of Beinn Ime at 11.30am and as we
treaded the final slopes to the top, we'd left its' shadow and the sun
shone once more. Feeling
elated and completely grateful to be here, I stopped for a food break
and a rest.
I phoned dad - he was below the cloud and was taking atmospheric
photographs of Loch Awe in the mist. I could barely believe that I was
in the same area as him and it occurred to me that what I so often feel
on the summit of Beinn Ime is detachment from the world - it's such a
high and airy summit, especially in the wind and cloud, that here I barely
feel attached to the ground at all. The Kevin that stood staring up at
mist shrouded hills in Butterbridge a few hours earlier seemed so long
ago, because to me this alternative, almost exclusive (for those who got
out of bed early enough :) ) world above the clouds was all that existed at
that point in time. It was damn good to sit and take it all in knowing
that I made the effort. It all paid off...
After twenty or so minutes on the top, the three asked me if I wanted to
return with them. My original plan had been to go over to Beinn Luibhean
but it wasn't even out of the cloud, thus that plan was abandoned. I'd got
what I came for - Beinn Chorranach, Beinn Ime and the incredible views.
I was feeling totally content with what I'd achieved thus far and to climb Beinn Ime
last also kept in line with a new tradition, to
climb it at the end of every year. I'd climbed it in December 2007 -
last summit of that year - and although we didn't get out of the cloud, the conditions were
indeed similar.
Descent
We descended down the hillside and back into the cloud. I was sad to
leave, but I had to get back myself. I would sit up there for hours, but
I wouldn't keep dad waiting... I took some final photographs, looked
around at this world once more before walking down into the murk. We
arrived back at the bealach and the frozen bogs made the terrain easy to
walk on. We headed down the corrie, following the Allt Beinn Ime and
eventually back to Butterbridge.
One section had me picking my way down a verglas coated gully where the
ground had steepened into crags, but otherwise the terrain consisted of
grassy slopes. We walked back under the cloud into the grey world. It
was the world that I
knew, one with roads, the sound of traffic and buildings. I knew it
better than the almost ethereal one I'd seen at the summits. It was strange to
know what was lying up there - anyone down here without knowing the
conditions would assume the weather was worse at the top. Dammit,
were they missing out or what??
From the corrie, it was a speedy descent. I talked to Mark (I'm sure that
was his name) a lot on the way down and we headed over the river and
back down to Butterbridge, following the path. Back at the car park, dad
pulled in at 1.20pm, exactly four hours after he left. I said goodbyes
to Mark and the others, thanked them for the company and headed off
home. I didn't get any email addresses off them though - if I did, I'd
send them over a couple of pictures or something.
As far as 2008 hillwalks go, this may have been my absolute best. Every
hillwalk is top notch - bar one or two where my mind isn't with it, I
suppose - but this one did have a vibe to it which hasn't
been so pronounced on other walks. One thing I experienced here was a
small degree of adrenaline. Climbing the steep slopes of Chorranach was
something I wouldn't have done alone and I felt exhilarated by it. Beinn
Ime's north slopes felt steep - perhaps steeper than it really is in the conditions and
I felt a quiet underlying fear when we came across the gully on
the descent. All was fine though and, in retrospect, an edge had been added to
the walk. It was another top notch trip in the mountains and there was
no better way to finish off the year. Here's hoping that 2009 will top
the last twelve months!
Panorama
360 degree panorama from Beinn Ime summit
Written: 2009-01-01
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