Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Loch Treig and Loch Ossian: Chno Dearg (86) and Stob Coire Sgriodain (174)

Walk date: 12/7/14
My Munro #'s: 259

Pronunciations - translations - heights:

Knaw jerrack - red nut or red hill - 1046m
Stop kora sgreeaden - peak of the scree corrie - 979m

Statistics:
Duration - 08:00 - 12:30
Distance -  15.8 km
Total ascent -  1257m
Weather - Very wet, cold and windy!
Team - with Paul P
Other hikers: none











Day 8 - Saturday

And lo!  It had to come to an end, both weather-wise and time-wise.  As if by some sort of curse, our doomed, never-climbed hills of last year became our only soaked hills of this year!  

It made sense for us to hit these on our drive homewards as the path up the back started from the private Corrour road.   Despite the dull start, I opted to start without my water proof trousers and to stay in my Merrells, both choices meant that from 30 minutes in I was completely soaked from the waist down.  From about 400m there was no visibility, and our knowledge of the hills became a GPS line and whatever bog/tuft of grass/ rocky outcrop was immediately ahead, all the time while being blown about by the increasing wind.  Ah, I'd missed this!

Without a good view, we snaked inefficiently between small cliffs and gullies up the NE back of Chno Dearg as the long grass and bog made sure we didn't dry out.  Eventually the incline increased and we sensed a summit, but one that left us exposed to the elements full-time.  

We merely patted the summit before beginning the longer-than-expected link between the peaks, which in the cloud was cold and very disorientating, at times being confused despite many GPS and compass checks.

Finally, we reached Stob Coire Sgriodain, but thought of little but returning as quick as we could.  These hills had defeated us before, and despite it being July, we were definitely taking the hint and getting down as soon as we could.  Once finally back down, we each required a full change, and shaky retreat into a warm but smelly car for some much needed food before the long journey back.

8 days, 19 hills; we were back!


A cold summit shot on Sgriodain:
An example of the fine visibility we experienced:

Finally back down below the cloud:

Our last views of the Corrour estate before heading home:


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