Heading east.....

En route east now and so far it's been hot, clegless and purple. Yes the heather has arrived and it is indeed Bonny Scotland. I have come through Loch Lochy, Glen Roy, the Corrieyarrick Pass, Kingussie, Strathdearn and am now in Aviemore.
I have had company on the hill from Manny and Brenda. In 2008, Manny ran all the corbetts in 70 days, ( don't compare, fine race horse and pack mule come to mind!). It has been great to be able to discuss the journey with someone who has been there and to get  a few hints and tips on the route plan.

A couple of days ago when I had come over from Kingussie to Strathdearn a big, big day, Manny and his mate Geoff had cycled in a mountain bike which saved me an extra 12km walking and then Rob arrived with all my camping kit and a picnic. The support is amazing. 

Yesterday I was heading up Meall a Buachille when I came across a motley crew. My team from my work with the Venture Trust were out on the hill. I have wondered from the start if I would come across them somewhere. it was great to see them and catch up on what has been happening. The girls are doing well this year, Holly and Laura have been Hoofing it Home (virgin money giving hoofing it home), a journey they undertook with their horses from Aberfeldy to the Lake district raising money for the Venture Trust, their human charity and World Horse Welfare, their horsey one on the way. A superb journey and one I am looking forward to reading up on.

That's if for now. I am now on my way east and there is a lot of miles in between each of the hills out there. Only 53 to go ..........

Ardgour and Moidart, a turning point

I was on the Ardgour, Moidart peninsula for 8 days in total and it turned out to be pretty tough. One evening cycling from Strontian to Garbh Bheinn in a torrential downpour I lost my map. The next day, I got up early and retraced my steps but could not find it being a Sunday and very misty i thought it may be difficult to get one and so changed my plans to climb 2 hills i did have a map for, Cruach Beinn and Fuar Beinn. On the cycle to start the route my bike chain snapped and I managed to fix it but it snapped again.

Hollie to the rescue - a friend of a friend came out and got my bike while I took the chance of the mist clearing and headed up Garbh Bheinn without a map, the mist cleared as the day went on and I managed to pull something out of the day with the bonus of being invited to stay the night with Hollie, Ishbel and Dugald, dry off for the night and watch the world cup.

The following day Rob and his nephews drove all the way down from Conon Bridge to fix my bike chain while i went off to climb Cruach Bheinn and fuar Bheinn. Torrential rain and strong winds again made the going pretty hard work made even more so when I discovered on top of the first summit I had lost my compass. Not good. I managed to use the wind direction to navigate my way down to the bealach and up to the next summit but do not recommend this as a navigation tool. I was trashed, drookit and feeling pretty drained by the time I came off of here and booked into a b and b to dry out. The next day was a tough round of Beinn na h-uama, Sgurr Dhomhuill, and Carn na Natrach, bonnie but lots of steep ascents and descents and it was a good 10 hours on the hill. A cycle round the peninsula the next day to climb Sgurr Coire A chearcaill, blessedly straightforward once we found the track! I was joined this day by Irene and Janice, 2 women from Perth mountaineering club who had being staying at the b and b. It was a long time since I had company on the hill and the time passed quickly and pleasantly, at least until the girls left and I had to fix yet another puncture in the pissing rain. A frustrating time was spent trying to get the rear wheel back on the bike before setting up camp on the shore of Loch Eil.

There are not too many corbetts where you get the chance to stay on a ridge all day and the round of Sgurr craobh a chaorainn, sgurr guibsachan and bealach an Sgridain  is a cracking high level traverse and a good way to finish the peninsula.
I was happy to cycle away the next morning though, it felt like I had reached a turning point and I was cycling into the sunshine..............................

A well overdue update from Lorraine in Moidart ..........................................................

26 days and 53 hills after my last blog, whoops where has the time gone? I have come through Strathfarrar, Strathconon, Torridon, The Coulin Forrest, Applecross, Torridon, Achnashellach, Inverinate Forrest, Glen Affric, Glen Shiel, Knoydart, Glen Dessary, Glen Kingie, and Glenfinnan.

The weather began to turn at last in Glen Affric where i had the chance for the first time to stay in the Ault Beithe hostel, a very special place and a great evening where I shared celebrating my half way mark with Alisdair who had just finished his second round of munros. A few wee drams were had by all.

I have had lots of sunshine, cloud inversions, high camps, misty sunrises and sunsets. I have seen a wild boar with her baby, a pine marten washing its paws right in front of me, had a baby deer follow me down the mountain, watched lots of other hinds with their babies, the stags running together and ptarmigan chicks are everywhere.

Spring has become high summer with bell heather and ling, the bog is a carpet of colour with deep red and orange smagnum moss,  wispy bog cotton, sundew and bog asphodel. I had my first blaeberries of the year on the 27th June on Sgurr an Airsid.

I have been midged, clegged and ticked but the worse by far is the bracken. I have spent many days fighting my way up hills on pathless terrain tripping, slipping, getting ankles tied in the lower stems and not being able to see over the top. Never, ever, ascend Sgurr Coire Conneachan direct from the Gleann Dubh Loch in Knoydart! Day of the Triffids comes to mind! Mountains that used to be purple are now only green because of how much the bracken has gotten hold.

People are few and far between on these hills. Perhaps they know about the bracken. Yesterday I met my first people on a hill since Beinn Damh in Torridon, over 40 hills ago. I have met people in the glens and bothies though. The Cape Wrath Trail seems to be particularly popular.

Support is still coming big time from Rob who appears with bikes, fresh raspberries, real bread and cheese, clean clothes, dry shoes, and takes away rubbish, smelly clothes and seriously smelly shoes. Help has also come from others like Kalie in Applecross, a good friend and yet another member of the Creag Dhont MC. A long overdue thankyou to Kalie for moving my bike , joining me on the hill, eating with me in the Applecross Inn (always a hard one that), putting me up, doing my washing, moving my bike, moving my bike again and did I mention the Green and Blacks Chocolate I found in my back pack!

Support also comes from complete strangers, like Jimmy from Glen Loy who looked after my pack while I was on the hill, made me dinner, gave me his spare room to stay in and entertained me for the evening with his fell running stories and tales of a retired driving examiner. Great evening and great guy. Thank you Jimmy and Izzy..

Yesterday I had my best mountain day by far on the five corbetts just south of Glenfinnan. The Druim Farclash Ridge which joins the 2 in the east with the 3 in the west is a long, scrambly ridge, knife edged in parts. I have not worked out the overall ascent yet but 13 hours after starting I was back at my bike, tired, burnt, thirsty and high as a kite. Still buzzing a half hour later when I cycled into Glen Uig.

And now i am supposedly having a well deserved day off but as the weather is due to break tomorrow, I used this afternoon to cycle to Resipol. Tomorrow I climb Ben Resipol and head over towards the Ardgour hills and then it's time to head east.

79 to go................

My body is holding up, I am a wee bit smaller and browner these days but my poor wee feet are taking a hammering. I've lost a few nails and they are starting to feel a little tender. Thank God for walking poles.

The fundraising is going well, over £2,500 now.  Please help spread the word. It's a good cause.

www.justgiving.com/lorraine-mccall