Munros + Corbetts - 2012
Beinn Bhuidhe - 08 Octoberber 2012
Well it was supposed to be a nice day, the weather forecast was optimistic that all the low cloud would go away, with many parts of the west highlands cloud free.
So I headed down to Beinn Bhuidhe - from the head of Loch Fyne I cycled up Glen Fyne to a point a bit beyond Inverchorachan. The master plan was to climb up to the summit of Beinn Bhuidhe. Then head north east across the tops to Ceann Garbh, then back down to my starting point.
Like the weather forecast, I think I was a bit optimistic about how much I could do in a day. A few years ago I could have done it before lunch, but nowadays I am somewhat slower than I used to be during my prime munro bagging days.
So I set off up the hill towards Beinn Bhuidhe.
About two thirds of the way up, I met the cloud, and plodded the rest of the way up to the summit in a thick cloak of cloud. Eventually I got there, but could see nothing except a scruffy pile of stones in front of me. Whilst I was standing there somewhat disappointed by the lack of visibility when the cloud began to thin a bit, and I could begin to see other mountains. Then I saw it - out of the cloud appeared Beinn Bhuidhe - a long way away.
I wasn`t on Beinn Bhuidhe at all, I was on the un-named summit at NN 213 193. My heart sank - I was going to be really struggling to get there, it was a long way to go, with a big drop in front of me, then a long climb up.
It took a long time, but I did eventually get there, and of course it was in cloud, so I could see nothing. And I was beginning to run out of time - if I didn`t hurry, it would be dark before I got down.
But I had to have something to eat, I needed it, so sat there for ten minutes or so stoking up my boiler.
Then it happened again - the cloud began to lift, and I could see things. Looking back to where I had come from, here is the un-named summit I had left an hour or so before.
Up to the north, I could see Loch Awe and Ben Cruachan.
To the north east of Ben Cruachan, there is the quite striking horseshoe that includes the two munros Beinn a Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich.
Down to the south, Ben Ime finally appeared out of the cloud - it had had a hat on all day, though much of the rest of the Arrochar Alps were clear all day.
And finally Arran decided to put in an appearance. I don`t quite understand why in the last photograph, there was no sign of cloud at summit height, but just a bit round, there was a whole lot of cloud still hanging about.
Having got the photos, I had to go - and go fast or I was going to run out of daylight. So I headed back down to the coll, and then pretty much headed east, past the flank of the un-named summit, and back to pick up my bike. I got back to my van just as it was getting dark.
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