Munro Bagging in Scotland - Winter and Summer: March 2005

Stob 'a Choire Odhair & Stob Ghabar No 76,77

Another good day, 19/3/05. With some sweet views and temp. inversions. An easy ascent up Stob Ghabar with nice switchbacks. Great views of the next munro Stob 'a Choire Odhair when descending to the bealach and a scramble up the aonach eagach ridge to join the ridge and onto the ascent up the knife edge arete, good exposure and easy walking. T shirt weather while walking.

Amazing views of Nevis and Lui sticking up above a sea of cloud. And a weird circular rainbow effect cast from shadow of the summit.

(I have since discovered it's called a 'brockets sphere')

Beinn a' Chocuill & Beinn Eunaich No 74,75

13th of March 2005 - Ascent 4365ft, 4hrs 15mins.

Fantastic weather and vistas. Stipped down to a thermal tshirt and slogged up to Eunaichs long grassy ridge, bone dry and like straw, with some nice crunchy snow to finish. Very blinding sun and a cold wind. The view across to Cruachan waw amazing.

I never realised how many peaks, and how far apart they are, within the spectacular Cruachan ridge. Alpine in scale if not overall in ht. Seven seperate peaks counted. A view to remind you you're alive.

Continued on down towards a' Chocuill with a twisting narrow ridge with perfect under foot snow just enough to get the edge in, without crampons.

A full hr on the summit soaking up the 360 degs vistas. Only when I saw a pillar of snow coming in off Jura did I start the easy descent down to the hydro tunnel rd and back to the car.

Sunburnt face and a great day, after missing last weekends walking due to a bad cough.

Nick