MODELLING IN GLENCOE

Sgurr Bhan & Ballachulish before the drizzle

Tom, the photographer

Mark, the writer & Editor

Tom, getting the angles right

I was over in Glencoe today guiding Tom & Mark from Holland who are over for a week in The Highlands. They work for  Columbus Magazine and are doing a variety of activity articles for the magazine. Here's me thinking I was just doing a bit of guiding in Coire Gabhail when all of a sudden I'm being asked to get into a variety of posses in beautiful mountain surroundings. Never a dull moment in the hills. Unfortunately the guys missed the glorious sunny weather in the morning, due to their tight schedule we didn't get walking till after 1pm today. The cloud quickly came in by early afternoon and we had some drizzle which should give some atmospheric black &white shots for the mag due out in January.

3 PEAKS & CHASING THE WEATHER

The team, The Ben, number 1

Cutting down the zig-zags on Ben Nevis

Still plenty snow high up on the Pony Track

Summit Scafell Pike, Number 2

On the Pyg track, Snowdon, beautiful early light

Yr Liwedd from the Pyg track

Summit Snowdon, we had all 3 to ourselves!

I was guiding a group of 12 folk from London on their national 3 Peaks Challenge over the weekend. The challenge involves ascending Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and if you can do it in 24 hours then it's a real bonus and massive achievement. We had fab weather all the way through, we were away from Ben Nevis by 1.30pm and missed the weather front that came into the west coast of Scotland that night. Scafell Pike we started at 8.10pm and back down by 0030 Sunday morning. We reached Snowdonia by first light and had beautiful weather with fantastic light for the third and final mountain. The team did superb, 26 hours which was really good considering half the team had never been up a mountain in their life! This weekend I was working with www.achievemountains.com

MORE SNOW

Sgurr a' Mhaim from the garden

After a rather wet and cold day yesterday it's left the hills with another fresh coating of snow above 800m. The forecast in the long term is to stay cool on the summits. Looking like a nice day tomorrow with sunshine.  The skies cleared late afternoon and the tops came out to play in the evening sun. Off tomorrow guiding  a  group on their National 3 peaks challenge, that is Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. Looks like we will be escaping the next weather front through the 24h hour period as we travel further south, that's lucky-well we'll see!

MAMORES

Stob Ban's North Ridge

Ben Nevis, Aonach's and Grey Corrie's from the summit of Sgurr a' Mhaim

The Eastern Mamore's

The Devil's Ridge

Ben Nevis from the summit

It was back to fine weather again today, more like a typical May day. After some early cloud the sun soon burned off the cloud and most of the summits were cloud free with some lovely sunny periods and hardly a breeze. Fresh snow from last couple of days has given the hills a fresh dusting of white stuff and it felt quite warm in the sunshine and snow reflection. I headed up to Sgurr a' Mhaim and The Devils Ridge in The Mamores today which gives a nice shortish day with bags of views. A fine day to be out. Looks like more snow on the hills tomorrow then back to fine weather for the weekend.

NE'ER CAST A CLOUT TILL MAY BE OUT!

One of the many falls & pools in the Allt  Coire Guibhsachan

Coire Guibhsachan & Aonach Beag

Laurence on the summit looking to Sgurr a' Mhaim

A snowy Aonach Beag beyond

Heading down and the CMD arete with fresh snow

Looking into Steall Meadow and The Mamores

It was another cold night with rain into the morning which put some fresh snow down to 750m on the hills of Lochaber . Looks set to be quite cool all this week so don't put the woolies away just yet! Today Laurence and I went up the lovely Meall Chumain which only reaches the lowly height of just over 600m but it has many impressive mountain features which put many a bigger hill to shame. Our route today went through the lovely Glen Nevis gorge  to Steall Falls and meadows then alongside beautiful wee waterfalls and pools and finally up the pathless east slopes to the fine summit viewpoint. Great views looking all the way down to the car park, across to Ben Nevis, Aonach Beag and The Mamores. There was a cool breeze on the tops so it must have been winter temperatures on the higher tops. 

CROWDED OUT

It as been another fine sunny day in Lochaber, what a lovely spell of weather we've had, similar to almost 12 months ago when we had a 3 week  heatwave. The last couple of days it has been much colder with an northerly airflow, bringing just the odd snow flurry today. In the sun it was quite pleasant but cool when the cloud came over. I had a group of six out with me today with the intention of  getting onto Ben Nevis. Shortly after we started up the Pony track fom Achintee it was clear that we we're certainly not going to be alone. There were hundreds of folk out today (no exaggeration!) all setting off at the usual 9am start. The lads made the decision to 'escape' the mayhem and we changed our route for Carn Mor Dearg instead. The guys were soon relieved and happy to enter the 'wilderness' of the Allt a' Mhuillin and heading up to enjoy the impressive views of the north face of The Ben instead. We saw only a few folk on CMD. Well done to all the guys, they may be back for some winter fun next year!

EAST RIDGE CARN DEARG MEAHONACH IN GLORIOUS BLUE SKIES

The fun begins!

Alpine like ridges

This bits solid! Fine views out to the Great Glen

Wonderful scrambling with fine views back to the west face of Aonach Mor

The first 'fin' and more to come

Looking back to Aonach Mor & Beag

Final section and Ben Nevis looming ahead

First Purple Saxifrage seen this season

Looking back before the top

Shame about the view at the end! Much snow has gone since a few days ago

Yet another beautiful clear skies day, warm sunshine and very little breeze. If anyone has been up on holiday this last week they will have been amazed at their luck! from last Friday it has been virtualy blue skies every day. Today I traversed over from The Allt a Mhuillin path and into the lovely Allt Daim Glen  and had  a fab scramble up the East ridge of Carn Dearg Meadhonach. This great wee easy scramble high up on the hill is a favourite of mine, really quiet and fantastic views. The rock is a wee bit loose so calls for some 'delicate' footwork and no big pulls! The rock was warm and the whole arete is clear of snow with the very warm temperatures we've been enjoying. If you we're on this a few days ago it would have been an axe and crampons job. Today I just had my hill running shoes on which give excellent friction on rock. There is a vast      reduction in snow cover on CMD now and across to Ben Nevis the big ridges have also lost most of the snow cover. First Purple Saxifrage seen today, right on the ridge line. Well it could all change again from tomorrow-snow showers and much cooler temperatures forecast but it looks like the snow showers may be short lived over here in the west. I could get used to this weather we've had!

SCORCHER ON AONACH BEAG

The wonderful south ridges onto Aonach Beag

Looking back to Glen Nevis

Ben Nevis & CMD from the summit of Aonach Beag

The actual  summit of Aonach Beag is only inches from the corrie lip!

The impressive Ruadh  Eigg Buttress and Aonach Mor beyond

Yet another day of clear blue skies and warm sunshine, light breeze. I was out on Aonach Beag today and the finest walking route to the top is via the south Munro Tops from Steall Meadows, I suspect that the vast majority of Munro baggers get the gondola up from Nevis Range and go over Aonach Mor then across the plateau to Aonach beag-shame on you! :) I never usually see anyone on this longer more scenic and full of interest route, though there was one guy just in front of me today as he kindly trail broke the route in the very soft snow. There is snow still lying from around 1000m and on this south side it has the full heat of the sun so it is melting very quickly. The south side and I suspect most of the CMD arete is now well melted, compared to just a couple of days ago where the snow was still lying in large volumes, well it is May after all! The view from the top of Aonach Beag is fabulous, looking across to Ben Nevis, the CMD arete and over the Grey Corries and Mamores. There is a lovely ridge down to the Ruadh Eigg Buttress which gives spectacular views and makes a fine circuit back to Steall. Finally a great run down Glen Nevis on the bike to cool off from another very warm day. One more to come tomorrow then it's back to some wintry showers on Friday!

BLUE SKIES AGAIN

Looking toward Sgurr Donhuill

The view from Sgurr Donhuill toward Loch Linnhe & Ardgour

The view from Sgurr Donhuill

Sgurr Dhearg from Sgurr Bhan

Paul scrambling on Sgurr Bhan

Looking down to Ballachulish from Sgurr Bhan

Enjoying the sun on Sgurr Dhearg

Paul and I had a fab day over in Glencoe. We had a traverse over the Ballachulish Horseshoe, that is the Munro's of Sgurr Donhuill and Sgurr Dhearg. WE started the traverse going u the lovely ridge of Sgurr Bhan which has a nice wee scramble near the top of the ridge. It was another superb day, blue, blue skies, warm sun and only  a slight breeze. More of the same tomorrow!