Beinn na Sroine

With painful memories of a DNF on the Devil of the Highlands ultramarathon still fresh, I needed a break in the hills for some restoration. I decided on shortish drive and a shortish day out; Beinn na Sroine in any guidebook or website suggests a straight up and down from the car with a total route of 3.2km. This wouldn’t do. I checked the OS maps and detected a weakness in the apparently impregnable fir tree moat. It was a relatively cool day at 14C with drizzle my only company.

I left the car in the layby on the Oban road and it was straight into the meat and potatoes of a lung-bursting ascent up long grass and onto the final summit. A mile from the car and approx. 400m of ascent saw my hit the trig point in 35 minutes with no view  except the old posts where a transmitter had stood many a year ago. I wasn’t ready to end my day out with a simple out-and-back so instead headed West and across some peat hags following an old land rover track. I started the eventual descent and sure enough the barrier of forestry stretched across the hill. To my delight, I found a stag antler and packed it away as a prize for the day out. I eventually located a new forestry track, which was on map and followed the zig-zags down and round towards Strone. Although it was an unsightly deforestation, I was able to run most of the way back and eventually re-joined the main road about 2 miles from the car. A good 7-mile walk/run all done in just under 2 hours and I felt great. 70 Grahams racked up. ‘Only’ 149 to go.

Tom Meadhoin

While 90% of Scotland basked in sunshine, I decided to seek out the 10% of the country that was covered in cloud, drizzle and wind. As I drove over Rannoch Moor considering to go up Stob na Cruaiche, I decided to press on with the vague hope of doing the combo of Tom Meadhoin and Mam na Gualainn. I had decided that if the weather was not good, I'd stick with the Graham and leave the Corbett for an improved day. And so it was. The steep yomp up to the bealach from Loch Leven meant that I arrived between the two hills within the hour and it was decision time. I headed West and made for the distant hump in the clouds of Tom Meadhoin. Within 15 minutes, I was at the small summit cairn, soaked. I must have spent less than a minute at the summit cairn for the most grey of grey views. My return to the bealach saw a minor improvement, where the cloud level had lifted slightly but within 2 minutes of eating my crisps, it had descended once again. I did the same and was back at the car within 1 hour 40 minutes. An 8.5km outing with 588m of ascent and little views. Disappointing, especially as I returned home to sun-baked wife and child.

Carnan Cruithneachd

I had long decided to couple this with a route up the unclaimed A Ghlas Bheinn Munro in Kintail. All books discussing this isolated Graham suggest it could have one of the best views in Scotland from its summit and having experienced it this previous Monday, I am a fan. The forecast was for a stable day once the early snow showers had settled and as I drove North, I was optimistic that I might be able to get a doubler. The Munro prize was high on my list but I knew that if I couldn't get up A Ghlas Bheinn, I would have the 'consolation' of the Graham. And so it proved. I had decided to run light but with all gear should it get cold. While I was warm for the first 5km up to the bealach, I was thankful for my fleece thereafter. Wearing trail shoes was always going to be a gamble today and by the time I got up as far as 760m and 0.5km from the summit, I encountered ice. There was no way I could go on and I had to leave the Munro for another day. Never a wasted recce however. A return to the bealach and a yomp over to Carnan Cruithneachd saw me blessed with an exquisite view down the glen and to Iron Lodge. I long to run in from Kilillan past this and tackle the remaining two Munros towards Cannich. A tremendous day out but one that highlights how prepared you have to be to tackle the hills in Winter. This was a 19km route; 1000m ascent; total time out 5 hours.

Queensberry

The night before had seen Graeme, Craig and I forego a wet hike up on Ballencleuch Law and instead make an early start into Brattleburn bothy. It was a wise decision on several fronts. The walk from Middlegill to the bothy was dreich enough and it meant we could truly relax for a few hours once we arrived at the bothy at 1430. A few beers, drams, cheese and ham toasties (Diablo vs Aura?) and some good chat while watching bothy TV was a fine way to set us up for the walk into Queensberry the next day. We were rewarded with a fine and cold day, which made the walk very pleasant indeed. After picking up a coffee in Moffat, we drove along the minor road to Beattock and into the car park at the end of the road. we could see the snow-capped peak of Queensberry in the distance.

It was a real treat to leave the heavy packs behind and take the light packs - I took my 10 litre running pack with tailwind and the bare necessaries. We decided to follow the Land Rover track to Lochanhead then head up via the treelike, which was in shade, since this would theoretically be frozen. Oddly, it wasn't as frozen as we would have preferred but we made good progress anyway. Craig rightly shouted at me to slow it down as I was in 'ultra' mode. Not a great fan of wind turbines next to hills stature, I thought they made a decent accompaniment to what otherwise may have seemed a bland approach. The final rise up the summit was through fresh powder snow and typically, as we approached the cairn, the clag descended. We looked for Burleywhag but to no avail. We decided after summit shots, to head over to Harestane Heights and descend that way but we went off in a more Easternly direction and ended up heading back below the crags before a slightly boggy return to the Land Rover track. We were back at the car in about 3 hours - this was my 50th Donald and 66th Graham. A nice, wee jaunt with Graeme and Craig at a much more leisured pace.