Duchray Hill

Not quite how I'd planned spending my birthday weekend and strangely, almost 2 years to the day that I'd been up this way for Mount Blair. Mum had been in hospital a week or so since her emergency operation for her strangulated hernia. I was due to pick her up from the hospital so I set off early, and arrived at the parking area for this hill. The trees had been felled since I was last up so I decided to head in via the estate track, then up on to the hill proper. I enjoyed the walk/run but the weather never improved and it was an exercise in clag and map-reading. I hit the summit and returned the way I came, getting back to the car within the 1.5 hour mark. Not a classic but perhaps my mind was not receptive. Nonetheless, I felt much better for having done it and felt far more relaxed heading to Aberdeen to pick up mum.

Epic failures and successes on Stob na Cruaiche

Happy New Year - on 2nd January, I attempted a rather ambitious trip up this hill in fairly difficult conditions underfoot. I had long planned to bike into the bottom of this hill, skirting Black Corries Lodge and I wasn't to be disappointed in this regards. The views were incredible and this hill in Winter is a must. But a good level of fitness is definitely needed - only 3 weeks after Covid, I probably gave myself too much to do. 

I parked at the wee turn-off just opposite Glen Etive, keeping the car into the side for folks to pass if need be. I was away by 0915 and had a couple of close calls with ice on the road. There were a few folks taking photos of the Buachaille, which looked amazing and i would take my own photo later on the return. As it was, I stopped often to take in the beautiful scenery. 

I cycled on to the Black Corries Lodge and then had to come off the bike to bypass over deep snow, around the Lodge - this hadn't had any vehicular transport on it so was slow-going until back on the Land Rover track. From here, it was a joyous cycle up on to Meall a Phuill, where i left the bike just short of the summit. I estimated from here, it was about a 4.5-km yomp up over Stob Nan Losgann, then on to my ultimate objective of the day. What I hadn't bargained on was the very soft snow and while I had hoped for some more frozen snow underfoot, this just didn't happen. I began to tire not far off SNL summit, and realised it had taken me an hour to walk 3km. I was due back home by 1500 to meet friends and if I had continued on to Stob Na Cruaiche, I would have been deeply unpopular. This was frustrating as I could see the summit, about 1.5km in the distance but given the terrain underfoot was still deep snow, I decided to head back. Can always come at it from Rannoch in more welcoming conditions. I took another photo of the views - just stunning.

I returned down the hill and back up to Meall a Phuill to collect the bike. All that remained was to enjoy the descent back to the head of Glen Etive and take in the wonderful majesty that is the Buachaille.