The Beinn a Bheithir ridge (Loch Leven) seen on the ascent to Beinn Fhionnlaidh

Looking down from Coire Buidhe to Loch Creran and that bridge I don't like!

The day before my departure the radio was filled with reports of snow, snow and more snow on the roads. I had this feeling that the coach up there would be delayed and guess what? The coach was delayed! The coach I was on skidded off the road near Preston due to black ice and mounted itself onto the middle of the roundabout. Noone was hurt and the coach was undamaged - but it was now stuck in deep mud! We had to wait two hours for the coach to be towed off before we could make our way up.

I just made it into Glasgow for the 8.30 coach to Oban to get me to Connel bridge and then I was dropped off after a hitch just after 12pm at Loch Creran - at the new bridge built 2miles before the loch end! I must be the only one who didn't appreciate that new bridge as it meant I now had a 2.5km road slog before I could start ascending the mountain.

Beinn Sgulaird seen from near
the bridge at Loch Creran

The cloud was thickening to the west and threatening to rain at any time. Certainly not what the weather forecast was - fine and birght with rain into western fringes by dusk. At lunchtime there was some rain and that must have caused me to decide not to climb Beinn Sgularid today - leave it tomorrow instead. I intead ascended into Coire Buidhe to the south of the mountain to camp at 500m in the snow ready for an ascent in the morning.

The snow started proper just before I arrived at the spot to pitch the tent. I realised that after four winter seasons, this was the first time I was to camp on snow - quite comfortable it was too - nice and soft, moulds to fit your back and reasonably warm. Trouble with camping on snow was loads of condensation forming on the groundsheet by morning. The snow outside continued into the night and later turned to rain. The rain died back into showers around midnight. I slept well that night.

Beinn Fhionnlaidh seen from Glen Creran

I awoke to rain - but no wind. The weatherman said that the winds would blow strong today with sunshine and showers. So much about the sunshine and I'd hardly call these showers. The rain/snow continued until 11.30 before it stopped for good. I was up just after 6am thinking I could climb both Beinn Sgulaird and Beinn Fhionnlaidh today if I got up early enough. After eating breakfast, I succumbed to temptation after not hearing the rain stop and lay in my sleeping bag and dozed off waking periodically to check if the rain has stopped at all.

It wasn't until 9.30 that I decided to get up and pack up - I was bored and I has to get to the payphone in Glen Creran to inform dad of a change of plan - he would call mountain rescue if he hadn't heard from me by 3.00pm tomorrow - I couldn't then continue on with my route on that basis.

I ascended up to the first top on the ridge to the munro. The going was slow in the snow drifts. The drifts weren't deep - up to my shins sometimes my knees in places - but with my pack they were exhausting. I thought about snowshoes a lot on that ascent - I wish I had some! I reached the first top on the ridge. The snow stopped but the flat light combined with the ability to now move faster meant that I was now tripping up everywhere since I couldn't see any texture in the snow.

I reached the final dip before the main summit, grabbed my ice axe (wasn't needed) and headed for the summit on the broad ridge before returning. I now headed west down a valley/corrie. There was deep wet snow covering a boulder field - torture! - slipping and sliding all over the place. After a bruised knee, a hole in my waterproof trousers and a broken rand on my yeti (again) I reached the easier wet slippery snow covering grass this time - yippee! - time for a speedy descent. Only problem as that I really put my foot in it this time - a stream buried under snow - there goes the dry feet!

Looking across Glen Creran seen
from the descent of Beinn Sgulaird

The day was slowly brightening with more fair weather cloud and less muggy cloud. Trouble was I was now down in the glen. I reached the phone - it wasn't working - Duh! After all this distance only to find the phone doesn't work. After much convincing, I managed to call dad on the phone of one of the households next to the phone box.

Beinn Sgulaird seen from
Glen Creran at the Phone Box

I now had 90mins of daylight left to walk up the glen and and a place to camp. That I did behind a forest near Glen Ure. The skies were clearing to leave a full moon. It was going to be a cold night.

Beinn Sgulaird and its northwest
ridge seen from the lower slopes
of Beinn Fhionnlaidh

I got up after little sleep - a hard ground and a cold night. The light of day was starting to creep in over the horizon by 6.30am. After breakfast I packed away the tent and other unnessary items for later collection and headed up the long broad and slightly bumpy west ridge to the top of Beinn Fhionlaidh. I was a perfect day all day - a fitting moment to climb the final munro south of the Great Glen!

Looking down Glen Etive to Loch Etive

Fraochaidh seen on the ascent of Beinn Fhionnlaidh

I reached the snow line 300m up. Down here the snow was sugary rather than hard as I expected it to be. Further up at 500m the snow firmed up in places to give pleasant walking. The winds were light but enough to give a chill to the air. The views were amazing - the Glencoe peaks, the summits on Ben More, Loch Linnhe, the northwest highlands all in view. Most striking from this summit was that of Beinn Sgulaird climbed yesterday showing off it's northeast corrie cradled between two elegant ridges - one of which I had planned to descend.

Ben Cruachan seen past the ridges of Beinn Trileachan and Beinn Sgulaird

Cloud capped Ben Nevis in the distance

The south Glen Etive munros stood out bold and proud - summits that I climbed very recently. The going higher up was tougher here the snow lay unconsolidated with me shin deep in the stuff. I finally reached the top - at last after three years I reached a major landmark in my campaign to climb all the munros.

Beinn Sgulaird looking bold seen from Beinn Fhionnlaidh

Beinn Trilleachan seen from Beinn Fhionnlaidh

Loch Linnhe and the snow covered peaks on the Isle of Mull

The Buchailles of Rannoch Moor seen from Beinn Fhionllaidh

It was time to return back the way I came - the descent took two hours and by now the day was pretty warm - hard snow earlier on was now deep and soft - it felt like spring lower down with the sun on me. It was time to pack up and get out. I had to walk all the way to Loch Creran - not a single car stopped to offer a lift - generous lot in this glen aren't they! According to people I spoke to who gave me a lift to Glen Coe, this weather was to continue on into Sunday (weather reports on Sunday though spoke of rain moving in)

Stob Coir an Albannaich

The Black Mount seen across Glen Etive

The Ardgour peaks

More Ardgour peaks

I decided to go home once in Glen Coe rather than move on up to try and climb Beinn Sgriol (beside Loch Hourn) - it would be a nightmare to try and hitch to that place. The coach drove through glencoe under full moon - all the mountains had a ghostly appearance with the snow as it was. A memorable finish to the trip.

The Ardgour peaks seen
from across Loch Linnhe