
An introduction to winter walking with axe and crampons for Derek and Gordon. A typical Scottish winter day with a bit of everything: low cloud and zero visibility, strong winds, some clearances with views, very heavy and persistent rain to finish. But the guys did well and really enjoyed the challenge. Snow patches were rare below about 850m and conditions soft and thawing in the rain.
Route as per The Munros (SMC), total distance 10.29km, elevation gain approx 730m, elapsed time 5 hrs 20 mins.
The guys had hired boots, axes and crampons from Tiso’s of Edinburgh for the first time. As well introducing them to basic ascending and descending techniques, helped by having them study the Mountaineering Scotland video beforehand, I also had the opportunity to show them some map and compass work both to find Meall Corranaich summit, and to navigate off Meall a’ Choire Leith. We even had a fairly tricky burn crossing to negotiate near the finish, and I had to select the location and persuade the guys away from less safe options!
All in all, a great learning experience for all of us!
Area :
Glen Lyon to Glen Dochart & Loch Tay (Ben Lawers)
This area covers the peaks to the north and east of Crianlarich. Glen Lyon forms the northern boundary while the road from Crianlarich to Aberfeldy is the southern boundary. The Ben Lawers group in the east of this area includes seven separate peaks, all Munros, which are part of an impressive 12km ridge line. The western side of this area is generally lower and not as steep but does still home some a number of Munros. All major peaks above 600m are included in the mountains list. The area to the north is Loch Rannoch to Glen Lyon.