Horns of a Dilemma

An early start at 6-30 a.m. this morning as I looked out onto a starry sky, with the prospects of a good day ahead..

I intended climbing Beinn Alligin http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/torridon/Beinnalligin.shtml hopefully all the circuit, but if not at least a ‘Munro’ or two !

As I drove along the road towards Torridon village, the sun was just catching the snowy tops of Beinn Eighe and Liatach – which I was saving for other days !

I continued up through Torridon, to a car park and the start point for today, looking through the trees up at the Alligin massif, with sunshine just on the tops

I soon set off, clomping up across the moor at the side of a stream, and up and over several rock outcrops, and eventually a huge stile over the deer fence –must have been 8feet high ! There was a good track to follow, and as I gained height was soon into the snow and ice, which wasn’t a problem, until there was sheet ice laying over the entire path… but, as my navigation is never the best (so, it’s said ?) it was nice to be able to follow a trail, and some footsteps in the snow, probably from the weekend, as no other vehicles were on the car park. I continued into a rocky snow filled gully, with my route straight up ahead, meandering around the bigger rocks, although falling into deep snow occasionally. I stopped for a snack half way up, then continued, soon to reach my first top of the day..with views of  the first ‘Munro’ nearby. I didn’t hang around, and scuttled across the snowy panorama, and continued upwards a short distance to Tom na Gruagaich at 920 mts high, although my altimeter said a lot higher ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beinn_Alligin From the trig point I had a fantastic view all around, out to Skye in the distance, and across the tops to the ‘horns’, which I still wondered whether I would be able to climb ?  As I moved from the top, towards the ridge over to the next top, I was met with some ‘tricky’ snow covered rocks, which I would have to negotiate down, and possibly up later… I couldn’t see a safe way down, although I did have several attempts to get down, without being ‘stuck’ ! Eventually I had to decide not to continue , and ‘sad’…but alive I started to re-trace my route , back to the trig point again, looking down the steep East face  and having to be satisfied with distant views –to be done again…perhaps ?

I then had a leisurely gambol back down the gully, which seemed a lot harder going down, than coming up stopping for more food as I broke out into the sunshine, and contemplating having my own mountain to myself, not seeing anybody – although I thought I heard some people, only to discover it was my gaiter strap ‘squeaking’ on my boot ! ..and distant views of what could have been !

I tramped back to Wally,discovered I’d climbed exactly 1,00 mts today ! and returned triumphant to Cairn Shiel in the late afternoon sunshine… looks like another starry night, followed by a good day tomorrow ?

So, that means no rest..another climb before heavy snow moves inI’ll leave you with distant views of Slioch, an early Goodnight to you all !