Well this is never going to be a story of my battle with goblins, ogres on my way to kill a Dragon. But little did i know it was a bigger deal to others, what i was about to achieve.

I’ve been in Scotland now for 5 months, in all that time i’ve not been into the hills, the big ones at least. I’ve fannied about in the lower hillocks of the North, whilst yearning to get into the mountains.

My single Mountain experience was back in 2006 when a group of mostly internet strangers met in a car park, one gloomy October morning, in north Wales, at Llanberis. As the murky morning cloud dispersed we were all presented with a little bit of morning glory. No not that…
This.

The rest was just another story and one i’ll not share here. Those who where there, no how much of an amazing day’s riding that was. All i will say is reaching 1085m was a bit hill for me, the most i’d been before was around 600m.

Not a big deal for most i know, but for me it was. It revealed to me an eye opening sight of which a wish to share and experience time and time again.

Viewing the land from a high point really doesn’t show us how small we all are. Surveying the world around us from a view only naturally achievable by that of a bird. Whether riding or walking to the summit, or view point is far more rewarding than getting there by train, plane or lift. It makes all the effort worth while.

Since coming off that wee hill in North Wales, i’ve not been able to see such epic sights as i did that day. After my long walk last year where i was exposed(and exposed myself) to so many fantabulous views, that once i’d finished it, i knew i wanted, no NEEDED more of that in my life.

The one place i always dreamt of seeing was Scotland and it’s little Mountains. So up i came.

Various things kept me here which stopped me running away to warmer places. Not only an early winter but amazing people. Yet after months i still hadn’t seen what i came for other than friends old and new.

The weather didn’t help either, icy roads and snow covered mountains made things to risky for a non experienced mountain man, so i waited patiently for a my time in the hills to arrive.

That time finally arrived last weekend. Some people I’ve got to know whilst up here in Moray offered to take me into the Cairngorms for a walk. We knew that a Munro maybe off limits due to recent weather,but at last i would be in the mountains and get that feeling again. that feeling of smallness.

On Saturday morning we loaded ourselves up and drove to Glenmore, near Avimore for a little walk into the land of the giants. Myself a friend and her 14yr old son set off along a well laid track to sneak up on Bynak more. This route was chosen because.
a) We didn’t know the conditions in the mountains.
b) We had a minor with us.
c) Bynak is an easily accessed quick introduction to mountain hiking.

We’d also be able to assess whether it was possible to get up to the summit from lower down(Rob, knew how much it meant to me to hit +1000m)

A lot of the main track was covered in ice, which provided entertainment along the way as we slipped about on it. Ok, so that was just me and the other child.

As we reached the point of decision making, the ascent looked walk able with careful route selection, so off we went, clambering up the steep slope. It was mostly short vegetation meaning good levels of grip, it was just a matter of navigating around the areas of frozen snow.

During the week there had been heavy rain over the gorms, this meant a thaw, freeze, thaw freeze cycle took place, with the rain glazing any frost in a lightly textured sheen.

All three of us reached a point where we needed to do some scrambling over rocks which brought us to a challenging stretch of ice.
With steep frozen sides to drops beyond 300m, the safe area to ascend was about 10m across, the only place we’d slide here was back down the 12m to the rocks we just climbed over, so of little risk.

However! It was here that the young lad couldn’t get up the slope, we had no ice shoes or crampons and no axes. Although it wasn’t really steep, it was step enough for gravity to be a negative factor and he kept slipping. This got him afraid, so he wanted to go no further.
Leaving him and his mother in the shelter of the rocks, i gained a second walking pole and began the tricky slippery ascent.

Stabbing the poles into the frozen ground, i was able to put my boot behind it, the pole stopping my foot from slipping down. This enabled me to get up the 12m to the next set of rocks.

This was the pattern for the next 200m of ascent a mixture of, scrambling and ice walking. It took my 20minutes to summit and once there, i was not alone.

A group of around 10 people wearing crampons and wielding axes were there, taking photo’s and chatting amongst themselves.

As i approached, they looked at me and then down to my boots, some Salomon GTX’s. With shocked faces they asked how i got up in those and from what direction. I told them and their stunned faces and comments suggested i was mad..

Fair enough as i am a little i thought.

I said it was my first Munro and i just had to do it as we’d got so far. Then is was all hand shakes and congratulations to me, which i thought a little odd. In my mind it was just a small hill, even if it was 5m higher than Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). WOOT!

One of the men then handed me a hip flask so i enjoyed necking a little light dram to celebrate.

We talked briefly about the hills of Somerset and Dorset(in reference to biking) then left them to all leave down towards Bynak Beggs.

I stood up here to savour the moment than take the obligatory photo’s.

With that in the bag, it was just a small matter of getting down, most of which i ran/jumped from rock to rock, slide on my butt across the ice and back the other two, get off the steep slope then back to the car a couple hours away.

We then descended back to the car and into Avimore for a drink and cake.
Sorted!

It’s just blimmin’ ace out there in the wilds isn’t it?

Sorry, i just needed to share my lovely day.

Top day out by the looks of it – some good pics there although the cake one kinda spoils the otherwise good images to that point! 😉

WOW! will definitely do that myself one day (have been to scotland numerous times,but not the proper big mountainous terrain scotland.enjoy your time in stunning vista. 🙂

🙁 The cake was an important part of the day. Just like everyday.

Nice one mate, getting into the Hills really does wonders for the smileometer 🙂
Slightly mad for going on alone but all credit to u!

Certainly does. My smileometer was on max.

Slightly mad? That’s an improvement to the days of wearing pants on my head and having pencils stuck up my nostrils.

You get snobs in all walks of life. You made it to the top, you had fun. No-one was at risk. Job done. I loved my Salomen bootsfor their brief lifetime, before I wore them out. Both pairs!

Life is for living and having a shedful of fun. Go for it!

276 to go then?

🙂

Sharki rocks my socks!

A+ and great to read, thanks.

Ambrose – Member
You get snobs in all walks of life. You made it to the top, you had fun. No-one was at risk. Job done. I loved my Salomen bootsfor their brief lifetime, before I wore them out. Both pairs!

To be fair, it’s not about being a snob.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12378657%5D

A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said: “Searches were carried out over a period of five days and during this time rescue teams had to endure extremely poor weather conditions and reduced visibility, making it difficult for searchers to operate on the hill.”

Yeah Druidh, thanks for that..I’ve got twenty years to do it in though haven’t i? And isn’t it 280 odd now?

The search and rescue helicopter was heading out as we got back in, at 4.45pm, light was failing at that time.
Hope that had a happy ending.

Great post Sharki. My old man used to drag me up the mountains here in N Wales when I was in my early teens. Didn’t really appreciate it then. But I do now.

I don’t know the hill Sharki was on, however, I’ve come across a few people using the (very slow) technique Sharki used. It’s not my method of choice to be sure, but it can work, albeit not particularly safely as no axe is involved. When all is said and done though Sharki had a good day out in the hills, taking some very tentative (if not recommended) steps.

I think he knows that an ice-axe would really help in conditions like that next time, and stiffer boots too.

sharki – Member
Yeah Druidh, thanks for that..I’ve got twenty years to do it in though haven’t i? And isn’t it 280 odd now?

Oh – aye, 282 to go. It’s difficult to keep track at my age. If we set the clock counting now, then anything before 2032 or so will beat my time 🙂

Ambrose – Member
I think he knows that an ice-axe would really help in conditions like that next time, and stiffer boots too.

And a dayglo pink cap.

An axe wasn’t needed, just crampons or even those simple to fit ice spikes and my GTX’s.
It wasn’t that bad!

As Druidh has commented to me elsewhere, crampons and axes work better with training, i think he means that having such equipment can mean people get in over their own heads thinking that having all the gear will get them out of trouble.

2032…Easy peasy! might need to retrain in some rope work for some of them i hear..Do you fancy doing them all again onion?

Nice pics and write-up sharki! Great to hear you enjoying the hills. Lots more out there to explore 🙂

Definitely training with crampons, a MR guy on my first aid course told me a lot of people injure themselves by putting the spike into the other boot or trouser and tripping over!

Cheers Doug.

I can see that happening a lot having seen their spikeness in action.
I’ll do a few more whilst i be about up here i’m sure.

Whooop! I love a good day in the wilds.

More and more I am spending time with groups in cool places – not always tops of hills n mountains, but certainly in wilderness.

excellent write up sharki, thanks for sharing.really enjoyed reading it

Hate you – now I’m missing the mountains 🙁

Thanks though, good writing

Thanks again chaps.

Matt, whereabouts are you?
I’d really like to pop by and see you whilst i’m about up here.

And it sounds like you’re doing the sort of thing i want to, introducing the outdoors to young people and feeding them my enthusiasm for it all.

Killin baby.

matt_outandabout AT hotmail.com