Schiehallion

The famous conical peak on January 2nd. A perfect way to blow off the Hogmanay hangover!

It was a beautiful crisp, clear day as I set out from the Braes of Foss Car Park, in stark contrast to the week before Christmas where Liam and I made an aborted attempt to reach Schiehallion, failing to get within 5 miles of the area to due snow blocked roads. Despite setting off from home at 6am there were already several walkers ahead of me, clearly making the most of the weather but recognising the far shorter days (sunset was scheduled for 3.50pm).

This particular side of the hill was purchased in 1999 by The John Muir Trust who set about restoring the damage made by extensive footfall over the years and the path (pictured below) was excellent underfoot and the damage done on the old route gladly all but repaired.

The John Muir Trust Path on the early part of the ascent

This fantastic path zigzagged it's way up the mountainside until a sizable stone Cairn at the top of the first large ridge indicated that the good going had come to an end and the boulder field lay ahead. This landscape of Quartzite boulders is notoriously awkward in any conditions but today was particularly so as a thick frozen fog shrouded each surface in ice.

Formed of a long singular ridge, the summit of Schiehallion sits at 3553ft and is famous in the scientific world for its part in the 18th Century 'Weighing The World' experiment.

Requiring utter concentration a few of the walking parties were now bunched up meters apart but, with no distinct path, each picked their own route carefully over the terrain. Passing a few Cairns along the way I took care to memorise some of the more distinct features in the landscape to aid navigation on the descent. The careful boulder hopping over an icy surface took a heavy toll on my legs compounded by what was a surprisingly fierce wind on the final stretch. In any case, the slabby summit was reached and an immediate descent beckoned. Easily the briefest amount of time I have spent on a summit - no view, piercing frozen wind and thickening fog making the decision on my behalf.

Picking my way back down the boulder field I was aware of being utterly alone. Surprising given that there were a number of groups around me on the way up. The mono-chromed landscape was eerily quiet, the wind even a few hundred feet lower having died away and it was a very unnerving 30 minutes or so. This was heightened by not reconsigning any of the larger rock formations I picked out on the ascent. Checking my compass heading I decided I had strayed too far right and veering left eventually picked up some familiar small cairns.

No filter - the monochrome landscape of the Icy boulder-field

As is often the the way on Scotland's Mountains (or at least when I'm on them), the disappointment of no summit view is tempered somewhat by excellent views on the route down and, picking up the path once more an almost continuous vista down towards and beyond Loch Tummel.

In my quest to conquer all 282 Munros there are, so far, only a handful I would return to again given the opportunity and Schiehallion has made that list. Despite the weather it really did feel like a special place.