A Glorious afternoon at Glen Etive

We decided to pop up to Glencoe in-between Christmas & New Year with the plan to bag a couple of Munro's and have a well deserved adventure in the Scottish hills and when we arrived we were greeted with the most stunning weather and that only fuelled the excitement of the prospect of having a good old yomp or 2 up and down some fabulous hills.  Although the air was crisp and the skies were clear we knew the forecast was set to change but we were equipped with all our winter gear and with me finally having a decent pair of waterproof trousers we were ready for whatever it threw at us.  That was apart from the wind.......the dreaded wind !

Upon arrival we took Bob our lovely little camper van down to Glen Etive, right to the end and with cameras at the ready we captured the gorgeous light of the day.  

 The Buachaille was looking splendid as were the surrounding peaks and the glow on the valleys rivers was just breathtaking.

Further down the valley Loch Etive was like a mirror reflecting in magnificent detail all its surroundings.

We met the deer basking in the afternoon sun and passed the little ramshackle hut with the bike outside which has been an iconic snap for many a photographer. 

All in all it was a glorious afternoon and a perfect way to spend a winters day in the Scottish hills. 

After a superb meal and a few drinks in the Clachaig we headed back to the Red Squirrel campsite to settle in for the night, which was to be the coldest night of the year, but our trusty Bob kept us warm all night long with only the wind whipping up outside giving a little bit of worry as to what the morning would bring. 

What a difference a day makes.  The next day we couldn't even see The Buachaille and with the gale force winds blowing a hoolie it made our visit a different prospect entirely.   Still, we had our glorious afternoon yesterday and those hills aren't going anywhere and will be visited again very soon. 

That there Nab.......

With Chris getting so close to finishing the 214 Wainwrights there are only a few single ones he has to complete and The Nab was one of those.  So on Saturday with the prospect of a clear sunny but cold day we set of early up the M6 and over a very wintery Kirkstone Pass to park at the start of the walk.  There wasn't any snow at low levels but the surrounding fells were sprinkled with the white stuff and with the temperature well below freezing we hoped that the ground would be solid and provide us with a great walk.

We started up the track that took us past the little house with the green grassy and mossy roof.  Grey Crags was to our right and the further up the path we got the icier it became.  In some parts the path was just like a solid sheet of ice and we had to precariously pick our way round the sides on to any sort of gravelly or grassy bit to save from slipping.

Turning off the path up to the left, over the bridge that would lead us ultimately up and over Rest Dodd the ground, had it not been frozen, would have been a boggy affair I would imagine.  In fact most of this walk is billed as a bogfest so we were thankful that the temperatures were low enough that in only a few places did the ground give way underfoot just enough to send a little shudder through your body in the expectation of your foot or leg disappearing down into the murky world of damp and peaty bogginess.

But enough of bogs this walk was proving to be quite something with the views that were starting to come into view the higher we got.  To the left we could see the Helvellyn and the surrounding peaks and behind us was the high street range and its neighbours.   The air was crisp and clear and plenty of blue sky to keep the views in view.

The walk itself over Rest Dodd was easy enough and before long we were down onto the final path that would take us over to The Nab.   As it was a linear walk today once we'd reached the summit we turned and headed back the same way, remembering that we only had till mid afternoon before we'd lose the light so we didn't loiter around but kept a steady pace back up and over Rest Dodd and then down to the icy path that we tackled earlier in the day.

There were some young folks coming down on the path also but other than them we'd saw no other people all day.  Shame as the weather was beautiful and the views a delight on the eyes.

Before we knew it we were back at the car.  Boots, hats, gloves, outer layers off and the heater on and we could successfully tick another Wainwright off the list.  With Chris only having a few more to do I don't think it will be long before we're celebrating :-) Roll on 2018 and all the good walking next year will bring.