Having decided to attempt to compleat the Munro's this year I decided I better get into gear and take any chance I can to head north and play on the hills.
The weather was looking good for this weekend so I decided to have a go at Beinn Dearg and at the same time visit the family.
Matt and I discussed the hill on Thursday night after the AGM and he reckoned I should take my bike and cycle into the bothy at Allt Scheicheachan but I was in two minds whether to take the bike or not and in the end I decided that the legs needed a good work out.
Friday night, after the usual trudge up the A1, A66 M74/80 I found myself at the luxurious hostel in the middle of Pitlochry, so luxurious that one window was held closed by a piece of string and the radiator badly needs bleeding but at least I had the room to myself so I didn't keep anyone awake with my snoring.
After an early breakfast, I found myself at the Old Bridge of Tilt car park at 8.00am putting my boots on and getting ready for the hill. Heading up the road I was regretting not having brought my bike but after a mile or so I was glad I hadn't as stretches of the track were just sheet ice and snow and I had visions of myself hurtling downhill meeting some ice and doing a Harrington!!
Just under 2 hours later I was at the bothy at Allt Scheicheachan where I stopped for a quick cuppa and read the ramblings in the bothy book of a friend who had been there recently, she mentioned the lack of mice in the bothy, she wants to go back moose sh1t everywhere!!
I followed the track into the corrie before zig zagging up the hill to Meall Dubh nan Dearcag, snow on the headwall of the corrie looked severe avalanche territory with big cracks along the snow on the ridge.
An hour and a half after leaving the bothy I found myself approaching the summit, the wind had picked up by this time and it was not a day to be hanging around but the views were fantastic, not a cloud in the skye (apart from over the Cairngorms that is)
Descent was quick back to the corrie and I decided not to head back to the bothy but cross the Allt Scheicheachan stream and follow the (new??) land rover track which follows the Allt Slanaidh back to to the car park via the rifle range at Croft Crombie, slightly different route back, probably slightly shorter but just as icy.
All I all a good day out on the hill followed by an excellent meal at my sisters and the cheese, biscuits and port were to die for!!
