Snow Hunt - Glen Affric

Very excited going into our first winter in the Highlands and snow has arrived in the last couple of weeks. From my work place at the local hospital I can see Ben Wyvis to the North and this appeared plastered in snow. The West got the most snow this last week and it was fun trying to work out what and where to go - so many options.

Under starters orders at first light..

The weekend weather forecast was great so we had an early start of and headed to Glen Affric. -6 as we set off, and I was glad of the winter tyres driving down the dark frosted and snow covered roads.

When we arrived a father and son were unloading ski's from their car, the hills looked very white and I thought.... should I have brought my ski's...

Skiers having similar snow issues to us!

Wading

We set off from the Chisholme bridge next to Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin planning to go up the two Eastern munro's of Glen Affric, Toll Creagach and Tom a' Choinich. Heading up the track to the new hydro scheme we made good initial progress and gains on the skiers.

At the col

The munro we abandoned tantalisingly close behind Abi

The weather was perfect with low wind, crisp, cold with sunny blue skies. However once off the hydro track the going was brutally challenging, ranging from 6" deep snow, dense heather/bog to many hours of trudging through soft snow that was knee deep and you never knew if you would hit a rock, fall in a hole etc.

Progress was slow and it took much longer to reach the col between the two munro's than expected. The skiers looked like they were having an equally challenging time, potentially easier ascending than us, but the terrain was so full of rocks/hole/streams I doubt very much that they would achieve much skiing on the way back. We saw them ?leave their ski's and go for a scramble up a soft snowy ridge on Tom a' Choinich.

Summit fever

Finally we reached the col and were rewarded with magnificent views in all directions. After food we made the sensible 'call' to change our plans and just head straight for Toll Creagach. After some okay walking and further knee deep wading we achieved the top! Fantastic views, and we were both surprised to be able to see Inverness, the Kessock Bridge and drilling platforms in the Cromarty Firth through binoculars from the top.

Down hill wading (Abi stuck)

Heading down was a little easier, but track/pathless with much wading in deep snow and falling in holes. When we finally hit the hydro track and easier walking the sun was just setting and we were both glad we had ditched the second hill as it was just getting dark as we arrived at the van. -5 when we left the van, -3.5 when we got back! Before heading home it was great to 'use' the van for the first time, sit in the back make a cup of tea and relax for half an hour.... A great but hard day out.

Last of the light

The joy of the van....!

Ski prep at Sandy's Ski Shack...

In preparation for the winter I've joined the local ski club, which could be interesting given that I'm naturally socially inept! Its the club with the longest name - The Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club (!). I think it could be shortened, but och well who am I to say....

Sandy checks Duncan's work

scrape that P-tex

It has a thorough program of events on over the winter so pretty excited to join in some of the stuff they have planned. Of particular interest this week was the evening ski maintenance/prep session at Sandy's Ski Shack (house).

It was a fun night in the ski shack as Sandy showed us how to correctly prep the ski, P-tex holes, sharpen edges and wax up! Really useful night for me and the others who attended. So my ski's are honed and ready to go... just a shame that I'm not quite there!!

The ski jedi at work...

P-tex to shift....

Italian hospitality and mountain air in the Highlands....

Many friendships seem to happen by chance, and that is how I met Nico a couple of years ago on a ski course in Scotland. Nico and Sonia are being very brave living in the far North of Scotland, being from mid and Southern Italy respectively, which I guess is a slightly more amenable climate in general to Scotland (even though I like the weather here so far!).

Now we live in Scotland it's great and easier to meet up with the 'snow' friends that I have met in Scotland over the last couple of winters.

Nico has a brilliant infectious personality and is much fun to hang out with, so when he mentioned that he was heading from Aberdeen across to the West coast this weekend to cycle some classic routes on his old style steel frame bike we decided he must visit!!

He offered to bring food and cook for us..... this seemed quite an alien concept to me, but I am educated (just) enough to know that you should NEVER turn down the offer of an Italian cooking for you, even if it is in your own home! I was right to stick to this principle and Nico cooked us a fine meal and we caught up on news, planned ski trips (I'll be in trouble for that, but its just a weekend...) and drank Italian wine - fantastico.

The following morning I had a slightly sore head, and as we waved Nico off I was secretly glad that I wasn't cycling on the roads, with the icy wind and sleet showers piling through.....

After coffee (!) we also headed west to Beinn Eighe and went for a brilliant 10 km walk up the 'pony track' to Creagan Ruadh at around 500m and the snow line/freezing level. From this flattening the views of the surrounding mountain cirque covered in snow felt almost alpine. It was a brilliant walk, with amazing 360 degree views of the local mountains, clear views, snow capped mountains and snow showers blowing through. 

Great to be in the wilds of Torridon/Highlands, a shame we didn't have more time, oh well, we should  have got up earlier and drank less wine.... slainte Nico.