Meall Ligiche

I had recently celebrated my birthday and was lucky enough to receive some money, which I had managed to invest in a pair of Scarpa boots. At £175, the boots were not cheap but they were damn comfy and a 13 mile route was dispatched with the greatest of ease. It had been a good few years since I'd walked this way while heading up Sgor na-h Ulaidh. None of it really came back to me except the start. I enjoyed the wonder up the glen but it was cold. I was glad for all the gear I had packed but I started to warm up once I began the climb proper. At the bealach between Meall Ligiche and Meall Mor, it was easy to see how combining the Corbett and 2 Grahams would be possible. However, I had told Mrs P I'd only be doing the Corbett and didn't want to take the piss. I also had an important call to field later that afternoon, which could well affect the rest of my career.

The views across to Sgorr a Choise and Beinn a Bheithir were outstanding but it wasn't until I got on to the ridge proper of my intended target that the full grandeur of Glencoe came to the fore. And as for that wind! Brutal. I stood at the summit and drank it all in. Views out to Mull, the craggy face of Sgorr na-h Ulaidh and Fraochaidh away in the distance. A route taking in Sgorr a Choise and that Corbett/Graham combo would be a grand wild camping trip. One for the future. Winter is here though and it could well be here to stay with a vengeance.

Creag Mhor

After I had stayed at mum's, I took a leisurely drive across towards Rothiemurchas. The weather was poor and I considered just relaxing for the day. However, after I had popped into the Hilton for a pee stop, I noticed things were clearing. I relayed the message to home that I would take a run round towards Creag Mhor and see how things went. I packed everything into my 10-litre rucksack as Creag Mhor is said to be a very remote hill. It had been a couple of years but I had run this way with Darren as part of a 50 km circuit going round the Cairngorms. I remembered it being very runnable so started my jog and relished the views en route. From An Lochain Uaine to Bynack Mor, I fair enjoyed the romp up on the ridge before my objective came into view. I had forgotten how much the track dropped into the Lairig an Laoigh but was glad for a bit of shelter as the wind had picked up. I eventually got to a point where I donned my waterproofs and started the climb up the heather slopes. I finally reached the summit tor and took shelter behind it. What a wonderfully isolated place it was. The expanse of view from here was immense. The rain battered around me but I was quite sheltered from it although I knew I still had a reverse 12-km route back to the car. Nothing for it but to head out and down. Things cleared a little once I re-ascended back on to the ridge and then the wonderful track all the way back to the car. I ran this in 3 hours 20 minutes, which wasn't bad for a 24.6 km trip and with 900m of ascent. A fantastic part of the Cairngorms. 

Carn Ealasaid

On the way up to mum's, I fancied a wee run in the hills and I still had a few Corbetts left in the area. Can Ealasaid gets a bad press and has been described as boring but I rarely (if ever) consider a hill sojourn to be boring. I parked at Corgarff castle car park and noticed how windy it was. I was running light and fair motored round to Loinherry, where I bade 'good morning' to a man fixing his roof. I stuck with the landrover track the whole way up and thought I could see a tractor near the summit. The wind was very strong and from the north so I was glad for the layering. The wind was whistling through the tractor, making an eerie whine. I ran further on to the summit and looked across at the tors on distant Beinn Avon. The sun was beautiful but I didn't hand around. I had the unusual phenomenon of running faster uphill, rather than downhill at one point. I eventually decided to head off the nose of the hill and down direct to Loinherry, where I stumbled across this wee slate quarry with two cairns and a wee howff. From here, it was a nice wee run back to the car and all done in 1 hour 35 for an 11km route. Fair enjoyed this wee hill.