Wednesday 9 April 2014

Brewers' refuge from the stormy blast

I'm taking refuge in the Brewers Fayre pub/restaurant in Fort William today with gale force winds and rain, hail, snow continuing over the Western Highlands but with calmer conditions for the rest of the week.  I've met up with a 69 year old guy, Nigel from New Mills near Stockport who is also summiting Corbetts (and much else!).  He has a most comfortable motorhome while I'm content with the super efficient, large enough, Polo Blue Motion for my luxury motorhome!  We had a pleasant eve in his vehicle talking yesterday.

Nigel's company and the better weather made our climb to my finest mountain I have visited.  It turned out to be an enticing rock summit that was in view after one obstacle after another was got round or got over.  Finally, after lunch, we got to the base of the last steep climb and left our rucsacs at the foot.  An easy but careful scramble took us to the small summit and cairn with views of the highest Munros in cloud.

I came north on Mon and visited one Corbett in the eastern, rough and rocky Knoydart wilderness yesterday.  The mt bike took me along the forest roads before I had to leave it and take to two feet.  I'm back to Glen Dessarry this aft/eve.  It has a 16 mile single track road on its N side that limits you to 2nd and 3rd gear.  Yet, huge articulated timber lorries regularly use this same rough, road to take their harvest of huge logs out.

I had better weather two weeks ago when I visited 7 Corbetts and two Corbett Tops in a dry week in Moidart and a superb car camping spot that I found next to a sea loch, Loch Ailort, west of Glenfinnan and W of Fort William.  This week's cloud is good navigation training!