Iolair-Bhara
Gairich
I'd have never bore witness to this astounding vision without my little £7.99 head torch. Not for the obvious reason either:
If I'd SEEN the mammoth task ahead, a 600 metre ascent through snow drifts where you measure your progress in mph (metres per hour), there's just no way I'd have embarked on such lunacy. The darkest moonless night, however, necessitated the use of my cheap little head-torch. With only short distances ahead visible to me under the beam, I was able to just concentrate on bite-sized chunks of misery at a time. A realisation that even gaining the ridge would be a gigantic undertaking focused the mind, also. I plugged away at a snail's pace, heaving my tiring limbs forward as best I could, once in a while plunging though unseen gullies up to my chest.
That 2000-odd feet took roughly 5 hours. The original goal of Spidean Mialach was discarded upon reaching the ridge, with ample opportunities around me where I was & no willingness to proceed with yet more torture!
Gairich
I'd have never bore witness to this astounding vision without my little £7.99 head torch. Not for the obvious reason either:
If I'd SEEN the mammoth task ahead, a 600 metre ascent through snow drifts where you measure your progress in mph (metres per hour), there's just no way I'd have embarked on such lunacy. The darkest moonless night, however, necessitated the use of my cheap little head-torch. With only short distances ahead visible to me under the beam, I was able to just concentrate on bite-sized chunks of misery at a time. A realisation that even gaining the ridge would be a gigantic undertaking focused the mind, also. I plugged away at a snail's pace, heaving my tiring limbs forward as best I could, once in a while plunging though unseen gullies up to my chest.
That 2000-odd feet took roughly 5 hours. The original goal of Spidean Mialach was discarded upon reaching the ridge, with ample opportunities around me where I was & no willingness to proceed with yet more torture!