eight - and NINE - down, 273* to go!

Oh aye!! Here we are again....a double-bag for the third weekend in a row!! 6 in 2 weeks...

I fully intended to take a weekend off from the Munros this weekend. This time last week I didn't want to see another one for a long long time! The week got off to a painful start too - if I thought I was in pain on Monday, I had a new definition of the word on Tuesday! Sheer agony! I took the lift as often as I could at work, and even though I did manage to walk home, getting on and off pavements was a real struggle!!

However...by the end of Wednesday/Thursday I was feeling back to normal again, and having a weekend free from plans tempted me so much to get back out there. Only this time, with all my usual walking companions busy, I was going to go solo. I was quite excited about it, and nervous too.

I actually got more and more nervous the closer I came to going. I was going to go on Saturday morning but it seemed like Sunday was the better bet. I started to doubt whether I was kidding myself that I could go it alone. After all I had had a humbling lesson in ability last weekend...was I ready for this? Ahh the nerves were building. But funnily enough the nerves reassured me - they have been a companion of mine for so long now :) But not recently. Recently I've been feeling happier than ever. More confident, more self-assured, more relaxed. Almost comfortable in my own skin for once. The lack of nerves was refreshing. Now they were back - but it felt comfortable, like slipping into a pair of shoes you haven't worn for a while but are still your favourites. What's best about it though is that I think the nerves were justified, they didn't hold me back, and now I've achieved what I set out to do, they are gone. Well, if that isn't a success story for overcoming anxiety, I don't know what is :)

And so Sunday morning it was. I was heading for Highland Perthshire again, back to the Ben Lawers car park that I've been at twice this year already (2 attempts at Meall nan Tarmachan!), but this time for Ben Lawers itself. The 10th highest Munro in Scotland. Oh, and throw in Beinn Ghlas on the way up, why the hell not.

I was planning an early start, but after another bad nights' sleep, the alarm call at 5.45am was not welcome at all. However, a second alarm at 6am, titled 'DO IT!!' was enough to get me up. I wolfed down my porridge - I've a new tactic - speed rather than endurance - who wants to endure that? And then I was off:

It was actually 6.40am, my car clock is 10 minutes fast! The streets were quiet and before I knew it I was zooming down the M9. Stopped quickly at Lochearnhead again for bathrooms - they are fast becoming my most visited public toilets of 2012. Even with the stop I was at the car park at Ben Lawers nature reserve by 8.25am. I was the fifth car there, can't say I wasn't a little bit disappointed not to be the first, but oh well. There was no sign of anyone, so I quickly got under way...

The path was so pleasant at the start, ambling (appropriate), scenic, more purple heather, a trickling burn (thank goodness I'd had an official toilet stop!), not too steep. I was enjoying it. Although - I was struggling more than I thought I would. Perhaps my legs hadn't fully recovered from last weekend. Plus, and worst of all, I had no one to complain to. This was annoying. But forced me to be positive and get on with it.

Then, across the stream, upwards towards a gate, and a fork in the path. My instructions didn't instruct me as to whether to go left or right, but left went along and right went up. I'd love to say I figured it out at the time but it wasn't until I came down a different way and reaching the fork that I made the connection. Left is to 'just' do Ben Lawers. Right is to include Beinn Ghlas. Good job I went right then. I began the much talked about zigzag section of the mountain - I was weaving my way up and up. It was pretty steep. I had views looking back - and I could see 2 people about 15 minutes behind me - but I knew I was about to go above the cloud line and lose the views...

And then. There was just me, on a path, in a cloud. It was getting really windy the higher I got. I just kept plodding on and didn't think too much. Then I got 2 frights. (I was about to get a whole lot more...)

First fright - more bloody sheep!! Now I'm not the biggest fan of sheep at the best of times, but when you're neck-deep in a cloud, can see about a metre in front of you, and a sheep pops its head up in front of you...well, it's a bit scary!

Second fright - the wind suddenly blew the cloud away and I got a glimpse of a mountain to my left (I think the Tarmachan ridge). Holy sh*t. I got such a fright! I can't really explain it, it just took my breath away. I also realised how high I was.

The wind then very briefly blew the cloud from the remaining hulk of Beinn Ghlas in front of me. Jeez. I had a long way to go, it was steep, it was high in the sky.

I think the cloud also made me feel like I was on a narrow ridge with nothingness around me. I couldn't see slopes so I felt I was suspended on this ridge. It was such a weird feeling. With the wind that strong, I felt I could've been blown into that sea of cloud at any moment. I felt like crying a wee bit. I felt alone.

I kept going, knowing I wouldn't be entirely sure of the summit when I reached it. There were no clues. I had no idea where I was. I got some reassurance by being on the path obviously but that was it. I came to a small cairn and I sat down. A very lonely moment. I didn't know what to do next. I was scared because I was on my own in the middle of nowhere. I was annoyed at myself for thinking I could do this alone. I sat and thought I would wait for the couple behind me to catch up, then follow them. But what if they weren't coming up this way?

Okay, pull yourself together and go, I thought. And so I walked on. Turns out I was about 50 yards from the summit! Or what I thought was the summit - then the couple caught up with me and indeed confirmed that I'd just bagged Beinn Ghlas!

The wind was brutal so I did my best to take my mandatory summit photo. It's not a good one, I dislike it, but I had to prove I was there:

My 8th Munro - Beinn Ghlas - conquered!

I was so relieved to see other human beings. I told them I'd got the heebie jeebies and would they mind if I followed them for a bit? They said no, and off we went. I learned in the next hour or so they were Neil and Jenny from near Aberdeen and they were on their 105th Munro - on their second time round!! Each Munro I mentioned I'd done was met with 'oh that's an easy one' but I was sure to emphasise how new it is to me and how I hope to progress.

The wind was simply crazy.  I've felt crazy winds at Neist Point but this was something else. On so many occasions I was frightened by the sound of a large waterfall or a fast flowing river. It was the wind.

Neil said the summit of Ben Lawers wasn't far and we ploughed on. They set a blistering pace and I really struggled to keep up - but I was determined to. I didn't want to lose sight of them. It was good in a way because it meant a real fast track to the summit that I never would have managed by myself. And after a bit of a slog and a struggle - with no views and ferocious winds - we were at the top of Ben Lawers!

My 9th Munro - Ben Lawers - the 10th highest - bagged!

I didn't spend long at the top - what was the point - and said my goodbyes to Neil and Jenny. I assumed when they said they were doing other hills they were carrying on past Ben Lawers, but actually they were heading down and then off in a different direction. So they caught me up very quickly on the descent and powered on. On a couple of occasions on the way down the cloud shifted enough for quick views, but my hands were so cold I could not get a camera to them before they disappeared again. Plus it was so freaking windy I couldn't take my concentration off my balance or I'd have fallen over!

Neil & Jenny powering down the descent...

damn moisture on my camera!

I got back down to the bealach between Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers and there was Neil and Jenny waiting to see if I got down safely! Amazing. I was planning to head back over Beinn Ghlas (foolishly thinking at one point I'd get views on the way back) but Neil recommended taking the bypass path back down. I'd be sheltered from the wind and it was a different way down. I was hesitant but I knew they were right - and who am I to disagree with someone on their almost 400th Munro?!

We walked down the path together and chatted about our respective lives. It was really nice; it passed the time and took my mind off the descent. Then we got to the point where they were headed off so we said our goodbyes. They made those hills for me, and whilst I may have struggled on without them, I doubt I'd have enjoyed it half as much.

On the descent I couldn't stop smiling. I was so elated, and not even fussed about the views. And sure enough I got below the clouds and I could see Loch Tay again!

I met some people who were heading up, and I felt like a proper pro having bagged 2 before midday. I do know now that my early start may have prevented me from seeing views (although there was no guarantees of views later and the cloud still looked thick when I left) but I was so pleased to have got an early start. It was so nice to be the one coming down rather than the one slogging up!

I came to the fork in the path again:

...and realised where everything joins up! Maybe next time (I'll have to go up again because I'm sure the views are tremendous on a clear day!) I'll go up the other way and do Lawers first.

Car park for me!

I then met a lovely lady with the most beautiful golden retriever I've ever seen (and I can say that because Robbie is blonde not golden) and I had a lovely chat with her. She was so nice and so supportive of my efforts, after that I could not keep the smile off my face :) I nearly cried for the second time that day, but this time from joy not fear. I am a bit of an emotional wuss after all :)

I practically skipped back to the car and was chuffed to get back in under 4 hours. There had been a fair bit of chatting, but no time at the summits, and a much faster push up to Ben Lawers than I may have done. I left the car park (now pretty full) around 12.40pm, feeling exhausted but happy!

The drive back to Edinburgh was much slower with the Sunday drivers and tourists but I was still back in the Burgh by 3pm. Over eight hours but I had the rest of the day to recover! This was a lovely feeling.

The first thing I did when I got home - before I'd even showered - was something I've been meaning and wanting to do for ages but just haven't done so. I wrote my first report for Walkhighlands! It's a bit more about the walk than my emotions! I've had some lovely comments already, and given the walker spirit that I saw today, I truly grasp the closeness of this walking community. I hope to do many more reports! Especially when I get such an early start and have the rest of my day free....

You can find it here: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25255

Well, another epic Munro day and now I am shattered. But so so happy!

Next weekend may well be a Munro-free weekend but there is the matter of the West Linton Three Peaks Challenge so it may not be an entirely rest-free weekend...

*The eagled eyed amongst you may have noticed that I bagged 2 Munros last week and had 276 to go, but this week I've bagged 2 and have 273 to go - how can this be?! This week a Munro got declassified to a Corbett, meaning there are 282 Munros in Scotland. Well, that makes things a bit easier!