Day three in the Verdes House saw me waking up with aching legs, sore feet and a distinct desire to get home.
Weather forecast predicted that this was going to be the worst day of the three, with severe gales, thunder and lightning and of course, more than a fair share of rain.
I had decided the night before that I would stick my head out my velux window and make a decision in the morning as to whether I should go or stay. I hadn’t slept very well and my feet were aching from the long walk of day one compounded with a wet feet road walk on day two.
However, just in case the conditions were favourable, I had set my alarm for an early dart.
I tentatively pulled my curtains back expecting to see low rain cloud through the rain drops on the velux, but was surprised to find that there was little wind, good visibility and whilst overcast, the cloud was well above the tops.
This was too good to miss.
I flung all extraneous kit into my duffle bags and packed for the walk. My normal boots were completely drenched from the day before and the ‘peat bog massacre’ so I had to revert to my old leather 4 season boots.
I took a couple of bites of my bacon butty and headed off, anxious to get as far up the seventh Munro of the week, Meall Chuaich (hill of the bowl, 951m) before the adverse weather arrived, as arrive it no doubt would.
I parked up at Chuaich and got my boots on, acutely aware that I was leaving my laptop in the car, in a lay-by and reminded of my idiocy by the police notice ‘do not leave valuables in your car’ at the verge.
Even though I was in heavy boots and my feet were aching, I set off at a good pace, conscious of the weather timing and my unattended laptop. The walk along the track was painful and I was looking forward to getting onto the hill proper, where they would take less of a pounding.
Three miles later, I found myself at the bothy looking up at a summit that was rapidly disappearing under a layer of cloud. This provided some urgency to my endeavour, as not even Ginger buggers about on summits in lightning.
I pushed hard on the ascent and got to the top 2hrs 20 mins after leaving the car, just as the wind started to pick up and the cloud crept in. I didn’t delay and headed off again cringing at the view of the long road walk back to the car.
I met a few people coming up as I was going down and they seemed unperturbed at the changing conditions above us; perhaps they knew something I didn’t, so I just kept my head down and arse up and descended as quickly as possible. By the time I arrived at the bottom, the summit was hidden in thick cloud and fine rain was starting to fall.
By now my feet were really aching; four season boots and roads do not make good bedfellows. Still it looked like the forecast was going to be right for once so I just horsed on and was back at the car in 4 hrs 20. As soon as I arrived, the heavens opened with a heavy down pour that stayed with me all the way down the pass.
I had arrived three days earlier in heavy rain and departed under the same conditions, but had had a great time.
The Drumochter Munros are very forgiving and look ideal for some winter play, without the need to venture into the Cairngorms.
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