Some ridge traverses are just so good that, whenever you get together with other keen hillwalkers, you can pretty much guarantee they’ll have either done them before, or will have them nudging their way quickly towards the top of their must-do’ list.
Beinn Chabhair is one of those less-celebrated Munro summits. It sits in obscurity at the head of Loch Lomond.
There are two Munros named Ben Vorlich – both similarly impressive and enjoyable, and both within a day’s travel from Glasgow. Today I had planned an ascent of the rugged Loch Lomondside Ben Vorlich, a mountain that’s never easy but always rewarding.
In the run-up to summer we were often told it was “the hottest day of the year so far” and it was on one such scorcher that I set off for Creag Uchdag, a Corbett lying to the south of Loch Tay.
Luss Hills may be only 700m above the sea, but in Loch Lomond the hills get smaller and smaller yet still stay just as good.
I had always been unfortunate when climbing Ben Vrackie – the wonderful Corbett rising sharply above Pitlochry – as views from her summit seemed hard to come by. This being Scotland a little thing called cloud got in the way.
Geal-charn Mor has always held a bit of a special place in my heart. I first climbed to its top when I was training for a winter Mountain Leader assessment, and as I strode out across the dome-like tops of the range, the snow underfoot became more and more crisp as I gained height.
Ben Chonzie may only feature on some people’s lists because of its Munro status but the route up Glen Turret has enough variety to make for a very enjoyable day out.
Ben Hiant is a small mountain by anyone’s standards, but rising its modest 528m (1730ft) from sea level at the mouth of Loch Sunart, it towers over everything else on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and provides amazing views.
Some of the mountains in this neck of the woods can be disappointing, with long and rather steep slopes of yellow grass, a few wildflowers and far too little rock.
An hour-long detour, a missed summit and some very cold and fast flowing river crossings made this spring day last year one to remember.
Big, bulky, heather-clad hills rise either side of the A9 road as it runs through the dramatic Drumochter Pass.
The Aonach Beag ridge, formed by the four Munros of Carn Dearg, Geal-charn, Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn, lies between Strath Ossian and Loch Pattack in a wildly uncompromising quarter of the Central Highlands.
Breadalbane is that central bit of the southern Highlands whose name means “the top of Scotland”. A couple of Corbetts in Breadalbane – what could be more relaxing?
