Time: 9 hours
Distance: 12.5 miles
Ascent: 6,000 ft
Munros: Sgur Eilde Mor, Binnein Beag, Binnein Mor, Na Gruagaichean
Weather: Early sun, later rain showers, cloud and cool temperatures
Route: View on OS Maps

There is nothing better than having a mere ten mile drive to get to the start of a walk, but the icing on this particular cake was that these particular ten miles were done in sunshine and with the stunning scenery on either side of Loch Leven to admire. From the hostel at Inchree it was only a twenty minute drive along the northern shore of the loch to the turning for Mamore Lodge. I drove carefully up the single track access road to the Lodge, arriving just after 8am where the only person awake to take my £3 parking fee was the housekeeper. It was a beautiful morning but I set off quickly as the midgies were already out in force and not being particularly friendly.

Distance: 15 miles
Time: 8hrs 30mins (including many stops)
Ascent: 1,977m (6,486ft)
Mountains: Beinn a' Chroin (Munro 942m), An Caisteal (Munro 995m), Cruach Ardrain (Munro 1,046m), Beinn Tulaichean (Munro 946m)
Weather: Early clear blue skies with drifting cloud developing, warm out of the cold northerly wind
Route: View on OS Maps

A slightly later start than usual had me slightly concerned that I was missing out on the early weather window promised by MWIS and the Met Office. Although it was slightly overcast in Aberdeen at 6:30am, as I drove down the A90 the cloud retreated from the coast until it hung over the Angus hills, leaving me in bright sunshine. Dundee and Perth were only just waking up as I sailed through and it was only the usual combination of tractors, road works and weekend drivers that slowed me down on the A82. Loch Earn looked spectacular and after that it was short blast south towards Stirling before turning off the main road and making for Balquidda.

Distance: 15 miles
Time: 8 hours
Ascent: 5,600ft
Hills: Cnap Cruinn (Graham, 742m), Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin (Munro, 1106m), Stob Coire Easain (Munro, 1115m)
Weather: Hazy sunshine, clearer early afternoon, very strong Southerly wind
Route: View on OS Maps

With MWIS promising brighter skies by early afternoon following a damp start I decided to use this as an excuse to make the long journey across country to Glen Spean in Lochaber. At Spean Bridge I turned off the main Fort William road and drove up the narrow road to Corriechoille. Beyond the farm the road is rough but didn't pose any problems for my Fiesta. I went through the first gate and then parked at the area just in front of the second locked gate.

Distance: 18.8 miles
Time: 8hrs 30mins (including several stops)
Ascent: 1,333m (4,373ft)
Munros: Carn Bhac (956m), Glas Tulaichean (1,051m)
Weather: Warm, chilly breeze at Munro height, sunny all day
Route: View on OS Maps

It was a dawn of bright promise over Aberdeen as both members of the Stocket Hillwalking Club and the infamous Cairngorm Club gathered on Mid-Stocket Road for the first 7am start of the season. The preceding days had been warm and sunny and there was optimism for a day free of snow-wading. It didn't turn out quite that way, but certainly the seasons are changing, the snow is finally melting and the heavy layers and crampons have been replaced by a need for wide-brimmed hats and copious amounts of sun cream and water.

Distance: 22 km
Ascent: 1,486 m
Time: 7hrs
Munros: Mt Keen
Weather: Cold, clear, some snow showers
Route: View on OS Maps

A sleepy bunch of Stockets emerged off the coach, bleary eyed, blinking in the March sunshine at the car park in Glen Esk. Eventually two groups formed, one heading for Loch Lee and an exploration of the hills south of the glen, whilst the larger group took the path north and west into Glen Mark. The good track means this approach to Mount Keen is easier and shorter than the approach from the north and though I had heard some complaints about the scenery, the dark crags of Gilfumman and the snow-capped hills at the head of the Glen drew the eyes onwards.

Distance: 13.8 miles
Time: 6hrs 54mins (including brief stops)
Ascent: 5,164ft
Munros: Carn Liath (975m), Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain (1070m), Carn nan Gabhar (1129m)
Weather: Fairly mild, little wind, cloud base at around 850m
Route: View on OS Maps

Another early start from Aberdeen this morning, but for a change the thermometer wasn’t in the red, but instead, at 5:30am with light cloud cover, showed +5! Spring is truly on its way and it was a much more straightforward drive without the worry of ice and snow. After a quick run up the A9 I turned off, passed through a sleeping Blair Atholl and gently climbed up on the single track road, past the old Bridge of Tilt and out across open farm land to the parking point at the junction up to Monzie farm.

Date: 21st February 2010
Time: 7 hours (including stops and backtracking to retrieve ice axe)
Munros: Sgairneach Mhor, Beinn Udlamain, Gael-Charn, A'Mharconaich
Distance: 14.77 miles
Ascent: 1,545m (5,068ft) Route: View on OS Maps

The car thermometer read -9oC as I cautiously left Aberdeen on the seemingly well gritted A90. My basic plan was to climb some mountains from a main road with the thought that at least getting there would be largely ice-free. Thankfully there is little moisture in Scotland at the moment and so all the roads were fine and I never had a traction problem. Even so I still took it steady and in the end it took around 2hrs 30 to get to the summit of the Pass of Drumochter on the A9. From joining the road at Dunkeld it had been a superb drive, crossing icy rivers with snow capped mountains lining the road.

Distance: 10.5 miles
Time: 6 hours
Munros: Stob a'Choire Odhair (926m), Stob Ghabhar (1025m)
Weather: Overcast, light winds, cold
Route: View on OS Maps

The benefit of starting at 5am on a Saturday morning and driving for 150 miles is that you get to catch most of the Out of Doors programme on BBC Radio Scotland. At least you do until you get deep enough in to the Southern Highlands that Cameron McNeish talking about wild camping by Loch Lomond is lost in a muddle of static. After Lochearnhead I continued on, enjoying the new found silence. The roads were surprisingly busy but slowly cars pulled off into the starting points for popular mountains including Ben More farm and Dalrigh. My favourite view of the journey was the alpenglow lighting up the solid snow-clad eastern face of Ben Lui.

Distance: 11 miles
Time: 7 hours (including stops for food, drink, crampons, photos!)
Munro: Beinn Liath Mhor
Route: View on OS Maps

Getting up at 4:30am is never fun but is made less so when the sky is cloudy and holds only the promise of drizzle. The BBC and MWIS though had both indicated a fair chance (70%) of a cloud-free Munro if I headed west and so it was that shortly after 5am I crept out of the sleeping city and headed for the A96, the hills and the promise of adventure.

Time: 5hrs 50 mins (including 20 mins of stops)
Distance: 8.8 miles
Ascent: 591m (1,939ft)
Corbett: Morrone (859m)
Meteorology: Deep snow, light cloud clearing to clear skies, sub-zero
Attendees: Myself and Dave
Route: View on OS Maps

After several weeks of inclement weather including heavy snow and high winds, as well as problems on the roads, conditions finally seemed favourable to escape Aberdeen. The 201 Stagecoach was used to reach Braemar and despite a slightly late start we were deposited outside the Fife Arms only a couple of minutes behind the timetable and a couple of minutes before 10am.