Date: 2nd May 2009
Distance: 21 miles
Ascent: 5000ft
Time: 8hrs 15mins (including stops)
Munros: Carn a' Mhaim, Ben MacDui, Derry Cairngorm
Meteorology: May-like (rain, hail, snow, wind, sun in equal measure)
Route: View on OS Maps

A typical Bank Holiday forecast promising a mix of sunshine and showers, though decidedly better on the east, meant I abandoned grand plans for a trip up to Assynt and the Far North, and instead returned to (almost) familiar ground in the Cairngorms. In fact, as I got held up behind another driver doing 45mph on the A93 at 7:15 in the morning, I reflected on the fact that this walk would very much be on new ground. I'd been over Beinn Bhrotain last year but that had been in cloud. I was hoping today to get a proper sight of Glen Dee and the giants at the heart of the Cairngorms.

Time: 7hrs 15 mins (including 1hr 45 mins of stoppage!)
Distance: 12.5 miles
Ascent: 1520m (4,988ft)
Munros: Ben Vane (916m), Beinn Ime (1011m)
Meteorology: Hazy sunshine, cool wind on summits, later heavy showers
Attendees: Many, but myself, Dave and Peter completed the walk
Route: View on OS Maps

A weak sun lights the dull, grey waters of Loch Lomond as the Inversnaid ferry plies across from a far shore wreathed in cloud. The long drone of a piper starts as the guests climb the jetty up to the Inveruglas visitor center where a car park is already struggling to contain the early starts. Here we are, adding to the multitudes, booting up and then heading across the road towards the Loch Sloy turning. The Sloy hydro station stands silent as we troop down the road, a multicolour line of troops marching to do battle with the hill.

Distance: 7.9 miles
Time: 4 hours
Hills: Clachnaben, Mt Shade, Threestane Hill
Meteorology: Fine early spring day with plenty of sunshine

As others have shown after the disaster that was Saturday, Sunday on the east side of Scotland was a beautiful day. Sunshine, blue skies and a frosty nip higher up. This was to be my first expedition in the car so something reasonably close by was selected. Inspired by L111CHT’s interesting route to Clachnaben we headed to the second car park, just by the AA Call Box on the B974 road towards Fettercairn (NO893650).

Distance: 3.8 miles
Time: 2 hours
Hill: Dumyat (418m)
Weather: Overcast with occasional rain show

What Dumyat may lack in height it more than makes up for in steepness and craggyness. Although there is a fairly straightforward route up this wee hill just to the west of Stirling we chose a more eccentric route, heading steeply up its western gorge before traversing the south face just below the crags and then scrambling up to the summit.

Time: 4hrs 50mins (including stops)
Distance: 7.3 miles
Munro: Ben Lomond (974m)
Route: View on OS Maps

The drive to Rowardennan on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond was a tantalising one with the mountains wreathed in mist but a watery sun illuminating the valley. However, as the potholes got worse so did the weather until we found ourselves booting up under a sombre sky. The car park was already full (despite closed toilets) and a string of people could be seen heading up onto the slopes.

Hills: Carn na Drochaide (Corbett, 818m)
Distance: 13 miles
Time: 4.5 hours (including stops)
Weather: "Wintry"
Route: View on OS Maps

It seemed the hillwalkers forecast on Sunday morning had been wrong; for much of the journey out from Aberdeen on the 201 Stagecoach the skies were blue and the first hills looked beautiful. Morven in particular, with a cap of pristine fresh snow (we had seen the clouds march towards Aberdeen on Thursday but they had never hit), looked stunning. We passed through Ballater where there was a thin covering of snow on the green by the church, but it was only really as we entered the trees a few miles before Crathie that things changed. The bus driver commented “it was like going through the wardrobe into Narnia”. All of sudden the branches were laden with snow, and fresh flakes were drifting down onto a ground that was increasingly white and winter-like.

Corbetts Climbed: Morven
Distance: 15 miles
Time: 6 hours (including stops)
Weather: Mild, overcast early on but sunshine later, very windy on top Route: View on OS Maps

Poor planning leads oft to much tarmac should be a new saying. Not fully thinking through my walk, or more accurately changing my mind several times on the way, meant I added on six miles of tarmac drudgery onto what was otherwise a fantastic day out in the Cairngorm foothills.

Distance: 15.3 miles
Time: 6.75 hours (incl stops)
Weather: Perfect winter conditions, sub-zero, no clouds
Munros Attempted: Beinn Fhada
Munros Summited: None Route: View on OS Maps

Another perfect morning in Kintail: the air icy and cold and the sky already a deep shade of blue as I ate my breakfast. The surface of Loch Duich was ruffled only by a pair of herons as I walked briskly along the side of the A87 to the turn off at Allt a' chruinn. Sgurr an Airgid was delighting in the feel of the morning sunlight on its snow-speckled upper reaches.

Distance: 14 miles
Time: 7 hours (incl stops)
Weather: Overcast, mild, gusty on top, later clearing
Munro Tops Summited: Sgurr Leac nan Each
Corbetts: Sgurr Mhic Bharraich
Lesser Peaks: Sgurr a Gharg Gharaidh

It was overcast and mild as I headed through Shiel Bridge, skirting the campsite and heading south towards Sgurr a Creige, the nearest end of The Saddle. I learnt a valuable lesson as at a fork in the track (NG 936 185) I carried straight on and found myself heading through trees that clung to the sides of the gorge. After battling my way along a little way I realised my mistake and scrambled up slithery, grassy slopes to regain the track at the top of the slope. The notes about this had all said to avoid the new track but I didn't realise it was a three way split rather than a two. Later in the day I came down the correct track!

Distance: 9.7 miles
Time: 5 hours (including stops) Route: View on OS Maps

For once the malevolent weather gods of Aberdeen had taken a Sunday off, the coach arrived early and we even got a stop for bacon rolls at the services of Strathcaro where the authentic seventies experience is free. At the back of the coach it was Baltic and so the frigid air at Lumley Den was not much of a surprise as we kitted up under promisingly blue skies.