Cat Law 24 Oct 2010

Could not have a hill blog and not include the hill that I look at every time I come out my front door. I think I first walked this hill when I was 10 but definitely remember climbing it for a sponsored walk aged 12. There are many ways to walk up Cat Law but since I had to take my dogs today and the older of the two has slight arthritis in her spine it was the best path for her also coming today was my dad. Started from Balintore where there is a great double track all the way to the summit, so really on a clear but very cold & windy day like it was it's very straightforward.

Looking towards the Cat Law

Looking to the west

On the summit with Poppy & Rosie

Looking east towards the sea over the Long Goat

Looking South over The Crandard to the Strathmore Valley

Although a short day today there were great views of Dreish, Mayer, Glas Maol, Creag Leacach, Glas Tulaichean, Ben Lawers, Schiehallion & many other hills. Another great walk on the Cat Law.

Marsco, Isle of Skye Sunday 10 October 2010

A last minute decision on friday night was to head for Skye on saturday morning and walk sunday, we did not want a huge day as had an early start to work on monday (4 hour drive home as well) but boy did we make the right choice! Had decided it was to be Glamaig or Marsco but I have always wanted to do Marsco as have a painting of it by Jean Thomas from Portnalong, the late great hill man Pete's widower.

Marsco from Sligachan

There are a few different ways to tackle this hill but we decided to use Andrew Dempster's route in the book The Grahams, as the walk in from the starting point at the head of Loch Ainort is shorter than starting at Sligachan and given the rain that Skye has had over the summer the less time walking over wet boggy ground the better and it would also mean finishing earlier too. After parking the car at the lay-by we followed the burn up Coire nam Bruardaran (Corrie of Dreams) with the red deer stags bellowing all round about us, to reach the bealach at 320m where the jaw dropping views of Corbett Garbh-bheinn and ClachGlas on Bla Bheinn came into view.
Belig, Garbh-bheinn & Clach Glas on Bla Bheinn

From the bealach it was up the steeping & narrowing SE ridge with the views of the black cullin ridge  appearing all the way up. At around 650m the ridge flattens out before a slight dip and another short pull up to a short narrow arete which leads to the summit cairn.
Sgurr nan Gillean & Summit Ridge of Marsco

On the summit ridge looking towards The Red Cullin 

Pinnacle Ridge on Sgurr nan Gillean

The views from the summit are some of the best from any mountain in Scotland especially on a day like what we got. Our descent route was just the ascent in reverse with brilliant views looking towards Bla bheinn and Loch Scavaig.
Looking to wards Bla-Bheinn & Loch Scavaig