I managed to escape the office to do some guiding for the first time in a couple of months to run a Ben Nevis weekend last weekend. It’s great to be able to get away and enjoy the highlands for a couple of days and forget about the joys of marketing budgets and year end accounts.
Surprisingly for May, which is usually our busiest time of year I was only joined by two girls in the form of Sharon and Geeta, which made for a relaxed and fun weekend. We tackled Ben Nevis on Saturday and despite the forecast being pretty average the weather was pretty good with the cloud down to about 1000m and only a small period of rain on the descent. Saying that there is still a huge amount of snow on the summit and with the easterly wind strafing the summit it was brutally cold on the summit. We were up and down in about 7:30 which is pretty good going and the beer in the Ben Nevis Inn certainly tasted good.
We enjoyed a really good dinner in the Alexandra Hotel and then headed to bed in the hope that time would cure our aching legs. Sure enough Sunday morning the legs where much improved, as was the weather, and we decided to do one of my favourite walks in Scotland. The loop above Kinlochleven to Loch Eilde Mor. The climb to Mamore Lodge is always a bit of a struggle but the lovely woodland and Mares Tail Waterfall eases the pain, from Mamore Lodge turn right and follow the landrover track until you see Loch Eilde Mor, bear right at the cairn on a good narrow path which takes you to the dam wall. Turn right immediately after crossing the dam wall and follow the very muddy pipe track for a couple of kilometers before turning right down a steep path at a cairn. Walk down the path until you reach the valley floor and cross and old wall. A path joins from the left, turn right and follow the good riverside path to Kinlochleven. I hope you enjoy the walk as much as I do and the weather is as good for you as it always seems to be for me.
I’m always inspired to get out more once I get back from a Ben Nevis Weekend so I am looking forward to our break to Highland Perthshire this weekend. Fingers crossed for some bank holiday sunshine.
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