4,400 ft 13 miles
This was a rubbish trip. The snow line was down to 1,000 feet and I never really had a chance. Being on my own meant the safety margins would be tighter. On the first day my aim was to go over Ben Nevis then Carn Mor Dearg , over Aonoch Mor then to descend down to the Nevis Range. This didn’t quite happen I ascended Ben Nevis and climbed up into a white out. I decided better of carrying on with my proposed route and carefully navigated my way off the top. These were the toughest conditions I have ever had to negotiate on a mountain top. What made it tricky is that it is a flat top with shear drops on most sides, if you get your navigation wrong it can and has been fatal - hence the navigation lines on the maps - which I had to use. So I was glad to get out of the clouds and down safely.
9th May
21 miles 6,300 feet
The 2nd day started with a downpour, and during this I drove out to Loch Treig, observed the torrential rain from my car. I decided that, with the cloud down to the snow line at about 1,200 feet it would be too much of a chore to go on new ground, and I wouldn’t learn much either. It had taken me 10 minutes to rationalise the pros and cons in order to make this decision, as the rain continually lashed my car. I went back to Fort William and did a run from my hotel to Stob Ban over Mullach Nan Coirean - in deep snow - and back to Fort William via Cow Hill. The weather got better as the day went on and I descended Mullach Nan Coirean in sunshine. Their were only 1 or 2 more showers as I made my way back to Fort William to finish an enjoyable, mixed terrain run.
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