Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Beinn Bharrain. Mullach Buidhe. Arran.

ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
A quick post this time as I'm having major problems with either my phone line or broadband connection and it keeps cutting off. This is the third time I've tried to post this. Arran. 4:00am start for poor Bobby to get  over to Graeme's house for the 7:00am ferry. Beinn Bharrain ridge. Sunrise from Ardrossan Harbour above. Myself, Alex, Graeme and David in one car to save on petrol. Bus from Brodick pier to Pirnmill where the walk starts. Buses run to meet each ferry coming in. £5:40 for all day ticket which means you can go back via Blackwaterfoot and have a tour round the island if you have time after doing the hill.
Alsia Craig in early morning light.
Start of Beinn Bharrain ridge. A mild but good scramble. Graeme and David opted for the walking ridge. Alex was pleased to use his new bus pass. Life begins at 60.

Lots of flies swarming about in an annual mating ritual.
Very distinctive with red legs. They flew like fairies with arms and legs outstretched.

Glided a bit like May flies in sweeping upward movements.



Good views over to A Chir ridge and Goatfell.

Zoom of the main Arran ridge looking very "Lost World" All that's missing here is tropical jungle and King Kong. Primeval wilderness at this distance. Never seen it from this direction before.
A few awkward bits on scramble mainly due to old age and typical smooth granite with few good holds.
Cir Mhor.
The scrambling ridge.
The old man has still got it...but only just! I cant talk...I climbed this high step like an elephant seal  as holds were nowhere to be found on the slab above. Easy but awkward.

Side profile of ridge.
Tor on the main walking ridge. Graeme and David in distance.

Smooth grass covered most of the summit slopes.
Duhb Loch and Loch Tanna
Lochan above Thunderguy. ( Thundergay on OS Map)
Holy Isle summit.

Purple heather above Thunderguy. (Thunderguy on wooden sign at bus stop, Thundergay on map?)
A long day.Over 8 hours walking and back in the house for 10pm. Big feed. Lamb, carrots, turnip, baby potatoes, salad, pickle, boiled egg, and yellow peppers. Yum Yum.

Video is a recent TV series I enjoyed about Birmingham in 1919 just after the First World War and one family group's ruthless rise from the slums of Small Heath where they operate as illegal back street bookmakers to gain a foothold and legitimate control of the cities racecourses through fear, intimidation and cunning. Great music, good acting, and period detail made this very watchable. Series two should be on soon and if it's as good as series one I'll be glued to it.



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9 comments:

  1. Robert Craig4 September 2014 at 09:32

    Good to see you are still climbing new summits!

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  2. Carol5 September 2014 at 02:28

    Superb photos of that scramble - I'm not sure whether I could do it or not. I was going to send Richard that way last time but he ended up coming with me on the walking route, not sure why.

    He got a scare on the walk into the corrie on the way to the hill anyway - an adder came sliding towards us, intent on some prey just past us I think, but I think he thought it was coming for us. We had to side-step it as it was pretty oblivious! ;-)
    Carol.

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  3. The Glebe Blog5 September 2014 at 20:38

    Some rocky peaks in this post Bob. Those flies looked mean. Didn't the midges chase a king off Arran ?. Interesting video clip, did the series make you reminisce the Glasgow Ice Cream wars of the 80's
    Great pictures as always.

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  4. blueskyscotland5 September 2014 at 23:56

    Hi Craig,
    Yes, still finding new areas to explore thankfully.

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  5. blueskyscotland6 September 2014 at 00:08

    Hi Carol,
    If you can climb severe and VS rock routes a scramble like that one(not even graded) will be no problem.
    Worst place we ever climbed for adders was Northumbria. Dozens of large ones in the bracken around the climbing crags there and the last thing you want to see face to face on a ledge halfway up a rock climb. A chapter on that occurrence made the book as we encountered half a dozen in under five minutes on one path alone and started stamping to scare off any more as the bracken obscured where they were sunbathing.

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  6. blueskyscotland6 September 2014 at 00:19

    Hello Jim,
    Yes, it was a better mountain than I was expecting to find. Very nice ridge and great views over half of west coast Scotland and parts of Ireland from the summit.
    Flies were really cute and friendly and we even had our lunch stop inside the swarm as there were dozens of these massed eruptions along the ridge that day. Like having hundreds of little Tinkerbells taking off beside you. A rare event to be treasured and to be a part of it in the middle of a winged army.
    P B didn't make me think of Ice Cream Wars which was a sad business altogether.

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  7. Carol6 September 2014 at 00:48

    I've just woken the nightshift up laughing at the thought of meeting an adder on a ledge during a climb! ;-)

    I can climb severe etc. as a rock climb 'cos I'm on a rope - totally different person to the me off a rope - then I revert to being a total mountain coward...
    Carol.

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  8. Neil9 September 2014 at 19:24

    Excellent Bob, still to do this one. I've got knee trouble at the moment so am off the hills for a bit but hoping to get back soon. Might think about doing something in Arran in October. Great place to listen to the stags roaring.

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  9. blueskyscotland17 September 2014 at 02:55

    Hi Neil,
    Hope your knees get better soon.

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