A Walk Over Meall a' Bhuachaille To Make A Little Video

View down to Ryvoan Pass & An Lochan Uaine

Sometimes the days pass by and something you think you did recently turns out to be six months ago. I was thinking it was a little while since I’d been on a favourite Cairngorms walk, through Ryvoan Pass and over Meall a’ Bhuachaille, but on checking my journal I was surprised that the last time was actually back in May. It’s not often there’s such a gap. I definitely needed to go again soon. The forecast seemed right for such a walk too as it was for mist and gusty winds above 1000 metres but clear with light breezes lower down. Meall a’ Bhuachaille is 810 metres.

I was also thinking about recording a little video on the new edition of my book High Summer, about my 1988 walk the length of the Canadian Rockies and wondering where to make it. In my study if I could cut out most of the disorganisation? In the front room if I could arrange it when I wouldn’t disturb the rest of the household? In the garden, which is mostly fairly wild? Then a thought popped up. Why not take the book for a walk? It seemed appropriate. Make the video in the hills. The book would come up Meall a’Bhuachaille.

An Lochan Uaine

The day was quite warm for November – no jacket needed – as I set off on the familiar path to An Lochan Uaine and Ryvoan Bothy. The lochan shimmered in a gentle breeze, quiet and subdued, the last autumn colour gone from round its shores.

Ryvoan Bothy

The bothy looked bright and smart following its renovation by the Mountain Bothies Association in the spring. There’s a new bigger porch, a woodshed, and a red roof now.

Climbing the path from the bothy up the eastern slopes of Meall a’ Bhuachaille, a path that has several sections of steep stone staircases that always remind me, fancifully, of the one climbed by Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings up to the lair of the giant spider Shelob. Not that thoughts of giant spiders bothered me here. I was more thinking about the weather and whether the summit would be clear for making my video.

View from the ascent

It didn’t look promising. All the hills were cloud-capped. The wind was picking up too and there were hints of dampness in the air. There were hints of blue and a slight orange glow that suggested the clouds weren’t that thick. Maybe it would clear.

Sunshine over Abernethy Forest

I could soon see the mist not far above though. It didn’t look like shifting. Just before I reached it bright sunshine illuminated a strip of Abernethy Forest. Then I was in the grey dampness. 

No book video here!

At the summit I stopped briefly for a snack. Light rain was falling and the breeze was chilly. The mist was thick. Not the ideal place for a video.

Pearly-edged clouds

Descending I was soon out of the mist and heading for the forest. As I reached the first trees the edges of the clouds over the high mountains were edged with a soft pink and orange lustre. A fallen pine not far from the path looked a good seat and so it was. The video was soon made, shorter than it might have been as drizzle began to fall after a few minutes. Probably long enough though.