The plan had been rattling around in the back of my head for a number of years, finally the timing and energy were right, if only I’d known what lay ahead. The idea was to ski the usual route of the summer path from where you see my shadow in the image above, along the righthand side of the loch to the far end, up through a steep notch, ascending to the distant summit of Ben Chonzie, back over the hills above the loch and descend to my start point. In the summer about 6-7 hours depending on how many stops you make.
The first obstacle was that half way to the car park by the loch the road was completely buried under snow and being a bit too ambitious I got the car stuck, a little digging and I reversed back 30 metres to a flattish area by the road and parked there. This would add a further 2 kilometres to the trip at both ends.
There’s a road under there somwhere…
So it begins…
The temperature was around -10ºC but with some warmth when the sun started to rise, the snow soft and powdery which was quite pleasant but breaking trail taxing. This part of the route would normally be a vehicle track, now completely drifted over and unrecognisable.
Track, what track?
I glided along with some effort on the up hill sections, glad of the down hill parts powered by gravity and stopping at each burn (stream) that crossed my path for a slug of water.
Water
water everywhere, mostly snow…
I finally made it to the end of the track to a large open bowl (corrie) which I traversed around for the beginning of the steep stuff.
The route taken so far…
The only way is up…
From this point to the summit it was icy and there was nothing for it but to strap the skis to my pack and swap over to Ice axe and crampons. Alas it wasn’t to be straight forward as the the snow was hollow in many places and my foot would go through, highly irritating, uncomfortable and making progress slow going.
I forged on muttering on about beginning to wish I’d stayed at home and watched the TV… :) I finally made it to the summit, wind howling and mist blowing in and out, gone was any thought of a leisurely lunch, a quick bite to eat and a couple cups of my ginger tea hastily choked down and it was time to push on. Another chap turned up on skis from the other direction, a quick conversation ( much shouting against the wind) and we both went our separate ways.
I was back on skis but it was still icy and not the best, I was behind time now and was anxious to make up time but care was required.
The next summit to head for.
I made it to the next summit Carn Chois on icy wind scoured snow, now with the sun on the horizon I decided to carry on, no time to stop here for a break. I started to ski down but decided to stop and get the skis off, crampons on the frozen snow rough and lumpy, the sun dipping below the horizon and visibility difficult. It seemed a slow laborious age before I was back on a snow covered vehicle track on the other side of the loch, but the snow was soft once again and it was time to put the skis back on.
Looking back to the summit of Ben Chonzie.
Exhausted but still a way to go I pushed on and finally made it to the dam at the head of the loch, from here finally the going was easier and with tired arms a sore feet I skied back down the road to the car with my head torch now illuminating the way, what a wonderful sight. I’d soon be home and a hot shower…
Failing light and still a way to go…
It didn’t take long to change ,drink the last of my ginger tea and … I was going nowhere. My car is a 4x4, but it had frozen solid under the wheels, the snow covered road a tantalising 1.5 metres away but all four wheels spinning I was stuck. I spent an hour trying everything I know trying to extract myself but it wasn’t happening. I had to give in and call for help. After some time a chap turned up with a truck with a winch and with some tribulations I was finally out.
I’d left home at 6.30 am and returned at 11.30 pm, the tour had taken almost 12 hours (around 20 killometres) plus my extraction adventures, home never felt so good. It was an adventure to look back on with a feeling of success and amusement even though it was a pure slog for most of the time; but I’d completed the route as imagined, a satisfying achievement to be sure.
It was one hell of a day…