Читать книгу Not the West Highland Way. Diversions over mountains, smaller hills or high passes for 8 of the WH Way's 9 stages онлайн

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In the morning the sun was shining yet again. (Who wants the Highlands in February, eh?) We zigzagged arduously up the end of Buachaille Beag. The smaller Buachaille is just one of many fine mountains apparent on the map but not mentioned in the body of this book because there are just so many of them.

Argyll Needle, the summit of the Cobbler

Buachaille Beag’s a logical extension for anyone with spare energy on this part of Route 18. We made scratchy crampon noises all along its lovely ridge, to find a way down northwest from just short of its final summit Stob nan Cabar. Luckily we were walking away from the sunshine; sunscreen was one burden I hadn’t thought to bring. Then up the Devil’s Staircase, and there was the Pap of Glencoe standing erect against the afternoon.

One more range stands between us and journey’s end. Except that, in Scotland’s winter, you do have to adapt your plans to the weather. And extreme weather is on the way: yet another day of winter chill and cloudless blue skies. When sun runs golden along this particular range, you can’t just ignore the Mamores. We booked at Blackwater Hostel for a second night, hung the tent in the drying room, and clicked and scratched our way up the steep end of Binnein Mor.