Glencoe-Kintail Vol Biv - Part 2

A promising day breaks

I went back for the oatcakes I'd left on a rock when I'd gone looking for water the evening before. Found them, took a photo to capture the memory... And walked off without them.

Still there...

I enjoyed my breakfast basking in the sun on the hilltop: 

"The stillness of the morning, with the sun warming your face and a coffee warming your belly, shaking off the sleepiness of the night, is one of the most magical moments of bivvying in the mountains."

Saturday was incredible. An absolutely stunning flight deep into Knoydart, and then over Glenshiel and into Kintail.

Waiting for the day to warm up

I was itching to get off with light thermals coming through around 12 but watching 2 large birds of prey (white bodies with white diagonal on black wings - Ospreys?) fail to climb out, the inversion was still to break. I tried shortly after with an unsuccessful scratch around and a slope land, but almost straight after that a nice cu popped up over the opposite end of the bowl and the game was clearly on. No bother on my next attempt at 1.30; I climbed out easily with base already at 5000ft and headed along the mountains west and then north towards Knoydart. Mostly blue skies but with cu's marking the best climbs and with no wind it was easy going, and I bimbled along enjoying the views. Still lacking a bit of confidence in myself and the day, I couldn't resist taking most climbs (which were abundant!) and staying high.

On my way

Nearing the coast

Spectacular flying along the coast, deep in the boonies: what a special place to be.

Hence my surprise to see another glider! A racy white Gin, which I later found out to be Trias on his way to completing an impressive 90km triangle from Glen Finnan - flying significantly faster than me!

Trias! 

Knoydart ahead

Loch Hourn

The view to the SW

Moving north towards Glen Shiel

I cruised along, playing in the clouds, getting up to 7200 ft over the Forcan ridge in Glenshiel and then crossed the A87 into Kintail with some nice cloud streets marking the route. It was still lifty under the large clouds but with the day definitely slowing I started looking for a bivvy spot with a westerly face for the expected wind on Sunday.

Glean Gaorsaic provided the magic. A beautiful large glen ringed by craggy mountains with 2 lochs and a river. I first had my eye on Sgurr Gaorsaic - a prominent steep hill with an enticing flat top and snow for water - but I headed past to explore the other options in the glen, also eyeing up the west ridge of the massive Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan. Still undecided I headed back to Gaorsaic where I found a weak climb that took me back up so I could get a proper look at the summit of the Sgurr. Too steep and cold however so I headed back again and top landed on the flat grassy slopes of Sgurr Gaorsaic for an exquisite bivvy spot, only slightly tempered by a cold easterly wind that set in after sunset which forced me down the slope to find some respite from the chill.

Crossing Glen Shiel, looking east

Looking back south at my bivvy hill