Gerry McPartlin on Beinn Eunaich

Gerry and Beinn Eunaich

Monday, 12 April 2010

Beinn a' Chochuill      980m   1hr. 53mins

Beinn Eunaich.           988m.   3hrs 1min

A perfect day and as the early morning frost began to thaw I headed for the hills again. Beinn a' Choichuill and Beinn Eunaich are in the shadow of Ben Cruachan but are steep and airy summits with splendid balcony views of Cruachan. The walk-in was invigorating in the morning sun with interest provided by a commercial helicopter lifting massive pipes across the Allt Mhoille Glen. The track was littered with Swedes which were like giant ball bearings. The sheep were filling their intestines with neeps, a novel twist on a tasty dish. I made a beeline for the summit ridge of Beinn a' Chochuill, straight up 650 metres of unrelenting slopes. I was coaxed up by my iPod on shuffle and kept to a schedule of 50 metres of ascent per track, Ska is good climbing music. It miraculously selected my favourite Sandy Denny track 'Who knows where the time goes' for the final promenade along the ridge to the cairn.

On the descent, I met Gerry McPartlin on his attempt to make the fastest Munro round by a pensioner. His target is 90 days but he is wise and flexible in his approach and will select hills according to the weather and how he feels. Gerry was a GP in Edinburgh but now lives in Applecross and is a medical adviser to the Torridon mountain rescue team. He was about to start the ascent of Beinn a' Chochuill, his sixth Munro, and was walking with ease, patience and serenity that suggested he knew what he was doing. This was his third day having started on Ben Lomond and he has been blessed with the best weather of the year. His walk is to raise funds for L'Arche, a charity that provides homes for folk with learning difficulties - the next two homes are to be built in Kenya and Edinburgh.

Turnips as ball bearings on the track

Ben Cruachan on the ascent of Beinn a' Chochuill