Hi Greig

Just love your photos. Craig Mellon and all that area is superb. I was in Kirrie this weekend and was longing to get up to Clova but couldn't make it. I could see from my brother's window that there was still a bit of snow on the high tops. Great that you were able to take advantage of the good weather at last. Let's hope it keeps up now. Ben Tee is one of the hills I was thinking about for my holidays! We're bound to meet by chance on one of the corbetts one of these days!

Annie - Strider looks like a fun kind of guy!

Lionel - Thanks for the Sgor Gaoith picture. It's a great place - would like to see some snow up there - I just love the Moine Mhor.

Jacqui - Just in case there's snow, we will need extra emergency rations of chocolate!

Cheers
Sheila

Hi Sheila,

I found on the Highland Instinct forum, some pictures of the Cairngorms taken this week-end (Friday 21st or Saturday 22nd). You can see there is still a lot of snow.... so for your next walk there, I am sure you will find snow on the tops. If the weather is cold, be careful, you might need crampons and ice-axe to walk on frozen snow or ice.

Have a look here :

http://www.highland-instinct.co.uk/forum/r...page=4#msg-3276

http://www.highland-instinct.co.uk/cairngo...6/14/index.html



Courtesy of Highland Instinct. Thanks,

Greetings from France,

Lionel

Hi Lionel
Thanks for those and your concern! Don't worry, we'lll weigh things up carefully before we go. There's still 3 weeks to go so the snow might go a bit, if today's temperature was anything to go by. Also we will be climbing the hill from the west so there will be less snow on that side. Anyway we'll not do anything dangerous!

Cheers
Sheila

Hi Sheila,

Of course, some snow will have melt by then, but on higher grounds there might be still some of it.

However I know you are experienced and you will be careful. For sure, you'll have a great time on the hills with Jacqui.

Cheers,

Lionel

Sheila, just how much of my life insurance payout is David giving you?

Only your shares in Cadbury's and Nestle's I'm gonna be rich!

I've been asked to ask...

Has anyone here done Ben Ledi in Callander? How was it and where is the best place to start from? My friend says he was recommended to start from a car park near the middle of loch Venachar on the road north (?). However on finding the car park my friend reckoned that Ledi was probably a couple of miles walk from there on the other side of another hill (obviously not quite as big)?

He thinks he maybe found the wrong car park and was wondering if anyone had done the climb and where they started from.

Hi Crunchie,

I have never walked Ben Ledi but I have found a very good link to check :

http://www.incallander.co.uk/walks/benledi.htm

I hope it helps,

Best wishes for a nice walk to your friend,

Lionel

Thanks Lionel, I don't remember there being a bridge anywhere like it says on that site. I said we had the wrong car park and he never believed me!

You are welcome Crunchie.

Will you go back there another time for the walk ?

Lionel

I probably won't unless the route set out by this website is a lot easier than what my friend was suggesting but by the looks of things we were in a completely diferent place. This site suggests setting out from nearer Loch Lubnaig but we were right on the banks on Loch Venachar and there was definately no path where we were.

Crunchie,

There are maybe several routes to climb Ben Ledi... but the one given on the link is the traditional route. And there is a path starting from Stank car park well marked up to the top. If you find the right car park, then it should be easy to follow the route.

Ben Ledi seems to be a very nice and interesting hill !

Loch Vennacher is heading to Ben A'an. You need to pass through Kilmahog, just north of Callander, you will see a sign for log cabins about a mile further on, turn left at this sign and go over a narrow metal bridge. You can park there and start to climb Ben Ledi from there. It is just before the start of Loch Lubnaig. The start of the climb is through a forest. There is another route but i have yet to find it. Good luck Chrunchie.

Gwen

Thanks very much! No doubt my friend will appreciate an easier route!