Return to Stob Coire Easain and Stob a'Choire Mheadhoin

 "Munro-Baggers" reputedly climb hills regardless of their merit, gain the desired "tick" in the book, never to return. It's a lie, I tell you! Although I have only 13 Munros yet unclimbed, this week I returned to these two favourites - for the third time. One of my friends is on the countdown to her last Munros and wanted to do these ones, as did my daughter - and it was  great day out. Every ascent of a good mountain is a good day... and every time I've  climbed these has been different. On the first occasion, on my own, a temperature inversion gave way to a beautiful day; The second ascent, with Stewart was  on the 2nd of January when every rock was glazed with ice. Thsi week, the first dustings of snow lay on the ridges bathed in autumnal sunshine,

With some inevitable conversation about WWII, Fersit and Rudolph Hess (he was held there for much of the war) we left rhe car park early, went past the dam and up the path which zig-zags back past the sheep shank, and onto the ridge near the Hydro-pillar (No idea what a hydro-pillar is - but it looks a bit like an oversized trig point!).

The ridge walk from there is straightforward - and utterly splendid with views to die for in every direction - but especially of The Grey Corries, the Aionachs, Ben Nevis, The Mamores and Glen Coe. Schiehallion was impressive back in Perthshire too.

The top of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin is lovely, but the best bit is the stuning ridge and ascent onto Stob Coire Easain - which is a terrific piece of sweeping mountain sculpture to a fine summit with grand views. The returnm via the first hill is no dissaopintment, either (My sixth time on this one!), because the airy top is a windblown highland gallery - and had it been warmer (and we not had a friend's 60th birthday party to get to in Perth!) I could have basked in that view for a while longer.

Will I do these hills for a 4th time? I hope so - espcially as my wife wants to do them. I'd more than happily go up again!