Following a week of wet, cold and dull weather, Friday and Saturday promised a break of fine weather before it was back to wet and cold, and so I took the opportunity to return to my “go to hill” for a short in distance, but a reasonably demanding hill with wonderful views especially on a crisp winters day, Beinn Dubh.

The below freezing temperatures two nights in succession was exactly what was needed to give Beinn Dubh’s often wet and soggy hillside a nice hard coating of frozen ground, frozen but not in any way slippery which made for a good walking surface. As usual it is out the car, a short walk across the footbridge and instantly onto the hillside for the relentless uphill climb for every metre of the 642m height of Beinn Dubh. A slow, steady plod, a couple of short breaks to take in the views and I was onto the final stretch from the 500m high top to the main summit, by which point the thick gloves and hat were off and the jacked zipped open, the bright sun and complete lack of wind making it a fairly warm change from the previous days.

I have a favourite little spot on this summit where I can set my sit-mat on a comfortable little ridge in the ground, and after the obligatory summit photos I settle down for a coffee and energy bar and, most importantly, to just sit and enjoy the views. Wonderful.

Beinn Dubh was my target for today, so I gave Mid Hill a miss and simply retraced my step back downhill to Luss to complete a short by very fine day on my “go to hill”, although I should mention if was by no means “my” hill today, as I have never seen it so busy on a winters day. My earlyish start meaning that I saw only a couple of people in the distance ahead, I think one couple passed my by, and there were a few in the distance behind. However, on my return downhill they were coming uphill at increasingly regular intervals and I could see them spread out on the track below, everyone making the best of a fine day in the middle of a mucky spell of weather. Good to see.