My First Solo Winter Hike – Meall an t-Seallaidh in Scotland
Join me on my first proper winter hike in Scotland! My route took me to the summit of Meall an t-Seallaidh at 852m, from Balqhidder in the Trossachs National Park. I put to practice my winter skills and share the thought process of putting my newfound knowledge to the test.
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31 Comments
How NOT to climb a mountain!
I found myself saying…."Don't be such a wuss!"
Completely unnecessary use of crampons (they are not meant for soft snow…aargh!!), ice axe and helmet.
You're walking a simple Corbett not the north face of the Eiger!!
Talk about overkill…..ridiculous!
Sorry, this is NOT good training for new mountaineers….and as for navigating in cloud…..use your compass!!…that's basic stuff!
Normally love your stuff, Abbie, but this is disappointing!!
This was not a hard mountain, it was a very easy one!….talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!
Yes great to see you out in the winter hills and really enjoyable as always 😁
You really are an inspiration. And life is hard and we could give up, but it's about conquering those fears and soldiering on. I can't do the summit to Meall an t-Seallaidh but I can march on and survive the trenches of every day life. Your words are just so profound. We can't give up. Not ever. thank you Abbie xx
So Beautiful! And I loved hearing your inner process.
Hi Abbie Good to see you .Have you got a new camera as the colour was really good in this video.
Thanks for the content! I find winter kit supremely daunting to me. It was nice seeing some explained and utilized.
Wow what a nice hike. Beautiful with the snow.
Well done, great approach to getting up the confidence in challenging conditions….certainly well beyond what i would be comfortable with…
👋👍🤗❤️
Hi Abbie, very well done, its great knowing you have beaten your fears. Every time you go out in those conditions you just gain more and more confidence. Thanks for sharing your adventure as always, all the best, Dave.
Congratulations Abbie, nice day for it, nice place for it 😊
yeah, slippy grass slopes are eViL
Interesting to hear your thought processes
You don't want snow in your Trossachs 😂😮
Brilliant cinematography, this upload deserves so much more attention my friend! Flawless filming and editing 😊
Once again, i admire you for showing that it's normal to have fears and doubts about our own abilities.
In my opinion, there's no such thing as being over equipped, especially when walking at altitude whatever the weather and I personally think you have given expert advice which every mountain rescuer would applaud.
Thanks for the awesome video 👊🏻
Cool vid. Used to go to Lakes every Jan and get judged by elitist idiots, whilst I learnt snow and winter kit. The thought that you shouldn't familiarise yourself with kit like this until you're on dangerous slopes is frankly insanity. Keep up the good work. 👍
Love the winter hike and the encouragement you give to others.
Murray from @ScotlandsMountains uses his ice axe and helmet, when out doing a winter's hike. So, you're in good company.
Cloud anxiety and facing a possible white out is enough to give most folk the fear. I have done some winter walking but mainly in groups so really well done on your first solo winter walk.
So grateful for you posting it Abbie <3
Well done Abbie 👍👏👏. Looking ahead , you may want to buy some goggles . If you get caught in a snow storm, sun glasses will not keep the snow and freezing wind out of your eyes . I’m 70 now and have many years of Experiance winter walking/climbing in Scotland . You are learning new skills , but you were over doing it with equipment but understand why you done it !🤗
Amazing. For solo hicking i recommend you visit the himalayan mountains k2 and Nangaparbat view point from one place.moses peak thank you
I so look forward to your videos. No matter how my day has gone, something so calming about watching. I get very winded going up big hills. Often have to stop and catch my breath. I do find it easier going up than down. going down kills my knees.
Abbs, to boost your confidence if the cloud came in, you could have taken a bearing on that fence line. Handy for going up to your destination and for the return journey. Grate video 😊
Thank you for being real and showing us your fears and how to deal with them. I Myself get quite anxious with winter walking like this and you've inspired me to give it a go in a safe way 💞🏔️ & its nice to know I'm not the only one that has felt this way
Hi Abbe Whenever you start a short solo trip of 4-5 days, Moses Peak is a must. It is a 5300m height۔ from the top of moses pea which you can see the views of the K2 world second highest peak in the world, Nangaparbat, K6 k11 and K 12 views in one frame. best time from May to October. This is a family tracked.its open Zone, one did not need a trekking permit or have to pay Royalty fee to climbed this Mountain tower
That's what it's all about Abby. Just getting out and practicing your hill craft. Getting familiar with new gear etc all at your own pace. Thank you for sharing 😊
Good effort Abbie! Both physically and mentally. Well done
Although your route was not too challenging, snow walking shouldn't be under estimated. Some of the main hazards can be the temperature and the energy swapping nature of trudging through snow. I did a short Dartmoor walk in similar conditions and 2/3rds of the way round I completely ran out of energy. I was able to grind my way on (after reflecting on my options) but that was more due to experience of endurance walking and knowing that the limit is usually past what your brain and body tells you. You shouldn't be in that zone by choice though.
That was a great adventure, and I really appreciated and enjoyed how you talked through your decision making, especially when it came to assessing conditions and playing it safe. It's far better to do that and realize you don't need something than to regret not using it. Crampons look essential on that terrain despite how benign it looks! Anyone wanting to get into winter adventures should watch your video to understand the kinds of decisions that need to be made and – importantly – how to make them! Looking forward to seeing your next winter outing! And, as always, great job on promoting outdoor responsibility too 👍👍
Well done abby! I have been binge watching your videos as I don't always have time and I just wanna say how great you are mate! Even though you have your struggles you still carry on and not let it beat you. I admire you keep going 💪💪🫶🏻🫶🏻