Episode 40 - Suilven // Scotland - Mountains - Grahams - Hiking

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 14

  • @redfairy311
    @redfairy311 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    That was wonderful to watch, and quite emotional for me. Thank you. Suilven has an attachment to it for me. One of my big brothers climbed it, and loved it. He'd stayed in the bothy. Not sure how many times he went up it. Anyway, he did climb it in 2019. In 2020, he got poorly. On the day he found out that treatment wasn't working, he had a conversation with my sister (she was also going through treatment). He said, at the end of the day he just wanted to stand on Bamburgh beach and say b***er. My sister replied with an offer to stand aloft somewhere in Wales and say it for him. He said, 'or go to Suilven and shout 'ar*e'. He died in February 2021. So I decided to had to take his message up there for him. I hadn't done any walking or climbing in years. First thing I did was join a gym and took up spinning. I set a date. 21st June 2022. I took my friend with me, who lost his partner suddenly in 2020. So we both had meaning to go. He drove the 300 plus miles, stayed at Inchnadamph, and set off for Suilven on the morning of 21st June. It was foggy. The fog didn't lift. So we didn't see Suilven at all. I knew she was there, but it was frustrating. I remember the relentless path, ups and downs, the turn for the bothy, the bridge, the rise up to the start of the route up to Suilven. My friend was struggling by this point. Wasn't sure if he was going to make it. We sat on a rock and had to decide what to do. He said he's go on. So we climbed up that first ridge, the one before you get to the loch at the base of Suilven. We suddenly realised she was there, lurking in fog. We met a few hikers, one of which advised to not go up. So I decided we couldn't. The fog was too much. I lay back on a massive boulder and looked up, and as if by magic, the fog cleared just a little for me to see the top. It felt magical. My friend did the most amazing shouting of 'ar*e', it echoed through the valley. We left a small teddy up there, and some little rocks/crystals. All in memory of my brother and my friend's partner. Then I turned my back on Suilven and left. My friend started off down the steep path. A few steps down and he fell. He went tumbling forward, then came to a stop. I ran down to him, and found him on the edge of the path, with a drop behind him, his bad stopping him rolling further. He was upsidedown. Luckily, nothing broken, perhaps his pride. And lots of scrapes and bumps. It made the long walk back really long. We got back to the lodge at about 9pm. I left him there and ran to get the car. He thought he'd found a lovely place to sit, until the midgies descended. Hah! Insult to injury. I never went back to Suilven. Although did stay at Achnarcarnin last May, where I could see her from the window. I don't think I can do it now. I have an injured knee. I know I've written far too much, but it was just to tell my story. And say thank you for sharing, again. Maybe next time you can do an honoury shout out of 'ar*e' for me, please. Thank you.

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks for sharing your moving story, which stirs up many memories for me. I've lost count of the number of days I have spent in the dreaded fog. When it clears though, even just for a moment, it feels like magic. (If you have a few minutes spare, Episode 3 is a perfect demonstration of this). I remember walking down Snowdon with my youngest daughter, she was 7 at the time, when both my feet went from under me. I remember trying to let go of her hand so not to pull her down with me, but she was determined to hold on. My pack saved me, keeping my head from smashing on the rock and jamming between boulders, stopping me sliding down. I hope you manage to get your knee sorted and get back in the hills again. I thought for a time that my mountain days were over when I tore my ACL. However, thanks to a piece of my hamstring and a talented surgeon, my knee was stabilised and I'm able to share my adventures on here. It's so great to hear how they helps others to revisit special times for them. Thanks for watching, I'll be sure to shout 'ar*e' if I get up there again. 😊

  • @rogerwatt8491
    @rogerwatt8491 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Great video which brought back a lot of happy memories. I first climbed Suilven in 1967 (both tops), secondly in 1983 (both tops again) and most recently in 2019 at age 72 . . . 52 years after my first ascent. Wonderful mountain which I hope to climb again this autumn or next spring . . . as I now live in Vancouver, I only get over to Assynt for a couple of weeks a year.

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks for your message. Glad that it helped you to re-visit those happy times. 😊 Well done on getting to that 2nd top. I'll get up there one day. So good to hear that you've been climbing mountains for over 50 years. That's fantastic. I didn't really get into hillwalking until my 40s so feel like I've missed out a bit. Hope you manage to get back over from Canada and get up there again and that you get a beautiful clear day.

  • @maureenmcgrath4664
    @maureenmcgrath4664 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Always wanted to do Suilven but its the long walk to the base of the mountain that puts me off.
    Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could fly back to Lochinver from the top of Suilven? 😉

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Hi Maureen, thanks for your message. I quite enjoyed the walk in, watching the mountain grow in stature as we made our way towards it. The walk out on the other hand seemed to go on forever! I once bumped into a guy in the Glyders equipped with a paraglider and was so envious as he floated off into the distance. Maybe that's the answer! 😉

    • @maureenmcgrath4664
      @maureenmcgrath4664 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@rudolphsmountains9769 Yes, I've done it in my dreams lol but not had these exhilarating dreams for some time unfortunately.

  • @keithtanner2806
    @keithtanner2806 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Sadly, One that got away along with Canisp.
    We always intended cycling in to avoid the long slog.

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Cycling in definitely a great idea. I enjoyed the walk in, watching Suilven growing as we got closer all helped build up to the excitement of the climb up. Going back though I would have given my right arm and a pack of Iron Bru Jelly Babies for a mountain bike to get back on!

    • @maureenmcgrath4664
      @maureenmcgrath4664 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Or some wings lol Luv Iron Brew Jelly Babies​@@rudolphsmountains9769❤

  • @andrewkingdom
    @andrewkingdom 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Cracking video great footage the paths have been improved greatly since I climbed suliven they were very bad and muddy I also recommend climbing Cansip as the views back to Suliven are amazing brilliant video cheers

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks, it was a great day. One I will always remember. Still got loads to do in that area. Looking forward to going back in the future. Thanks again. 😊

  • @mouseyhair100
    @mouseyhair100 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Who 9n earth built a wall up there

    • @rudolphsmountains9769
      @rudolphsmountains9769  3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @mouseyhair100 it's a work of art that wall! Much respect to the builders. 🙂