A blue and white view from Beinn Teallach

We crossed the burn near this point.  The water wasn't deep here but all the boulders which were above the surface were coated with ice so we had to balance on stones beneath the surface. The intense cold of the morning was beginning to ease as the sun climbed above the surrounding hills.

Southwards across Glen Spean, the view started to open up.  The two prominent hills are Stob Coire Sgriodain (peak of the scree coire) to the east of Loch Treig (on the left in this picture) and Stob a' Choire Mheadoin (peak of the middle coire) to the west of Loch Treig.

At extreme right, the Corbett of Sgurr Innse is visible.  All these hills have given good days; I can clearly recall the ascent of each one.

As we climbed higher above the woods the views really began to widen.  The tangle of ridges forming the Grey Corries were dazzlingly white. 

And further west still the bulk of Aonach Mor (big ridge) had a cloud cap.  Beyond Aonach Mor lies Ben Nevis but as so often, the summit area was shrouded in cloud.

A steady climb through the snow got us to the summit of Beinn Teallach.  A low hill surrounded by bigger ones often gives the best views and today this was certainly the case.  The last time Dave and I had climbed this hill was over ten years ago and on that day our view was restricted to twenty metres in cloud, driving rain and a westerly gale.  How different this visit was!

The summit temperature was around minus 7 degrees Celcius with a light wind.  We were able to pause near the summit cairn to eat our lunch - a complete contrast to the previous day.....

Heading back down the hill we got a gun barrel view along Loch Treig, along which the West Highland Railway line snakes on its way to Spean Bridge and Fort William

It had been a super day, we'd been treated to the Highlands in all their winter glory and in benign weather too.  This short hill, often described as "uninteresting" in Munro guidebooks is anything but.  Walk it on a clear day and it has as good a view as you could wish for.