Day 85 - Fionn Bheinn

25 July

As the end of July approaches, I've been in the Torridon area, doing all the single hills I can while the weather creeps me out.

Today was also mum's birthday, and so I kept my day short. They don't come much shorter than Fionn Bheinn.

In general, the recent weather has been making me really anxious. Here's the thing - the threat of lightning has been there just about every day. Yesterday, I was nervous on Liathach until I realised on Spidean that conditions wouldn't deteriorate. I enjoyed the second half of the hill. In the evening, I was nervy on Beinn Alligin when I ended up being rained upon under dark clouds. That stuff passed, I got to the top, and enjoyed the descent.

Today, dad dropped me off for Fionn Bheinn and I hated the first half of the hill - the adrenaline made me go really quickly. Black clouds were piling up and the air was still, humid and muggy. I got to the top and realised I should be fine. I enjoyed the descent.

See the recurring theme?

I hate how the thunder screws with my mood. I've probably got a bit of a phobia going on in general, but to be forcing myself up mountains is exactly not what I need right now.

Then I saw the forecast for the coming week, and the same theme seems to apply. Just that now BBC aren't forecasting sunshine and showers, they're also forecasting lightning for the NW. Argh.

I'm not fussed about this side of Saturday. I'll get up early for Beinn Eighe tomorrow, get it done before the afternoon when possible thunder comes through. I'll do Ben Wyvis on Saturday just fine because the forecast  then is looking good.

But I've got Monar, Fisherfield, the Fannaichs, the Beinn Dearg's, all next week. Everything is ramping up for August 7th on Ben Hope around about me and suddenly I'm not sure I can keep up. Take the lightning out the equation and I'm pretty sure I'll make it. Put the thunder in, and I'm worried.

It's now midnight and I'm up because I can't actually sleep with all this stuff going around my head. So I might as well get up and put it down in words.

The only thing I can do is take one day at a time and hope the weather changes for the better. (I don't hold my breath.)

Anyway, today Fionn Bheinn was a non-descript ascent: just a fast climb of its big grassy slope, and an even faster descent. I was up in just over an hour, about ten minutes on top, then back down in half an hour: I ran! Dad was waiting for me and we headed back to Torridon, eventually to go out for dinner for mum's birthday in Shieldaig.

I'm steadily eating up all my easy options...!