The idea of having a photo shoot at the most narrow ridge on the British mainland came to me two weeks earlier, while passing through. Aonach Eagach is well known and popular amongst keen scramblers. The views are stunning and the path gives a lot of fun and satisfaction. Impressed by that beautiful place I knew I had to go back for more. A wedding styled photo on the top of the Munro? Well, why not. Probably that kind of shoot has never been done up there, until now that is. It was quite a challenge, I must admit. Along the usual gear, we had to pack a beautiful wedding dress and flowers too. And no matter how hard you try, there’s no way to fit that into a rucksack. It’s a rocky path involving lots of climbing and it makes it even more tricky with a bouquet in your hand instead of walking poles. 🙂
Anyway, this idea kept me awake for last two weeks so there was no other option than to climb up there and take photos I wanted so badly.
The first day we went up the Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, which is the western summit of Aonach Eagach. It’s a rough and steep walk, and it took us two hours to get there with the load we had. Heavy lingering clouds on tops, mist and short rain showers on the way did not cheer us up. Luckily the mist disappeared right before we reached the top, revealing just what we were hoping for. A stunning and breathtaking view over that massive ridge. What’s even better, right before the sunset, the sky exploded with colours, giving a beautiful view over pap of Glencoe. Couldn’t ask for more.
The next day we decided to go up from the other side, aiming for Am Bodach, on the eastern edge of the ridge. The path ascents nearby the stream which makes it pleasant, and then it’s all about rocky steep terrain. I really wanted to take a few shots with “The Chancellor” rocky pinnacle. Which was, again, quite challenging. To time everything perfectly with the light, I had to do ”a bit” of a run and additional climbing to get the view from more than one side. And of course, make the way back to the model to help her get out of there. After the second ascent in two days, running up and down wasn’t that… enjoyable, but certainly worth it.
Special thanks to brave Jennifer from The Bridal Courtyard for providing her beautiful dresses for such unusual photo shoot.
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