Ossian: The Tiny Guy Who Climbed a Mountain
Ben More, Mull, 17th September 2022
Ossian is a 5 ½ year old Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix. We have owned him from a puppy and ever since he was old enough to manage, have taken him out on the hills with us.&
My partner Graeme and I would occasionally take my Mum’s Jack Russell Bonzo on our Munro adventures and when Ossian arrived he was more than happy to become Bonzo’s Munro dog apprentice.
We had already climbed a few Munros when we got Ossian, so he had a bit of catching up to do. His first Munro was An Socach in Glen Shee on a blustery day where Bonzo showed him the ropes.
This was when our munro adventures really started to take off…
I am constantly in awe of the way Ossian takes everything we do in his stride and with such aplomb. That's not to say there weren't challenges along the way. Ossian is a really small guy, which means it is sometimes tricky finding suitably robust outdoor gear for him. I've modified most of the things he uses, but I think his most well used and recognizable bit of kit is his repurposed Halloween skeleton costume which after some slight tweaking turned out to be a fantastic all weather durable fleece jacket.
As with all of us, it is the extremes of weather conditions that can prove to be the most challenging. Ossian manages absolutely fine in wintry conditions but there is the rare occasion he needs to go in the rucksack if the snow is too fresh and deep for him to be able to walk on top of. There have also been a couple of occasions on very windy days where the lead was necessary to prevent him being blown away. Heat is probably one of the most challenging conditions for us to walk in, but frequent water and shade breaks and regular dookings (much to Ossian's chagrin) do the trick.
For many of the Munros where it is possible to use a bicycle, I have a basket attached to my bike which Ossian hitches a lift in, allowing him to comfortably take in the views as I struggle along.
He has never had any trouble with his foot pads on walks, but I had read about how rough the Cuillin rocks were, so in preparation, we invested in a bunch of soft doggy shoes, which although requiring frequent repair, were easy and cheap to replace if one became unusable.
Ossian is a natural born rockhopper and manages far more competently than me on any scrambles. He loves a bit of scrambling and had a great time spotting the goats on the Aonach Eagach ridge, tackling the Horns of Alligin, climbing Ben Nevis via the CMD arete and taking on An Teallach.
We had begun exploring the Cuillin hills when I started to think about how we would climb the Inaccessible Pinnacle. I will admit I was nervous about approaching a guide to ask about taking Ossian up the Inaccessible Pinnacle with us, however, we were lucky enough to bump into Skye guide Adrian Trendall when we were tackling Sgurr MhicChoinnich. We got chatting and discovered Adrian had already assisted Genghis the Springer up the Pinnacle and was more than happy to take Ossian.
A few weeks later we were roped up and ready to go, Ossian was roped to our harnesses from his harness and was comfortably secured in Graeme’s rucksack, from where he could keep a close eye on my sweaty progress up the Pinnacle. He calmly traversed the whole Pinnacle this way including the abseil down.
Ossian is always happy to come along for the adventure whether it's camping in Fisherfield, bivvying on Breariach or sleeping uncomfortably in the car.
Graeme and I completed our Munros in April on Ben More, Mull and we then spent the summer climbing Ossian’s remaining Munros. One of the first hills that really made me fall in love with the Munros was Bla Bheinn on Skye, so we decided that this would be perfect for Ossian's final Munro.
We were joined by friends Steph and Euan (Steph was also there for Ossian's first Munro, An Socach) and we were accompanied by their son Corin, who aged 11 months was climbing his first Munro.
On the way up Ossian was treated to his favourite hill snack, hot dogs and at the top he was treated to a medium rare rump steak which we cooked at the summit. He was cheered to the summit by Richard, who by chance, was also completing his Munro round on Bla Bheinn that day.
Since finishing his Munro round Ossian has already begun exploring the Corbetts and Grahams and is looking forward to many more adventures, but I believe he is really only in it for the smells and sausages.