Beinn Eighe...cracked it!!!

With a week off work arranged I intended to take full advantage of the opportunity to increase my Munro tally...so a jaunt to Torridon was organised. It was planned that I would leave Aberdeen early on Wednesday morning and bag Fionn Beinn on the way up to my accommodation at Achnasheen. I had booked into the bunkhouse at Ledgowan lodge for two nights with Louise, who was working Wednesday and wouldn't be arriving until night time. Unfortunately the weather didn't play ball with me and those plans were hastily rearranged. I went out for tea on Tuesday evening instead with Gibb and had a lazy morning on the Wednesday before setting off just after lunch-time. The drive up to Achnasheen was wet to say the least, especially passing through Nairn, and I must admit I had fears of a complete washout to my trip. Arriving in Achnasheen around five didn't allay those concerns one bit, the sky was full of rain and didn't look very much like clearing. Worse than that, the wind was picking up and the car was already being buffeted around, with more of the same now forecast for tomorrow!!! Louise arrived around seven and the weather hadn't improved any, it was still raining and windy, and worse than that the forecast on MWIS had changed again!! Now it was forecasting the weather we had been expecting on Friday for tomorrow...Liathach (our original plan for tomorrow) was now in real doubt!! Angus called to let me know that he would probably be able to come up and meet us, if Liathach was still a viable option, in the morning. I had to be brutally honest with him about the weather at the moment and how it was sounding for tomorrow, knowing that he would in all essence drop it as a realistic aim. The good thing is that the Munro's have been around since time began, certainly up in Torridon they have anyway, and will always be there for climbing when the weather improves. Angus made the right call and binned it, a near five hour drive in the middle of a hectic work week was asking a lot on the off chance.

Thursday morning and the weather never improved in the slightest...so Liathach was sidelined and Beinn Eighe or Beinn Alligin would be the alternative climb. We decided upon Beinn Eighe as the wind was far too strong to be stuck on the horns of Alligin (and there would be no point in doing Beinn Alligin without the horns). Having read the route description of the three sets of Munro's available in the area it was also the one with the least exposure...that was a clincher in this wind. The average wind speed at the moment was between 25-35mph, with gusts forecast of between 40-50mph...way too strong to be caught out on an exposed path or crossing pinnacles I fear. 

Even with the weather being as it was today we still gave it an extra hour to see if it would calm down any...which it didn't!! So it was just before eleven o'clock when we set off from the Coire Mhic Fhearchair car park, in Glen Torridon, and walked back along the road for 2k until we turned off where the newly regenerated path starts by the Allt Coire an Laoigh. 

There is a large cairn that signifies the start of the walk and pays homage to the footpath trust for the work carried out. I can vouch for the fact that the path was of excellent quality on the way up, indeed right to the foot of Coire an Laoigh, so a big hand to all involved. The weather had decided that as well as being wet and windy it would also be as misty as possible to try and detract from our enjoyment of a fine pair of Munro's and an exciting ridge walk...even at this low height the mist was trying to spoil our views back down Glen Torridon and out to Loch Clair...certainly there was nothing of note to see on the way ahead!!

The initial walk up the slopes was gentle to begin with, building to a steeper incline as we gained height. With the path being of such high quality it was easy to follow the route into the corrie. Once there the terrain changed and the path disappeared under us as we picked our way through various sizes of rocks. The path appeared again at the far end of the corrie just as we started to ascend for real (as it were) in a steep slog up a zig zag route that would hopefully take us out at the top of the ridge between Stuc Coire an Laoigh and Beinn Eighe. Indeed that's exactly where we came out, at a large cairn on the ridge, and should have seen a view straight across to Liathach, but nothing nada zilch to be seen today!! The wind picked up even more strength as we gathered around the cairn to sort out our attire...hats and gloves required for Louise...gloves for me (first time since February) to try to fend off the cutting chill that the wind caused to our wet clothing. From here the path steepens again through quartzite scree and reaches a large trig point and cairn at 972m...this should not be confused for the summit!! The summit sits 20m higher and out on a short ridge to the right of the trig point as you appear at it on the path (NNE direction) which should be taken very carefully in wet rocks and high winds. There is a bypass path beneath the summit, avoiding the rocky outcrop of quartzite, but taking in a mild scramble up a quartzite (staircase) through the rocks. The cairn is nothing to write home about but does a fine job of marking the summit at 993m. Jelly McBaby braved the elements and posed for a pic on the cairn.

We decided to head back down to the trig point for some shelter and a sandwich, sooner rather than later in this wind, and carefully picked our way back down through the quartzite rocks (which were slippier than a hun in front of an SFA panel) to the relative comfort provided by the shelter around the trig point. I was really feeling the cold now, a legacy of leaving off my hardshell for too long earlier, so added a baselayer beneath my softshell jacket to stave off the effects of windchill. It may only be a thin top but it's amazing the difference it made. Louise decided to pose for a pic at the trig point, as well as earlier at the cairn, before we headed off into the misty unknown ahead of us...

It's at this point, as we started down the path from Spidean Coire nan Clach, that we had been hoping for the mist to clear and give us some views of the vast corrie beneath us. Unfortunately the weather is one thing we have absolutely no control over...a bit like flatulence!! The walk along the ridge, skirting increasingly close to the edge, was still magnificent (just knowing what was probably out there, you can almost imagine it in your minds eye as you walk along), helped in no small way by the occasional glimpse of sharp pointy rocks poking through the mist beneath us to our right.

With the increase in wind also came a brief increase in the rain...but thankfully that abated after a short dousing. We continued to descend on the path, then ascend again as we sought out the grassy mound that we knew lay beneath Coinneach Mhor. It is unusual, in these parts anyway, for a grassy patch to grow so high up, everywhere else is strewn with razor sharp quartz rocks, but once we reached it it provided yet another distraction from the weather. The rise through this patch proved gentler than anything previously walked today and we were soon on the top of Coinneach Mhor 902m. Beneath us to the NNW was the magnificence of the Triple Buttress, which we would hopefully see in all her glory on the descent later. But for now we only had one thought in our minds, getting down the other side of Coinneach Mhor. This was in stark contrast to the gentle grass slopes we had just ascended, returning once more to razor sharp rocks with a narrow winding path between them. We stood on the bealach separating Ruadh-stac Mhor from the main bulk of Beinn Eighe and couldn't believe our luck...the mist started to rise and reveal Beinn Eighe in most of her glory.

 We could even see part of the way ahead of us now also, at least the start of the path leading across the bealach and up the lower slopes of Ruadh-stac Mhor, if not all the way to the top of the 2nd Munro. The view down to Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair was as stunning as we had hoped for all day. As the mist continued to clear we were able to pick out not only the whole of the ridge we had traversed, but also the far summit cairn (and lower trig point) of Spidean Coire nan Clach. Beyond them were also the visible tops of Ruadh-stac Beag and Sgurr Ban. But it was the view of the scree slopes leading down from the bealach to the loch below that caught my eye...

And then most unexpectedly we spotted two figures ascending the far slopes...gaining height on Ruadh-stac Mhor. Given that we hadn't seen or heard (which happens through the mist, voices travel further apparently) anyone all day we could only assume at this stage that they had traversed the scree slopes and were doing the route clockwise (we were doing it anti-clockwise). Then on the far off ridge of Spidean Coire nan Clach I spotted two other figures coming in our direction, but at least forty five minutes behind us. After a short break to take as many pics as we could before the mist undoubtedly descended around us again, we set off across the bealach and up the far slopes. Unbeknown to me I set off at a terribly fast pace and left poor Louise behind...I can only apologise for that but as I said to her at the time (well when I realised and slowed for her) it must be summit fever that makes me take off like that. Ruadh-stac Mhor rises up 150m above the bealach, traversing North from the main ridge. It was a decent haul up to get there, a couple of rises then flatter areas then a sharp rise to the summit cairn at the end 1010m. The couple we had spotted on the way up were still sitting there, finishing their tea and contemplating the rest of their day ahead. they asked how the rest of the route was, which appeared to make up their minds for them. I offered around jelly babies, which were gratefully accepted, as I prepared Jelly McBaby for his summit pose on the cairn.

We bid farewell and good luck to these two as they had a long haul ahead of them...and the weather looked like turning nasty again very soon. We stayed on the summit, slightly beneath so as to get some shelter from the wind, to finish off sandwiches and some much needed lucozade. When we went to the cairn for pics I almost laughed as Louise was blown by a huge gust of wind and couldn't stand upright until it died away. With our pics taken and bags secured once more we set off back down the slopes to the bealach...just as we arrived at the foot of the drop to the scree chute we passed the other couple we had seen on the far ridge...they were indeed around forty five minutes behind us. We approached the scree chute and thought that the best option in the wet conditions was to hug the side of the slope, rather than slide down the middle of it (which is great fun when it's dry underfoot but rather risky in the greasy wet condition of today). So off we set down the chute, taking great care, until we reached the bottom of the route and realised that the path had once more disappeared. We headed to the left for a bit and meandered through a mix of rocks and grass, one as greasy and wet as the other, down two steep dips in the slope, until we finally bottomed out at the loch below. From here the view back up to the Triple Buttress was awesome...possibly even enhanced by the layer of mist clinging to it's sides and weaving between the rocks, blown by the wind.

It gave the entire scene an almost ethereal look about it. We reached the base of the corrie floor and began to skirt around the loch...finding a few lumps of what looked like aircraft wreckage strewn around the shores of the loch. There were some breathtaking views back up the corrie, it's walls looking almost impregnable from down here, and we could here the sound of Deer calling out to each other, as if they were telling us to get away so they could get on with their lives in peace. The rain started heavy again as we crossed the stream at the Far end of the loch and picked out the descending path around Sail Mhor...could this day really get any wetter??? Certainly my light summer hardshell has seen it's best days behind it and needs upgrading...(not another new jacket) as it wets out far too quickly and doesn't stop enough moisture getting through to the layers beneath. Thankfully I purchased a winter hardshell last year which I can wear for the next few months at least...though it is going to be rather cumbersome for the next month I would imagine (it really comes into it's own in winter when the temperatures really drop and sleet and snow are trying to find a weakness in your outer layers.

Anyway, enough of that for just now, back to the walk...Sail Mhor rose up out of the far side of the loch like a sandstone fortress...

We only had just over 6k to go to get back to our car...hopefully all down hill as well. With the mist thickening once more and the rain increasing as we trudged down and around Sail Mhor, the best part of the day was now behind us...we couldn't even hope for a glimpse of Liathach on the way around into Coire Mhic Fhearchair!! The rest of the walk back was a real trudge, head down and the constant whish whish of goretex rubbing against itself...real disheartening at times...but we had had a cracking day so couldn't allow that to get us down. With about 3.5k left to go we encountered one last obstacle in our path...a river to cross on stepping stones!!!

Louise crossed like a graceful gazelle...I plodded across like bambi on ice...then couldn't switch off my camera for laughing so much. The rest of the walk ended in near darkness and complete wetness...I was so glad to reach the car and get my soaking outer layers off. We made it back for half six...only 7.5 hrs after departing...which cheered Louise up as she thought she had been slowing us down...not at all. I do think I could have shaved an hour off of that, but then I always go quicker on my own, and the recommendation was between 7-9 hrs so no shame there. I drove the fifteen miles back to Achnasheen in damp clothes and was promised a shandy when we got there to warm me up. A quick phone call home to let Gibb know that I was safe and alive, necked the shandy then jumped in a hot shower...ah bliss after a long wet cold day on the hills!! We left our jackets in the hotel drying room but didn't hold out much hope of them being dry by morning...not that it really mattered as the forecast was for gale force winds, increasing in strength as the day progressed, so we had already decided that we had done our Munro's for this trip and would just head back after breakfast...

 

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The following morning did indeed bring high winds, forecast at around 35-40mph with gust between 60-65mph...not conducive to safe Munroing so the correct decision had been made...the rain was also battering off the windows and woke me from my wine induced slumber. Only another five required to reach my years target...51...which will take me to 200 in total...now where to next???

5 Munro's and an ex Munro from Cannich...

I must admit that the thought of attempting such a potentially long day in the hills on Saturday was filling me with dread. The weather had been getting progressively worse since the plans had been formulated and I was worried that everything would either fall through or be a washout. Thankfully neither fear came to fruition and everything went ahead as scheduled. I had hoped to head up to Inverness, at least, on the Friday evening so as to cut down on the travel required on saturday morning. This was impossible as Derek couldn't manage to leave until Saturday (I never asked the reason)...so off we set at half past four on Saturday morning on route to Cannich. I had arranged to meet Michael and Chris at the pub in Cannich at half past seven, so even if the traffic was poor we should still make it there in time...hopefully!! We need not have feared, as we turned off the main road at Drumnadrochit I spied a familiar car ahead of me, Michael was just in front of us. We stopped at the pub as planned, then Michael led the way out to Chisholme bridge, parking at the public car park just beyond at the end of the Loch road. A quick change and introductions all round and we were all set for the off by eight o'clock...just the small matter of a walk back along the road to the actual start point at Chisholme bridge to negotiate, then off into the wilderness of Affric. 

Prior to the start of the day I was sitting on 188 Munro's...Chris was on 59 Munro's...Michael was on  8 Munro's and Derek couldn't remember how many (he claims to not keep count). We had discussed potential routes and alternatives if things went against us, everything based on the levels of fitness of the group, not any one individual (though ideally my eyes were fixed firmly on getting five done today). The initial plod along the road was jovial enough, everyone joining in the banter and discussing hopes for the day ahead. We turned off the road at Chisholme bridge and followed the land rover track along the east side of the Abhainn Gleann nam Fiadh. This was a decent path, although became more boggy as we progressed along it, and allowed us to stretch off the weariness in our legs that only a long drive can bring.

Derek set off along the path at his usual fast starting pace, which would slow slightly as we started to rise the slopes shortly, as the others tried hard to keep up without complaint (only joking, he just moved too quickly past me as I took the picture above). As we entered the glen the views ahead began to open up, we could see the outline of Toll a' Creagach ahead and summised that the flatter rise ahead of us to the right was Beinn Eun. We passed through a deer fence in the path and the route took us away from the river for a short distance, drier ground at last, before returning to the glen floor once more and a very boggy patch of ground to follow to the foot of the slopes ahead.

 As expected, the slopes rising up the east of Beinn Eun were steep and wet...but what awesome views they were providing up the rest of the glen!! We could now see a lot of the route that lay ahead of us, including the shoulder leading from Toll Creagach onto Tom a' Choinnich...and the outline of the slopes off Sgurr na Lapaich (should we manage to venture round far enough to bag four or five today).

The slopes up Beinn Eun provided nothing more than a wet slog through boggy ground, turning into a wet slog through heathery tufts, and eventually a drier rocky rise to the wide open summit plateau. There is a decent size cairn at the top and also a trig point surrounded by a wind breaker (although as the winds picked up it became apparent that this was not going to protect us from  very much indeed). Michael and I arrived first at the top, allowing us some time to enjoy a sandwich and juice, before being joined by Derek then Chris. Derek immediately sought out the wind shelter so he could attempt to light his cigarette...ahh nothing beats the first puff on a death stick apparently!!! As Derek sat coughing up a lung, the rest of us peered out across Loch Mullardoch below and Michael pointed out the route he had taken up two of the far Munro's only recently (they were the first two solo Munro's he had done, fantastic considering he has only started hill walking this year). Jelly McBaby got his usual summit pic taken before we surveyed the route ahead. It all looked pretty straight forward to get onto Tom a' Choinnich, just traverse in a westerly direction across the plateau, drop down the broad shoulder until it narrows, then rise up the clear and obvious path on the other side (which steepens and narrows at the top) until you pull onto the summit top...let's go do it then!!

The walk between Toll Creagach and Tom a' Choinnich resembles those pictures you get of the lunar landscape, all loose rocks on an undulating surface, until you drop off the plateau and onto the broad shoulder and are faced with a steep climb on the other side. We pulled up to the summit of Tom a' Choinnich 1112m at just under 3.5 hours, which wasn't too bad going for four old fellas (okay three old ones and me). The views ahead of us immediately made up our minds for us...there was no way on earth we wouldn't be pressing ahead and completing the full round today...the sky was clear enough to believe that there would be no risk of mist to spoil the rest of the day for us and even the risk of rain seemed remote at this point. As we enjoyed the peace and solitude of being on a remote mountain summit, more juice and sandwiches, we were joined by two walkers and their dog from the other side. We had noticed them back at the start of the route but thought they had gone elsewhere when they never appeared to be following us, indeed they had merely done the route in reverse and done Tom a' Choinnich first (they were only planning on the two tops today). We were warned that the dog could be a little funny with strangers so to watch our fingers. This threat vanished as the offer of a bit of tuna and sweetcorn sandwich mellowed the dogs mood and I now had a new best friend. Jelly McBaby stayed well out of harms way though, I doubt that the dog would be able to distinguish between Jelly McBaby and normal jelly babies!!!

Michael recognised one of our new companions as a friend from school (now that WAS a long time ago) which proves what a small world we really do live in. Looking ahead to the other three Munro's gave a real feeling of remoteness to the area...it was going to be a real distance between here and Carn Eige...we weren't even sure if we could see all three of them from here (apparently we couldn't) and all the pre routes I had read had described Beinn Fhionnlaidh as being "very remote". With 3.5 hours of our day used up already on the first two summits we knew it was probably going to take us the full 12 hours we had set aside for today to allow us to complete the round. With this in mind we pressed on to our next objective...Carn Eige...all that stood between us was kilometre after kilometre of ascent and descent and re-ascending peaks, pinnacles to traverse (if the wind died by then) and a winding path around corrie edges...fantastic.

 The day thus far had been hard enough, especially on those that don't get out in the hills as often as they would wish, and looking ahead to the winding path (with no sign of the hidden Munro) we knew it was to get no easier. We continued in a westerly direction and dropped height immediately, almost 100m, before starting to climb quite a steep pathed section up to An Leth-chreag (which sits above Coire Mhic Fhearchair to the south). Having regained some height we were trying to pick out the summit of Carn Eige...and all got it wrong!! The peak of Stob Coire Dhomhnuill looked the most likely to begin with...it wasn't until we gained a little more height and distance that we realised just how far we were from the summit of Carn Eige...We knew that Eige sat on the middle of a ridge from Beinn Fhionnlaidh to Mam Sodhail, so when we saw the peaks ahead we instantly knew that this was an undertaking of quite mammoth proportion.

Despite the battering we were now getting from the wind, and very little shelter from it, we were making good progress along the various ridged paths and steep ascents. Clearly we had a good few pit stops on the way, but only to admire the fantastic views that Affric provides.

Looking back down the Gleann nam Fiadh increased the feeling of remoteness. This was exacerbated by the lack of noise from any road...normally you can hear some sort of noise in the distance but not today...not even a plane overhead!! We forged on as the wind chill dropped and we were getting a fair old buffeting from the strong breeze. Then the pinnacles we had seen from way back appeared ahead...would we be able to scale them safely...or have to avoid them because of the wind??? The easy answer to that was we avoided them...if derek isn't willing to attempt them then they are deffo not safe to go over (Derek will do anything just for the thrill of it but even he said NO straight away to scaling them today). The correct decision was made as we were even getting blown sideways on the bypass track around them, god knows how much of a battering we would have taken going over them!!!

Having come this far, Chris declared that he needed a lunch break. Apparently he hadn't eaten anything on the other summits, unlike the rest of us, and wanted to try and get some shelter out of the wind so that he could have his lunch. We walked on until we found somewhere suitable and stopped for ten minutes or so.

Chris picked out a lovely little perch to sit on for a pic, with Sgurr na Lapaich in the background, then panicked when he couldn't get back across without moving some rocks beneath his feet...oh how we laughed. We weren't too far off the summit of Carn Eige now, just a little steep bit left to ascend, and we could clearly make out Beinn Fhionnlaidh to our right. It is not that Beinn Fhionnlaidh is all that remote from the rest of the route, it's just that the entire route is remote and Beinn Fhionnlaidh feels like an extra addition that some may not wish to attempt. We pulled onto the summit cairn of Carn Eige 1183m and suddenly noticed that the weather was a changing...clouds were forming above us and rain was hitting the hills to the north-west.

 A happy little band of travellers posed at the summit cairn, before attentions were turned towards Beinn Fhionnlaidh. Chris declared very quickly that he was feeling a tug in his hamstring and didn't fancy the extra trek across to Beinn Fhionnlaidh. We discussed the implications of this to the group and all agreed that the opportunity to get out there was way too tempting to pass up. Chris was more than happy, and capable, of heading off to Mam Sodhail on his own and making it back down to the car if we failed to catch up with him. It was clearly going to take us at least an hour, if not an hour and a half, to make it out to Beinn Fhionnlaidh and back to Mam Sodhail from here, which would make it unlikely that we would see Chris again until the car park. Goodbyes were said and Chris headed down to the south to get off the summit and out towards Mam Sodhail, whilst we headed north towards Beinn Fhionnlaidh.

With a distance of merely three kilometres between the summits of Carn Eige and Beinn Fhionnlaidh we knew that the descent and ascent would be our main challenge. Half way across we decided to lighten our loads to speed things along, we didn't really want to leave Chris on his own for the rest of the trek, and so dumped my rucksack and various other items against a rock (remembered to take my car keys just in case this time) for collection on the way back. On we ploughed, following quite a clear path up the two/three rises on route to the summit cairn. The weather had changed somewhat now and angry clouds were forming above us, a few spits of rain fell as way of warning that we may not escape this as dry as we would wish. Coire Lochan, beneath us to the right, looked inviting enough to jump into, were we not so high above it Derek!!! After a couple of rises and one false summit we reached our destination Beinn Fhionnlaidh 1005m. Jelly McBaby had thankfully pledged his loyalty to the group and not headed off with Chris...so took his rightful place on the summit cairn for a very quick picture.

We decided not to hang around on this summit, as we had to try to catch up with Chris. But it was hard to resist a pic down to Loch Mullardoch below us. Apparently there is a ferry service across the loch from the other side to here, for those that don't wish to tackle Beinn Fhionnlaidh on this route. With there being four further Munro's across the water to attempt on another day, I'm glad we did it this way round and can saviour them for next year.

As we headed back towards Carn Eige Michael pointed out how silvery the Gleann a' Chiolich looked as it snaked down to meet the head of Loch Mullardoch below us.

We made the return journey as quickly as we could, though our legs were starting to feel the strain of rushing up the last Munro, stopping only to collect our belongings (thankfully still all there), before heading around, rather than back over, Carn Eige. I'm not sure if this way worked out any quicker...it's not the easiest thing in the world to walk sideways around a mountain...but I felt that we must have made decent time as we were on the summit cairn of Mam Sodhail only an hour after leaving Chris behind on Carn Eige (with an extra summit to boot). Once we picked up the track from Carn Eige to Mam Sodhail it was a simple case of hauling ass up the steep sided track to the summit cairn...although by this stage in the day our legs felt like lead!!! Arriving at the massive cairn structure on Mam Sodhail 1181m we were almost immediately blown back down the other side...the wind had picked up as we sheltered on the lea side of the mountain and was now quite brutal in it's assault on us!! Derek sheltered as best he could behind the cairn to finish his sandwich, whilst I tried my best to find a safe place to pee without risking blow back (nothing worse than finishing a Munro trek smelling of your own wee!!). Jelly McBaby had to be wedged into place to get a safe picture, before quickly climbing down and sheltering in between rocks lower down the cairn. Michael was the most at risk of being blown over, given that he is built like a twig, so spent most of the time keeping as low to the ground as he could.

The good news was that we had only taken nine hours thus far, meaning another possible three to make it back to the car if required and still being on schedule. The choice of escape routes off Mam Sodhail included a short traverse south to Ciste Dhubh then walking along the ridge to An Tudair Beag before a steep descent to the path running around Loch Affric. We thought that provided too long a return route alongside the loch back to the car at Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. Our choice was to trek east along the ridge to Sgurr na Lapaich, which would allow us to take in an ex Munro (demoted some years back for reasons best known to the SMC and OS). In my humble opinion Sgurr na Lapaich fulfills all the criteria I'm aware of for inclusion as a Munro, it is certainly a further distance to reach than that between Mam Sodhail and Carn Eige (it also has more descent and ascent then that between those two) yet somehow it managed to get demoted to a mere spot height of Mam Sodhail...criminal if you ask me. All the way along this final ridge we were blown about like rag dolls...not good when there is a fair old drop off below you.

From the summit of Sgurr na Lapaich we descended on an obvious path (not on the OS map) and splodged through even worse boggy ground than we had encountered nine hours previously...by the time we reached the 500m contour we were pleased to see a land rover track ahead of us. We reached the track and thanked our stars that we were out of the bogginess, then traversed it all the way back to Affric lodge, before heading along the final track back to the car, arriving a full ten and a half hours after departure this morning (the longest day I have had in the hills so far this year), and found Chris swigging the last of his hip flask as he waited for us to arrive. He had only been waiting for forty five minutes as well, so we were really pleased at the time it took us to do that extra Munro. A short drive back to Cannich and a welcome pint with Michael before he left the three of us to our digs and a hearty tea and few more beers before retiring to bed shattered!!! A great day indeed and a chance to catch up with some lads that are proving to be fine mountain companions...Derek is as mad as ever...Michael is fitter than ever (infuriating that one) and Chris is as steady and reliable as ever (that's a compliment by the way!!)...
Until next time...Torridon hopefully...

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Four out of Five Sisters leaves me wanting more...

Day two in Kintail and the opportunity to bag five sisters in a day...please don't tell me any of you would pass that up?? I certainly wasn't going to, that's for sure. lol

From our base at Kintail lodge we set off quite early in the morning (okay ten ish is early enough for me when I have no long drive to face) and headed along to the start point at the bottom of the Bealach an Lapain (also the start point for the Brothers ridge; see Never go walking with a Bon Jovi fan...lesson learned).  

When we arrived at the Bealach an Lapain the rain decided to join us also...waterproofs on and off we went, along the A87 to the faint path heading into the undergrowth. The ascent of Bealach an Lapain is arduous and strength sapping, almost as bad the second time than the last time I did it, a real thigh stretcher. Louise was doing her best to keep up with the pace, gotta love her for the effort and enthusiasm she puts into these walks. The rain eased slightly as we rose up the slopes and the views were opening up splendidly for us. The rise up the slopes is only a kilometre long but is 550m in height in that short distance...that's a fair old gradient!!

The path swings by the forestry area that is now sadly bereft of trees...a scar on the wilderness feel to the area. The route continues to rise and rise and rise, but at least there was a decent path all the way to the Bealach (unlike the last time Mike, when we howked straight up the slopes!!!). 
Once we reached the bealach the hard work was behind us...or most of it anyway. We took the opportunity to change out of waterproofs, as the weather had changed for the better, and set about worrying how long this would take us considering the Bealach na Lapain had taken two hours!!

Poor Louise was feeling slightly below par today and hadn't said anything on the way up...but things weren't right as we approached the first hurdle of the day (if you discount the bealach as one). Having tried to walk through similar problems in the past I could only sympathise...but was having none of her girly excuses and told her to man up!!! So on we plodded towards the first summit of the day...but not yet a Munro summit.

Apparently the hardest part of our day was behind us...well the proof would be in the pudding of that one. The first Sister to be breached today (can I describe it as a breaching on here??) was Sgurr nan Spainteach, or the peak of the Spaniards to give it it's literal meaning, 990m but no Munro...never the less a fine traverse and a nice clear path to boot. The wind had started to pick up where it left off yesterday, blowing us along nicely towards our second Sister of the day (and first Munro) Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe 1027m.

I persuaded Louise that if we could make it as far as here then we could make it the whole way...which actually turned out to be true. The further on we went the better she was feeling (I think) she certainly stopped telling me otherwise so I could only assume that she had perked up...of course this could be due to me threatening to kick her ar*e if she didn't man up and complete the round with me!! The summit of Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe 1027m is the second highest point of the day...Jelly McBaby loved the view from here and was pleased to see that the rain had been replaced by glorious sunshine and the wind had died away also.

The views along the ridge to the next two Munro tops were superb, real take your breath away stuff. The views back to the Brothers ridge were equally as sensational...it was an interesting comparison to be made...the Brothers ridge and the Sisters ridge...certainly from this angle the Sisters already looked as though it was a lot more sharp and gnarly then the Brothers could ever hope to be. Loch Duich was very prominant in our view now and provided an adequate backdrop to some of our (non posing) summit shots. We also had an absolutely stunning view of the two Munro's to come on this round...excellent day in prospect. The ridge stretches out in front of you, on a day like this, in all her glory, just begging to be walked...no need to beg my dear, I was going to do you anyway! The third Sister, and second Munro, on the route is Sgurr na Carnach 1002m and involves a rough passage to get to. There are many twists in the path and a few steep sections, as there are all the way along the length of the ridge today, but she is well worth all the grunting and effort and sweat it takes to climb atop her. She only gained Munro status in 1997, after another of those measuring surveys that so often now seem to see us lose another one from the list, but had obviously been getting climbed as part of the round anyway.

The views from here, especially towards the Forcan ridge, were as stunning as any I have previously seen in Kintail. We were able to pick out the route that we plan to take tomorrow (weather and legs willing) almost all the way along the ridge...canna wait! But for the here and now we were happy to celebrate our second Munro of the day with some more summit poses for the camera...that doesn't make me vain by the way...it just means I like to acknowledge my achievements and preserve them for generations of little McBabies to come. From the summit cairn the path carries on north and down to the Bealach na Carnach, this involves some easy scrambling through rocks, before starting to rise sharply again at the other side.

The path rising up the slopes of Sgurr Fhuaran is in the main easy to follow, visibility wise at least, as it snakes it's way up through some rough rocky ground. It is, however, also exceptionally steep and rises for over 200m back to the rocky summit cairn. When I pulled up onto the summit and saw the cairn of Sgurr Fhuaran 1067m, the tallest of the summits today, our fourth Sister and third Munro, I foolishly believed that would be the last of the ascending and that the rest of the trek back would be a let down...wrong wrong wrong!!!

The ridge continues to snake out in front of you and has one last Sister lying in wait for you along the way. But that could wait for at least five minutes as we, again, posed for pictures on the summit and finished off the sandwiches. I only hope that the pictures I have taken do any of this route some justice...if not then go sample it for yourself...it's amazing! With the Munro's on the route complete some wallkers simply want to get down to the glen below, and this is their first safe opportunity to do so since climbing the Bealach na Lapain at the start of the route. You can chose to follow the west ridge down to Loch Shiel below, then walk back along the road to wherever your car is parked. This was never in our thoughts or plans today (we had parked my car at the end of our planned route in Ault a' Chruinn) so were doing the fifth Sister regardless.

The path is steep undulating and very good underfoot on the descent from Sgurr Fhuaran. As we started our descent a walker approached up the slopes. He had been out with his family and had struck out on his own to bag Sgurr Fhuaran, and was then going to about turn and head back to meet the family. I assumed he would be returning via the same path as ourselves and fully expected him to catch us on the return. We passed pleasantries and then headed off in different directions, if perhaps only temporarily. We descended to the Bealach Buidhe and followed the path as it snaked it's way along the edge of the corries below...some of the most impressive drops on the entire ridge can be found here...wobbly leg time again for me standing on the edge of some of them. The next peak on the route is Sgurr nan Saighead 929m (neither a Sister or a Munro) and there are alternative paths to choose. One of them skirts around her slopes and the other goes straight up and over...no choice really. From the top there is a path back down to the bealach and more impressive views into Coire na h-Uaighe. There is then another small bump to climb before being faced by Beinn Bhuidhe 869m and a choice of paths again. Unfortunately, on this occasion, I have to admit to not reading the directions fully and assuming that we had already scaled all five Sisters...meaning we chose the path around Beinn Bhuidhe and followed a steep descent down to Allt a Chruinn, crossing the river and following the path back on the north bank. This meant that we missed out on traversing the fifth and final Sister of the day, Sgurr na Moraich 876m, by following the route downloaded from walkhighlands into my GPS...even more gutting is that I didn't actually find this out until I sat down to type up this report!!! Even though four Sisters in an afternoon is impressive, I still feel somewhat cheated by not getting the fifth!! This also explains why the walker we saw never actually caught us and seemed to disappear altogether, he clearly went over the top of the end Sister to gain the path further on (not sure how much longer that would have taken us to do but I imagine it would have been considerable given the terrain). So we followed the path along the Allt a Chruinn, stopping all too briefly to admire the view down to the loch below (I say all too briefly because as I rummaged for my phone to get a decent picture I was eaten alive by the return of the dreaded midge!!!) to it's conclusion in the village of Ault a' Chruinn where the car was waiting, baking in the roasting evening sun. Thankfully the small shop was still open and we were able to purchase an ice lolly to cool us down. From car to car it took us just under the suggested eight hours to complete, pretty impressive given how Louise was feeling for most of it. During the descent of the river my phone had revealed a couple of missed calls during the course of the day...Chris being one and Angus the other...I returned these calls when my signal allowed and found that both wanted to come along tomorrow for the Forcan ridge, but had fitness (Chris) and work (Angus) issues to resolve before that can happen...I await a text from both in the morning to let me know either way.

  

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PS

There were two other walkers on the ridge with us today, staying just ahead of us at all times and never being gained on. The main reason for this was they just never stopped at the summits to admire the views, they just seemed to get there and move swiftly on...on a day like today!!! If I ever get THAT obsessed with bagging Munro's, forsaking the beauty of this wonderful land of ours to merely "get it done as quickly as possible"  then please take me out the back and shoot me!!!

Adendum; The Forcan ridge had to be called off on Friday as the weather was too inclement. We drove to the start point and watched as the rain poured down and the cloud hung too low over the tops to give us any hope of a view. If and when I do the Forcan Ridge I want it to be in clear conditions so that I get the most out of it, the views and the feel of exposure on the rocks. So after a quick stop at Cluanie Inn for a hot chocolate, we headed off in different directions until we meet up again in September to attempt Glen Affric. 

         

Plenty of bluster on Ciste Dubh...

The first of three (hopefully) blogs from Kintail this week...bring an end to my leave in the best possible way. I had arranged this week of walking a couple of months ago, possibly just after meeting up with Louise again in Skye. We had arranged to book into the Kintail lodge bunkhouse for two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) and planned to attempt the Sisters Ridge on Thursday and Forcan Ridge on Friday (weather permitting). This left me with a window of opportunity on Wednesday to Bag one of the remaining peaks to elude me in Kintail, thus far, Ciste Dubh. It seemed the perfect chance also to not have to get up too early in the morning as Louise wouldn't actually make it to Kintail until evening, meaning I could take a relaxing drive up in the morning and not start this walk until lunch-time (estimated time between 5-7 hrs). I then had the good fortune to hear from Chris Bain, via FB, a couple of days prior to departure. He was going to be in Inverness with the family all week and would love to join us for at least one of the walks. He agreed to meet me at the Cluanie Inn on Wednesday, initially at twelve, and do Ciste Dubh with me. Unfortunately I forgot to factor in the nightmare that is Aberdeen morning traffic to my departure time...then also the nightmare that is tourists clogging up the Loch Ness road at 30mph...meaning I was running late and never arrived until nearer quarter past twelve. Once at the Cluanie it was a short drive to the start point, in Chris's car and leaving mine at the Inn. That was until I realised that I had left my long sleeved baselayer on the front seat of my car and the printed off route map in the boot...cue a frantic drive back to the Inn to collect said items then return to the start point.

Once back at the start and ready to go we were joined by a lone walker, Fraser, who appeared knowledgeable of the names of the local Munro's but seemed unclear as to the start points of any of the routes, or to be able to recognise any of the Munro's he was rattling off. Not wanting to be rude we invited him to join us on our route, which he gratefully accepted. We set off along the A87 to a break in the fence by a locked gate, then preceded to head off uphill...steeply!! 

The path follows an old stalkers path (apt really) through two sections of forestry, at a steep trajectory for almost two kilometres, finally levelling out at 734m. By this stage we had already lost our new companion...he had been informed that we hadn't met up in a couple of months so had a lot of catching up to do and would probably take our time as we chatted. When we pulled onto the level ground we could see him ahead of us, climbing the next rise. The views from here were already pretty stunning, yet another thing that would slow us down on the ascent, and a multitude of pictures were taken. The views to A'Chralaig and onto the Brothers ridge were especially stunning. Ciste Dubh nestles neatly between these other Munro's and provides a perfect location for some wonderful pictorial opportunities. The path dipped down slightly, then climbed gracefully, before reaching the heights of Am Bathach at 798m (a Corbett).

A small cairn graced the summit, but all eyes were on the ridge ahead, pointy and slightly moody looking, as it serrated its way out to Ciste Dubh. The descent to the bealach is on a fine wide grassy slope. The bealach is hagged with peat and looked quite boggy from here, though there would undoubtably be a path snaking through it to hopefully avoid wet boots. We could still see Fraser moving in front of us, through the rocks on the bealach now, but he would soon be gone from sight as we lost height.

We arrived at the bealach and set about finding  a sheltered area to stop out of the increasing wind for lunch. There was no sign of Fraser ahead. When we stopped looking for him on the Ciste Dubh slopes and turned to face the brothers ridge we spotted him higher up on a grassy broad shoulder...he had turned the wrong way at the bealach!!! We attempted a few shouts at him but had no chance of being heard in this wind...even at that...if I were that far up a Munro I wouldn't be for turning back to walk with two guys that were as busy putting the world to rights as we were today.
We gave up shouting to Fraser and instead watched him climb ever higher away from us as we sat in the lee of a rock and consumed our lunch. Then it was time to head up the slopes ahead of us...through a small section of bog then onto a faint grassy path as it wound it's way up towards a craggy section of ground. We continued gaining height quite quickly as the path zig zagged up through some rough ground to again level out and let us see the route ahead.

The wind was increasing in volume with each passing minute it seemed and we were being buffeted about quite violently at times. The path started to narrow out and gave the remainder of the walk a real ridge like feel to it, especially so as the wind seemed to choose to hit us most at the narrowest sections (or was that just how it felt??). We approached the next steep rise, a prominent and impressive peak, known as An Cnapach, with a choice of paths. One was rising faintly up An Cnapach and presumably down the other side...then there was the one winding around it and out of the wind. This was the one we chose to follow as it stayed away from any sharp drops which could be incurred by sudden gusts. Once beyond An Cnapach the route drops slightly to a point then rises sharply towards the serrated ridge of Ciste Dubh.

We climbed slowly and carefully at this point, the wind was exceptionally strong as we headed up towards the summit, I even had to lean forward on more than one occasion to steady myself after being battered by a gust!! The path narrowed the higher it got until arriving at a rather exposed cairn on the summit at 979m...a rather precarious place to venture out if your only 2cm tall and weigh the best part of sod all...but Jelly McBaby is made of stern stuff (I hope Bassett don't take offence to that).

The views from the exposed summit were no less spectacular than any others in Kintail...A'Chralaig...Mullach Fraoch-Choire to our right...the Brothers and Sisters ridges to our left...The south glen shiel ridge beyond them and in all probability the Saddle and Sgurr na Signe (Friday's target) at the end of that...Glen Affric, with a multitude of peaks I had never ventured near, directly in front of us. An all round panorama of beauty and ruggedness to behold. Then the reality of our present location as the wind built to a crescendo and tried to take us closer to the edge...good job I'm no light-weight!!!
We took a few pics...silly poses that we think look cool and macho for a hill top...then finished the last of our lunch before heading to what we thought would be an escape from the worst of the wind...how wrong could we possibly be!!!

As we started down the narrow slopes the wind appeared to build in ferocity...all bluster and plenty of substance it felt!! The remainder of the descent to the bealach felt like it was walking in a wind tunnel...especially when you turned to face directly into it...which we did as we really are just school boys at heart (trying to talk was a nightmare as even standing next to each other we struggled to hear what the other was saying). Hopefully it would ease as we got lower...it's the laws of physics don't you know??? Unfortunately physics don't really enter into Kintail walking and the wind never really abated at all...this meant there was no place worth stopping on the way down to admire the views back...nor to pee safely without fearing splash back!!!

We located the return path via the bealach, heading to our right and down towards the east side of An Caorainn Beag, and followed the path as it wound it's soggy way down through the mountain pass and back to the A87 below, coming out just short of the forestry area where we had left the car some five and a quarter hours earlier. All that remained now was a swift shandy at the Cluanie Inn before saying our goodbyes and heading in opposite directions (possibly until Friday if Chris can manage to come back down for the Forcan ridge)...him off to Inverness and me to the desolation that is Shiel Bridge (though at least with a semblance of an internet signal this time)...to meet Louise and plan our ascent of the Sisters ridge tomorrow...

  

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PS

Baino's new hat...deserves at least a passing mention I thought...that is all.

Creag Mhor & Beinn Heasgarnich & lots & lots of bogs!!!

After the group high of Saturday, it was back to a solo trudge today. I had previously driven down to Glen Lochay to bag these two Munro's last year...unfortunately on that occasion I never even made it out of the car park!! The rain started just as I arrived that time and whilst I was pulling on waterproofs I realised that the windscreen wipers were failing to keep up with the deluge!! Suffice to say I erred on the staying dry option and left it for another time...that time was now.

I had initially toyed with the idea of heading north, even posted it on CMB site on Facebook, but it meant a very wet river crossing for a pretty short Munro trip. That would have been fine if I had plans to rush back for tonight, but they had already been changed, leaving me with a longer window of opportunity. So I changed plans..north could wait...these two were getting done instead!!

The road from bridge of lochay hotel to the start point of this walk is a complete nightmare!!! Thankfully, now that I have finished the three from here, I will never have to drive it again!!

I arrived at the car park at the end of the road, just before Kenknock, at ten o'clock...and was immediately set upon by a swarm of angry midgies!! Thankfully I had Frank's cheap and nasty midgie killing repellent to hand and soon saw them off the premises. I followed the road around the trees and out into open land, following it past Kenknock and out to the Hydro road further on. From here the road splits and a variety of routes are available, for a number of Munro access paths. I turned right and started to follow the higher track, through the gates, then zig zag around till I found an obvious path heading left into the hills.

This path then wound it's way around the lower slopes of Creagan Fhearchair for almost 5k, crossing bridges over the Allt Badour and Allt Batavaim. The most pleasing aspect of this long boring slog in was the splendid view I was getting of Ben Challum from this side. I had climbed it earlier this year (see; A faulty gear box is not enough to stop me) when there was still plenty of snow to navigate through, I could make out the slope that I slid down practising ice axe arrests.
From the bridge over the Allt Batavaim I left the track, as it started to wind it's way down the hillside towards the Glen floor, and began a climb up grassy slopes towards Sron nan Eun.

There was no discernible path to follow through the grass, nor to negotiate the craggy jumble ahead of me. Thankfully the weather was clear so I could easily pick my way up through the crags, up a tight little gully (the grip on the soles of the Salomons is tremendous in wet rocks thankfully) then continued climbing the grassy slopes higher up on Sron nan Eun before finding the path at the top.

Once on this path it is easy to follow the route onto Creag Mhor, which looks quite rocky and steep from here, following the ridge for most of the way, crossing two other rises and dips in the contours, before climbing steeply up a zig zag path all the way to the summit cairn at 1048m. I caught and passed the only two other people I saw out here today, just before reaching the summit top. They didn't really speak and seemed keen to get down almost as soon as they had arrived. I did manage to persuade them to take my pic at the top, and they even asked about Jelly McBaby when they saw him.

As I sat on the cairn, eating my sandwich and Kendal mint cake (yum yum) the mist started to swirl in around me. I thought for a minute that I would be walking the rest of the day in gloom...but as quickly as it arrived it disappeared again. It had taken me three hrs to reach this point and I had factored in seven in total for the day.

Looking across at Beinn Heasgarnich, across the peat bogs in the bealach below, with it's steep re-ascent of over 400m at the other side, then almost 2k walk along the ridge to it's summit, I reckoned on another 90 minutes to reach there...leaving me another 90 minutes to descend and get back to the car.
From the summit cairn I set off west to avoid the crags all around me and pick an easier route down to the bealach, almost 400m below me. The views back up to the summit from here are craggy and impressive, as is the thought of the climb ahead of me. If my legs weren't feeling the pace by now then they soon would be!! Thankfully I don't think there has been a lot of rain here recently, judging by the dryness of the surface tufts anyway, though beneath them there was the potential for wet pools just waiting for a wrong step to take you to your knees. I managed to negotiate the down climb without any mishaps and bottomed out at the bealach and into the peat bogs that scarred the surroundings. Again, through navigational naivety and luck probably, I negotiated this obstacle without getting so much as my soles dirty.

The next obstacle was surmountable, but not without much sweat and swearing and aching limbs!!! I read a recent account of this climb and it used the word easy to describe the fact that there was (eventually) a path on the higher slopes...well Cameron McNeish (not for the first time in my Munro travels) you can f*ck right off!!! I'm a pretty fit (if slightly overweight) guy and I can tell you now my thighs and calves were screaming at me to stop all the way up that slope (in hindsight perhaps three days on the treadmill prior to this wasn't that great an idea!!). Eventually, with much huffing and puffing, I pulled onto the top of Sron Tairbh...only to see that I still had to go higher to reach Stob an Fhir Bhogha beyond!! I don't know if it was the climb, or the sun, or just a general tiredness affecting me today, but I seemed to be slowing down just when I would normally be speeding up with a summit in sight...or perhaps I was actually missing the company of the CMB boys??

With the weather being so clear there were extensive views all around, including Loch Lyon below, picking out hills I had done and realising that there were now none in the area that I haven't already done. This leaves a sadness of it's own...I like coming to this area and have enjoyed (mainly) the mountains and the overnight stops at the local hotels.

I followed the broad grassy ridge to it's conclusion on the summit plateau and cairn at 1078m where Jelly McBaby rested his own weary legs, ready for a pic. With both summits now bagged, and in the time frame I had imagined, there left the small matter of getting back down to the hydro road below. This in itself would be no easy task (arduous is the word I would use...or contrition is another good one) as the ground between here and there is riddled with peat bogs and patches of flooded grass...perhaps I would be slightly over the six hour window!!

I managed to get down to the boggy ground below without any slip or splash on my part...then set about negotiating the various hazards that lay before me. The road was getting increasingly closer, almost tantalisingly close enough to reach out and touch it seemed, but care still had to be taken in crossing the bogs...full on concentration was required at all times if I wanted to avoid...SPLASH!! I couldn't believe it...100m from the safety of the tarmac road and my one and only accident of the day. I was taking care, honest, and truly thought I could make the gap between bogs when suddenly the solid looking grass that I leaped onto turned instead into a watery quagmire...right up to my knee!! 4k from the car and now I had to walk the remainder of it with a soaking leg...goddammit!!

The 4k along the tarmac road felt as long as any part of the day, I had to keep resisting the urge to jog down it for fear that in my tired state I would stumble and fall flat on my face...not good.
Eventually I made it back to the car, after what felt like forever, in a respectable 6hrs 30mins. My pace may have quickened slightly when I heard the sound of gunfire close by...until I realised they were shooting at deer, not me!! All I had now was to drive a final time along the worst access road I have ever had the misfortune to be on...then Killin and the journey home. I now have a relaxing weekend planned and no Munro's until next Wednesday in Kintail with Louise and possibly Baino...how does one relax again??? lol  

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