3 weeks of climbing the walls...then 4 Munro's in a day!!

Three weeks...or 23 excruciatingly long days to be precise...since I last set foot on a Munro. After the elation I had felt on my last trip away to Braemore, alone, I wanted more of the same, but was happy to have some company once more on this occasion. I planned a return to Braemore...well actually Torrandhu bridge (which is quite a few miles before Braemore) on the A835...on Tuesday 22nd May. I could have planned an overnight excursion, given the distance and my shifts being compatible, but opted instead for an early morning rise and lengthy drive to Inverness to collect young Michael Irvine (he had previously accompanied me on Geal Charn). I arrived at his Inverness abode just after eight in the morning and quickly filled the back seat of his car with my walking poles, boots and rucksack. We set off into rush hour traffic (Snecky stylee) and were through it in minutes...over the Kessock bridge and away to our destination...through the thinning fog as we prayed that it was only coastal mist...prayers answered for once as we neared the start point and left the mist behind in town.

Upon arrival at Torrandhu bridge we squeezed into the last remaining space in the layby, another four cars were already there so the possibility of meeting other walkers was pretty high. The sun shone down on us as we adorned boots and packs, me leaving long sleeved tops in packs and electing to go with the t-shirt and suncream look instead...

Michael must have been feeling the cold slightly as he started off in a long sleeved baselayer...but this didn't last too long as the heat was overwhelming again (much as it had been on my last trip out here). We followed the Abhainn an Torrain Dubh as it snaked along the floor of the glen...rising ever so slightly as it heads towards the eastern Fannichs that awaited us ahead. A number of narrow shallow gorges flowed down to the weather station that we had passed at the start of the walk, and there were a variety of different formations in the rocks caused by centuries of the water flowing over them...

As the stream narrowed further up the higher we got, there were more than a couple of decent small pools with water cascading into them...land of the shining water right enough.

Pretty as the cascading water was...and man it looked so inviting on the walk back...the main focus of today was the four Munro's lying to the east of Loch Fannich. We continued along the west bank of the stream until we came to a junction of water flows...the Allt an'Loch Sgeirich flows to meet the Abhainn an Torrain Dubh...which we crossed over and followed a faint path uphill away from the streams. This led us to the minor top of Creag Dubh Fannaich, which we traversed onto the broad shoulder, before beginning the ascent of Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich. 

We reached the summit cairn after a slight struggle to cope with the increased wind battering against us...donned longer tops to combat the sudden chill of summit arrival...then sat back to have some juice and much needed bite to eat. Even at this early stage I knew I was having a slight problem with my breathing...especially into the wind!! I was struggling to catch a decent large breath every time I turned to face the wind...coupled with a sharp pain in my chest when I lifted my right arm...DAMN this had the potential to slow me right down and cost us a decent end time!!!

Jelly McBaby came out on the cairn and was mightily impressed at the phallic nature of it...an outstanding erection if ever there was one (fluff now I'm turning into Frankie Howerd!!!). Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich sits at a height of 953m and is vastly overshadowed by it's near neighbour, Sgurr Mor, which was our next target for the day. We sat in the lea of some rocks to get out of the increasingly cold wind whilst we contemplated the best route off the top and down to the bealach...obviously, with the weather being this clear, we decided to just head off in line of sight (after checking the map for potential hazards) and scrambled carefully down through a boulder field...completely missing the path to our right...until we reached the bealach below and found the more than obvious path of descent.

Thankfully Michael didn't seem troubled by this and actually enjoyed the extra challenge of the boulder field...I get the feeling he is taking to this like a natural. Once down at the bealach the path veers to the left of some huge crags...skirting around the corrie until height is regained. We passed an unusually placed shelter, presumably for stalkers many years ago, directly on the path prior to it heading back up the slopes to Sgurr Mor. There would have been room for a couple to shelter out of the worst conditions of winter until rested and able to continue, or sit out a stormy night on the hill, if required. We continued to climb the path, losing it briefly on occasions, but always found it again, Michael bounding ahead (always looking fresh and able to dig out some extra energy if needed). I was toiling up the slopes!! But the one quality I possess, above all others required on the hills, is an ability to dig in when required and never give up...I dug deep into this today for the ascents as my chest ached with attempts to breath deeply, always falling short of a full breath. We eventually pulled onto the summit ledge and stood in awe of the massive summit cairn...teetering on the edge of the drop into the corrie below. Summit pics would have to be taken carefully near such a drop, and in such winds. Thankfully the coldness in the wind had abated and all we were left with was the prevailing strength of it in our faces as we turned to face the next two Munro's on our quest. We sheltered behind the cairn and took fluid and food on board...and obviously prepared for summit poses...

I carefully climbed the cairn and placed Jelly McBaby atop it (well he sometimes requires an extra help when his pudgy little legs won't reach) and had five attempts at getting him to stand up in the wind...I was scared that he would blow off and I would never see him again if he fell down into the corrie below!!

I had no such worries of Michael...even though he has such a slight build and the wind was quite strong...

Clearly one as rotund as myself had no such worries about standing on the edge of the precipice...finally a use for being so sturdy!! Sgurr Mor sits at a height of 1110m and is clearly the highest Mountain in the vicinity...it's nearest rival is Sgurr nan Clach Geala, with it's impressive alpine gully on display from this angle.
With pics taken and refreshments consumed...and fears of rain from Michael abated (he hadn't realised that the snow melt was being blown back up the crags by the wind and was spraying us...poor boy thought a cloudless sky could bring rain...bless!!) we continued on our merry way...off the summit and down to the broad bealach between here and Meall Gorm.
The distance between these two summits is longer than we first envisaged...there is one minor top between them then a considerable drop and climb to regain height before reaching the summit. Whilst traversing the last climb to the summit we passed the only other walker we would meet all day (though we had already seen two on the minor top before Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich, we hadn't actually passed them to speak to). We stood for a short while passing pleasantries, letting him know what lay ahead for him, and him telling us likewise. Then off we set in our opposite directions, him to Sgurr Mor and us to Meall Gorm. We watched him for a while as we began to realise how far we had just walked (so far)...and how far we still had to go.

At the second bealach the fork to the right should be ignored, unless you fancy heading off here and making the trek down to Loch Fannich, and continue on the left path to the summit of Meall Gorm at 949m. It is a flat topped Munro with a small cairn to mark it's highest point on an outcrop of rocks. Yet again there was a rather phallic feel to this cairn, but Michael would soon remedy this. He decided to alter the appearance of the cairn to give it a more sacrificial plinth feel to it...he really is getting into this in a big way...I like it.
We all took our turns posing at this newly modified cairn...

Jelly McBaby was able to sit on the alteresque cairn without fear of falling too far...and the wind was certainly abating at this stage anyway.

Michael opted for a crouching position for his summit pose...with An Coileachan behind him...

I will assume any position that lessens the appearance of bloatedness...
With the next summit in sight and the skies still clear (though thankfully less sunny than previously) we set off to get this thing done...stopping only briefly for Michael to sit at the stalkers shelter and attempt to adopt an air of regality...

We followed the 'path' down to the obviousness of Bealach Ban then traversed slightly to the left...though not enough apparently...and made our way up through stony slopes to reach the summit plateau of An Coileachan...and eventually the summit cairn at 923m which sits atop a sandstone outcrop. It is yet another huge boulder cairn at the summit, but not balanced on the edge of a corrie this time around. The final summit pics were taken here and the route plotted for the return journey...

 Jelly McBaby had to take shelter between rocks, rather than on them, as the wind picked up again and threatened to blow him off (ooh-er missus)...

Clearly there was no risk of Michael being blown off when he took his position on the cairn...

I, on the other hand, look ready to be blown off at a moments notice...The descent down from the summit involved a straight forward walk off towards the basin of Loch Gorm  below to the left...follow the easiest route of descent down the steep slopes towards the Loch then turn right to follow an, at first, obvious path around the loch. The path soon disappears and you are left to follow your own instincts through the worst of the boggy ground and peat hags until you return to the river below...

The rest of the journey back was a boring and boggy retrace of steps along the river bank...even the fact that you can see the car for ages before you arrive was made worse by the incessant heat today...in fact the only glimmer of relief to the tedium of the return was when young Michael shouted me back to witness an adder slither away into the undergrowth...unfortunately we were both too late to get our cameras out and capture this...but it lifted our spirits enough to manage the remainder of the trek to the car with a slight spring in our step...8.5 hrs after setting off.

The next target for me is An Teallach (my personal holy grail) next Tuesday...with Angus Macleod...we pray that the mountain gods are smiling on us then also.

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