A cathartic experience at braemore...or was it just sunstroke???

23rd of February...the date of my last solo trip to the hills...far too long in my book! I had enjoyed some mixed journeys and company in that time...but needed so much to be alone again. During the week I had travelled up to Skye and bagged my first two Cuillins over two days, yet not felt the sense of fantasticness that this trip would give me. The weather had been pretty bleak in Skye...though thankfully not the company...not improved on the journey home through Kintail and Inverness...and I had arrived back in Aberdeen to more of the same for the next two days. Saturday saw a slight improvement in conditions but a look online told me to expect cloud free Munro's on Sunday...but where to go?? I searched through a number of possibilities and settled on the Western Fannichs from Braemore junction...forecast was for clear skies, no rain, but hard frost and chilly temperatures...ideal I thought. I picked out a route that included three Munro's...then had an FB conversation with Rocket Ron (talkhighlands) who was attempting to persuade me to attempt all five from that side so that I would only require a one off trip...the thought of saving half a tank of diesel and 300 miles wear and tear on my car for a round trip had me piqued.  
So off to bed early on Saturday night with the trusty rucksack already packed...some pasta made up for lunch and procrastinations about the need for a flask or not?? Flask left behind when I left Aberdeen at just after five thirty AM on Sunday morning...no going back now...and drove the A96 again (I seem to be on it so much recently) to Inverness and beyond.
I arrived at the starting point, a layby on the A832, just beyond Braemore junction off the A835, at around nine o'clock...joining another two cars of walkers already there. One was a group of three from Edinburgh who had done my intended start route yesterday and were doing my intended (though only perhaps at this stage of the day) finish route today. The other two were a pair of older walkers that never really spoke to the rest of us, so don't actually know where they were intending to go,or indeed ended up.
The first thing I noticed as I left the car was the complete lack of wind in the area...then as I started walking I noticed the heat in comparison to the forecast I had read last night...I quickly ditched the thick baselayer top and replaced it with the only t-shirt I had with me...then realised that if things stayed this warm (or indeed got warmer later in the day) I only had a fleece hat to protect my head...DAMN!!

The next thing to notice, as I was leaving the car, was An Teallach dominating the skyline to my right. Tempted though I was to carry on and attempt her today, I knew she would keep for another day, she is one you want to share the experience of with others...Caberfeidh Munro Baggers Stylee!!
So instead I stuck to the initial plan and set off along the road a short distance to gain the access path leading along to Loch a Bhraoin...through the metal barrier across part of the path then followed along to cross a small wooden bridge before the path leads off into some trees...emerging at the far end after a short distance at the edge of Loch a Bhraoin.

From here there is another bridge to cross and then head off the path to the left and follow through boggy ground for some distance. This path skirts away from the stream running down between Meall a' Chrasgaidh and Sgurr Breac after you cross a small wooden bridge that is not marked on the OS maps to get across Allt Breabaig...

The "path" then turns into flattened grass through a series of bogs that can be followed for a while before turning uphill...or alternatively you can strike off through the bogs and try to get to high ground as soon as possible...you are going to end up there anyway so why delay?? Soon you are climbing the steep grassy slopes which will eventually lead you to a stonier top...which in turn will lead to the summit of Meall a' Chrasgaidh. All the way up this slope the far view of An Teallach just keeps getting better and better...as does the view of Sgurr Breac and A'Chailleach on your right...then eventually Sgurr nan Clach Geala appears over to the immediate right behind Meall a' Chrasgaidh's slopes.

 The long hard slog up the hill continued in sweltering heat...I found out later that I was walking in 15C...until it starts to flatten out...after an hour of walking so far...just below the summit and then entered snow line. The summit cairn comes as a surprise as the rest of the Munro's around all have rocky summits or are far higher than Meall a' Chrasgaidh...which sits no higher than 934m. I had to double check the GPS to ensure that I was actually on a Munro!! Thankfully I was and Jelly McBaby could celebrate on the summit cairn...such that it was!

There had been talk through the week of Jelly McBaby not joining me again on the hills...artistic differences being cited as one of a number of excuses...jealousy of my walking with others however being the main one. To put this to bed we had decided to agree to spend more time together alone on the hills, but not exclusively as some walks could still include company, but certainly almost two months without being alone during a walk had taken it's toll on our relationship...up to a point. We have a bond so strong that we should be able to rise above such issues and carry on being each others support network...him carrying me up hills and me listening to all his gripes and groans of doing so!

From the summit of Meall a' Chrasgaidh I headed south to the bealach between Sgurr nan Clach Geala and Carn na Criche, unfortunately I started to head towards Sgurr Mor instead of keeping right and heading to the bealach of 'Am Biachdaich...such was the fineness of the peak from this side I believed that it was walkable along with the others and in a doable time frame...sadly this would not have been the case...and anyway I would only have had to do it again when I return to do the lesser heights of the Eastern Fannichs...!!
Reality kick taken I returned to the bealach and started towards the frozen lochan and then up the steeper snowy slopes of Sgurr nan Clach Geala...the decision was already made in my mind that i would be attempting five rather than three summits today, I really didn't need the distraction of Sgurr Mor tempting me into a sixth!!

 The snow was soft beneath a crispy wind scoured top shell. The advice I was given back at the car (from yesterdays walkers) was to not require crampons for the slopes as the snow was soft underfoot...which, whilst not entirely true, was close enough to accurate for me. I traversed the steepening slopes to the right of the crags around the lower reaches of the corrie...and could see for miles as I gained height. No-one had followed my route and I felt all alone out here in this huge wilderness...fantastic!! Then I heard voices from above (no I hadn't found the lord) and two walkers appeared on the slopes above me, carefully picking their way down the previously frozen footsteps of yesterday, as they made their way towards me. We stood for a few moments and passed the time with each other, exchanging routes and plans and the like, checking out what each other were wearing...you know the type of elitist walker behaviours we exhibit!!

And then they were gone, heading off towards Sgurr Mor and the rest of the Eastern Fannichs on a circuit from Loch Fannich. I continued my climb through the snow around the crags until I topped out on the summit and located the broken trig point that masquerades as the summit cairn at 1093m...the largest of the Munro's I was doing today. Jelly McBaby took in all the views around us...of which there were indeed many wondrous ones...and then settled down to get his pic taken at the trig point.

Given that the cairn is the highest one for some distance I decided to stay here for longer than the previous one and take in all the views...but was inextricably drawn to the sheer volume of the corrie wall beneath my feet. It was truly alpine in appearance...the sheer scale of the corrie walls ensconced in masses of snow...fantastic to behold. I had to walk along the edge of the corrie to reach the down path leading to the next bealach and then the next Munro in my sights. I got some more pics of the corrie on the way down, from the other edge of the rim, and was more than impressed. From here I could make out the shape of Munro's yet to attempt in Torridon (Liathach, Beinn Eighe, Beinn Allign) and perhaps Slioch as well...and obviously An Teallach continued to dominate the skyline. 
I traversed the distance between Sgurr nan Clach Geala and the low pass at Cadha na Guite...then began the long hard slog uphill once more, to the right and then the left, avoiding the crags, all the way to the summit cairn of Sgurr nan Each at the far end of the summit ridge, sitting on the edge of a drop off the top at 922m. By this stage the weather was improving all the time and the temperatures were sitting steady at 15C...there was not a drop of wind when I stopped to take a lunch break at the summit cairn. I stopped here for a while and munched on my prepared pasta and swigged juice...until joined by another couple of walkers that had come up from the glen specifically to do this one Munro then reverse their route. I asked for one of them to take my pic, which they obligingly did, and then left them in peace to finish their own lunch...I had other targets in mind for today now...

I assessed the drop down into the valley as being unavoidable anyway...even to get to the exit route back to the car from here...so set about dropping down into the valley...always with one eye on the potential climb back up the other side onto Sgurr Breac. The way down was paved with dangers...slippy wet slopes and sinking bogs being the two worst...the climb up the other side looked just as wet and boggy.

Following a horrendous wet descent, almost falling on my arse a number of times (but in reality never landing once), I started up the slopes of Sgurr Breac...and am not ashamed to say that it nearly finished me off!! The heat was killing me and I couldn't get enough water on board...my legs were screaming at me to stop ascending...I contemplated returning to the glen and following the stream back to base...but knew that was never going to happen. So I gritted my teeth and kept pulling myself up the steepening slopes...forcing myself on to finish what I had started. It took what felt like forever to get anywhere near the foot of the final climb to the summit...through the final snow line and I would be there...it will all feel worth it when you spot the last Munro awaiting being ascended from here...I hoped!!
Sgurr Breac cairn sits at 999m and was worth every slow methodical step along the way...so Jelly McBaby says anyway.

The next summit, A Chailleach, was in sight and didn't actually appear as close as I had hoped at this stage. It looked a long trudge through snow and down into a steep drop off to reach the bealach of Tomain Coinich...I was also aware that I hadn't received a text from my work ate Willie about the football scores...surely that was a good sign?? I decided I could wait no longer to find out and attempted to call him...after all I had a good signal...but he didn't answer...so off I plodded into the snowy tracks of other walkers. As I was heading down hill my fone went off and I answered it to hear that the hoops had humped the huns off the park in a completely one sided match...then I promptly fell into a snow hole with one leg shooting down into wetness and the other not...then I fell over laughing about my stupidity (or lack of multi-tasking when speaking on the fone). The remainder of the trek to the summit was done with my full attention on the task in hand...always with the lessons learnt too late!!

A'Chailleach sits at 997m and the view back to the other four summits of today was fantastic to say the least. I had so little energy left by now I swigged the last of my juice and tanned a marzipan bar for a short term fix...then set off down the slopes towards Sron an Goibhre ridge, above Loch Toll an lochain. I followed the faded path for some distance before striking off to my right down the grassy slopes once more to bring me down to the floor of the lochain and then followed the confluence down to the Loch below...keeping high enough up the slopes to avoid the boggiest parts of the glen near the Loch. Eventually I found the exit stile to cross the deer fences...then the next one...then headed back through boggier ground to Loch Bhraoin once more...and eventually arriving back at the car 8.5 hrs after leaving it.
Apart from the terrible farmers tan that I now possess on both arms...and on my neck...it was a fantastic day, shared with my vicarious Munro climbing companion alone again.

Whilst I will continue to walk with others...as I do need human contact to remain semi sane at times...I will endeavour not to take Jelly McBaby for granted again and will be making time for us to share walks alone together as regularly as possible. Roll on the next available weekend off.....

I would also like to take this time to thank everyone that has supported this blog over the course of my first year...you all know who you are and how much your individual support has meant to me along the way...I thank you one and all xx

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