What better way to celebrate the summer solstice than to climb a Munro? What, I hear you ask, is the relevance of climbing a hill on the summer solstice? Well back in the day the ancient druids and pagan's would climb to the top of the nearest high ground to light bonfires to add to the sun's energy. If that is not reason enough to climb a hill today then I don't know what is...
Gulvain was the target for today, initially in my sights a few weeks ago when I was up in Glenfinnan but cancelled due to an early return home instead, and yet another early start was the order of the day.
Home was departed at 06:00, bleary eyed after a week of early starts for work, with an arrival time on the turn off to the A861 of 09:30.
We set off from the car after a quick change around fifteen minutes later and crossed the A830 to start the walk proper. Once across the main road we turned right onto a path heading beyond a row of houses and crossing a stone bridge over the Fionn Lighe before finally turning left up the Strathan path on the east side of Fionn Lighe.
We were prepared for a day of low cloud and no views, according to the MWIS forecast, but were pleasantly surprised to find that the morning air was clear and fresh and the clouds were high in the sky above us. We ambled along the excellent access path and were passed by a lone cyclist heading up to tackle Gulvain also, one of only three people we would see all day. The long walk in was along the Birchwood lined Fionn Lighe, initially on the east side but crossing to the west after two kilometres on a newly refurbished wooden bridge.
Once across the wooden bridge the path passes a deserted building at Wauchan and becomes a lot rougher through the forest for the next two kilometres, passing gates at the start and end of the trees. Beyond the trees the path continues for another couple of kilometres through the open Gleann Fionnlighe until reaching the Allt a choire Reidh, which we crossed on a rickety wooden bridge. The sun remained high in the sky throughout the walk in, breaking through the clouds that were gathering menacingly above us on occasion, much as the forecast had warned.
We managed a few short stops for pictures to break up the climb on the slopes, although nothing prolonged until we pulled onto the shoulder at 855m and stopped to admire the view of the ridge ahead. A tiny cairn sits atop a rocky plateau and gives a great vantage point of the twin summits of Gulvain. The south top (961m) rises sharply just beyond a bealach with two tiny lochans, where some sheep were taking in some liquid refreshment, and over a kilometre beyond lay the north summit (987m).
The clouds were gathering in the surrounding hills and I advised Fiona to get some pictures now in case the summits were shrouded before we got there. A white/grey blanket was descending on all the high tops around us and it was really just a matter of time before we were also enveloped by it, which made the next stage a bit of a race against the clock to get to the summit before it disappeared. We powered on at full steam and made short work of the first ascent, pulling onto a still clear south summit and took advantage of the view to take even more pictures.
The Glenfinnan Munro's were by now almost gone from view and we couldn't even begin to pick out the Glen Dessarry Munro's in the gloomy shroud. As we departed the south summit I could make out the lonely figure of the earlier cyclist descending the north summit towards us. We met him in the bealach and passed pleasantries as the clouds rolled in above us and started to swallow up the north summit. I raced ahead in a vain attempt to reach the summit and get a view whilst one still remained...but to no avail. Jelly McBaby stood atop the summit cairn (987m) and I could only imagine what the view down into the upper reaches of Loch Arkaig looked like. I looked behind me to see the last of the southern summit disappear in the clouds, just as Fiona pulled onto the summit alongside me.
With the cloud came the cold and wet, including a few spots of rain, and so jackets were quickly thrown on to avoid getting a chill whilst we sat and ate our sandwiches. We had noticed that there were two more walkers coming up behind us when we had started the climb on the initial slopes, and had noticed them pulling onto the south summit as we approached the north one, but they had elected to remain on the south summit in the hope that the clouds would clear, eventually leaving to head for the north summit when it became apparent that nothing was clearing anytime soon. We passed them as we started to make our way back up the slopes to the south summit once again, our final uphill of the day, on our way back to the car. Once across the south summit there lay only downhill (not counting the small incline to the minor bump at 855m) and a long walk back along the glen to reach the car.
Apart from a few slips on the grass coming down slope (a result of Fiona wearing trainers instead of boots today) there was nothing remarkable about the return journey to the car. For my own part I was regretting my own choice of footwear on this trip and will not be wearing them again on the hills (the mid boots I wore on Stob Ban recently which gave me blisters) as my feet were giving me some degree of discomfort on the long walk back. As we made our way back along the glen there were a few spits of rain following us before the sun made a welcome return. The car was exactly where we left it six hours previously and all that remained was a quick change into less sweaty attire before driving to Fort William for a well deserved McDonalds and Mojito Solero to keep us going until we got home.
Unfortunately things didn't quite go to plan on the way home as we burst a tyre just outside of Fort William. Fiona didn't have a normal wheel in her boot, but rather a space saver, which meant that once I had changed the wheel I could only drive at 50mph, especially when the rain caught up with us!! Arrival time home changed dramatically as a result and it was almost 21:25 when I eventually pulled into the driveway, a full hour later than expected.
As I write this I am awaiting a positive response from young Michael about meeting me in Torridon one day this week to attempt Liathach and possibly one other Munro before I head back to work on the 30th.
I think you definitely need to get your footwear sorted out! And trainers????? Whatever next.........
ReplyDeleteShame about the weather closing in but you still got some good photos. I hate those walks where you have to go to two summits and do one of them twice :( But, at least that's another one done :)
SusieThePensioner