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More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned


Postby Graeme D » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:11 pm

Date walked: 15/07/2012

Time taken: 5.1 hours

Distance: 21.4 km

Ascent: 92m

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I spent a comfortable night on the Lochan na h-Earba beach although from around 2.30am, sleep came only in short bursts as the wind got up and rattled my tent. Now pitching a tent on a beach in a stunning location such as this is all well and good, but as I'm sure you can imagine, tents pegs don't bite as well in sand as they do in more conventional wild camping terrain. Therefore it was probably less the wind and the subsequent splattering sounds made by rain on canvas that kept me awake as the nervous concern for the state of my pegs! :?

My alarm went off at 6.30 but once that was killed, the only sounds I could hear were the aforementioned rattling and splattering sounds. Not looking good for these tasty looking Grahams G! :(

I lay in my bag for a good hour or so and listened to the Sounds of Scotland Summer 2012 soundtrack playing outside. There was little point in getting up to make breakfast as it had struck me on the walk in last night that I had forgotten it! Still, some water had to be boiled for a caffeine hit to go along with a cereal bar originally earmarked for elevenses, so eventually I ventured outside to be greeted by weather that was not as bad as it had sounded but was still no great shakes by any means.

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Early morning view from the front door

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Dark clouds massing to the south west

Having had my coffee and cereal bar, I attempted to get packed up and strike camp quickly while still being careful to take as little sand as possible with me - the stuff was clinging to anything it came into contact with. Whose idea was this anyway for a camping spot??? :lol:

I was away by 8.20 and initially as I hiked along the good track on the south east side of the lochan, the weather looked like it might shape up. There was still a stiff breeze blowing but also suggestions that the sun might be about to make an attempt at breaking through. It was certainly a pleasant walk with no need at this stage for any heavy duty waterproof gear. :)

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Low cloud clinging to the Ardverikie Wall of Binnein Shuas

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Binnein Shios and Creag a' Chuir

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Shuas from the end of the first section of the loch

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Bridge over the Allt a' Mhaigh

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North east along the second section

Between the two parts of the loch, I had a decision to make - whether to stick on the track to the south eastern side of the water or to cut across and onto the track which runs along the north western shore of this half of the loch. The weather was now beginning to deteriorate again and I was unsure about the wisdom of continuing with my plan to do the two Grahams, but I decided to cut across, meaning I could either ascend up to the broad bealach between the two hills or continue along the loch shore and up onto Binnein Shios at the far end, although it was not at all clear from the OS map how feasible an ascent route that would be.

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Crossing to the other side

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North east from bridge at 488842

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South west from bridge at 488842

I decided to continue along the shore even although the dark clouds were massing behind me and the white horses were becoming increasingly agitated as they rolled down the loch. There was a distinctly stormy feel about the place by now and it was quickly apparent that I had chosen by far the least appealing and most bog-ridden side of the loch, assuming of course that the track on the other side had continued in the same manner as it had started. :roll:

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Bogfest!

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Weather going downhill fast

By the time I reached the weir at the far end, I had decided to can any notions of doing the two Grahams and was about to simply loop back around the other side of the loch and back out past last night's campsite when I had second thoughts about exiting this way, and pulled the OS map back out again to look at the options.

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The weir

We have a Silver D of E assessment route that heads on it's final day from Culra down the River Pattack and out at Gallovie near the eastern end of Loch Laggan, but I had never been in the area between there and Loch Laggan so I decided to head through the forestry towards Loch an Righ and then out to the track running along the southern side of Loch Laggan. Before that however, I nipped over to the track on the other side just to check out how good it was, and while I was at it, I dumped my pack in the limited shelter offered by a tree and walked back along to check out the suitability as a campsite of the copse of trees on the little neck of land jutting into the loch, just in the off chance that a future D of E group comes this way.

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Shios from beyond the weir

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Heading along to check out the copse

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Someone has used this place before - Shuas in the background

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Back at my pack - Plan B about to swing into action

The walk out along Loch Laggan (with a short detour to check out Loch an Righ) was long but very enjoyable as the weather perked up, although it did still have one final heavy shower in store when I was only 10 minutes or so short of the car - oh come on weather gods! I'm cool with you putting the kaibosh on the two Grahams, but could you no just have cut me a wee bit more slack for another 10 minutes or so????? :evil:

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From bogfest to puddlefest

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Tsunami-like!

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I can't say I even realised there was such a thing!

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Loch an Righ

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Tall trees

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This must have been some beast of a tree when it was still standing!

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Out onto Loch Laggan side

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Don't fancy their chances of still being standing come the spring!

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An abundance of foxglove

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Eilean nan Tunnag comes into view ahead

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Nearing Eilean nan Tunnag

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Shuas from the other side

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Cloud cover over Meagaidh group

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There were quite a few of these things lying on this stretch of the track

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Approaching Moy Lodge and the end of Loch Laggan

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Back along the loch to the north east

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An Cearcallach and Meall Coire Choille-rais behind Moy Lodge

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Shuas from the west

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Descending the track towards Luiblea - Shuas looks almost Cobbler-esque from here

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Luiblea

Well, not exactly what was planned for today but I thoroughly enjoyed the alternative route as a way of rounding off a fine weekend. Mojo may not have come home just yet, but he's out there, alive and well, and I'm sure he'll be home soon in his own good time! 8)


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Last edited by Graeme D on Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Graeme D
 
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby old danensian » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:38 pm

Oh that beach.

I was up there yesterday and was wondering about how well your tent pegs went in.

OD
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby Mountainlove » Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:18 pm

Camping on a beach...lol was one of of worst ideas ever :lol:
East Highland Way...never even heard about it :o Apart from that great locations and I am wondering about the round things on the track as well mmm wonder what they are??
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby ChrisW » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:54 pm

Great post Graeme, really enjoyable. You certainly made the best of a bad lot there I think, I really liked your camping spot, well worth getting a bit of sand on everything :wink: The shot of that huge tree isn't showing up as the very first bracket is missing from the [IMG] thing, great shot though as are many of the others. enjoyable read, hope the mojo returns soon...lost mine this week....it must be catching :lol:
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby rockhopper » Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:48 am

Mountainlove wrote:Camping on a beach...lol was one of of worst ideas ever :lol:
Oh, I wouldn't necessarily agree - sand could be quite soft and comfortable, a definite boon for older campers :lol: :lol: the weather certainly changed dramatically Graeme - nearly bumped into you - I was just up the road from you on Geal Charn [Monadhliath] and it rained almost the whole time although I was back at the car by 0930 at which point it started to improve :roll: - cheers :D
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby Johnny Corbett » Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:35 am

Probably a good decision leaving the Grahams as coming of Shuas, the finer of the two, is steep and craggy and wouldn't be much fun going up or down it in wet, dreek weather. It will also give you another chance to camp at the beach :lol:
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby Graeme D » Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:51 pm

Mountainlove wrote:Camping on a beach...lol was one of of worst ideas ever


Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment! :lol:

ChrisW wrote:The shot of that huge tree isn't showing up as the very first bracket is missing from the [IMG] thing


Sorted now! :o

rockhopper wrote:sand could be quite soft and comfortable, a definite boon for older campers


Speak for yourself Rockhopper! :lol:
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Re: More Mojo sightings but Loch Laggan Binneins get binned

Postby Bod » Sat Jul 21, 2012 11:41 pm

A fun and interesting 'reke' there Graeme, the spirit of adventure and keeping fit always worth striving for :wink: :D :clap:
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