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Didn't want to miss out on the nice weather but also didn't want to have too long a walk on a forecast windless day so picked Sgurr an Airgid based largely, it has to be said, on the glowing report given it by Rodmeister. This was a partial error on my part as I hadn't fully appreciated that the latter is obviously a bit jet-heeled so I was nowhere near the bealach at the hour mark. However, my 6.15am start did see me in quite a good spot to catch the sun rising over Beinn Fhada.
Was originally going to head there via Invermoriston but somehow got so confused by the A82 diversion (presumably via Beauly though that wasn't at all clear to me) that I changed my mind and drove via Strathcarron which is possibly even a bit quicker.
Despite my own lack of jet heels I made reasonable progress through the near still air on the good track/path and got to the zig-zags at about the 400m contour in time to catch the sun peeking over the shoulder of Beinn Fhada.
Got an unpleasant surprise at the bealach cairn as what little breeze there had been disappeared completely and I was ambushed by an army or, strictly speaking, airforce of keds and other flies.
I donned my balaclava as protection and this worked well when I started breathing out hard to disperse the blighters. In fact I was so pleased with my patent pending ked defence that I videoed it, only to later discover that a ked had been sat on the centre of my forehead for the duration of filming and probably beyond.
Never mind, as soon as I got onto the final steepening before the summit a gentle breeze got up and the battle was over. I still have the wounds though!
Excellent views all around but the towering view over the head of Loch Duich alone makes the ascent worthwhile.
Aside from being a good hill for the views this was a good one for views of memories:
a long walk over Beinn Fhada to Camban and a walk out with flu symptoms
standing pn the mini-bus roof for the drive up to Glen Lichd house
also in Glen Lichd, being blown into the air and carried by the wind for a good ten feet
a tiring ascent of Sgurr na Moraich prior to the Five Sisters and after a night in a tent minus sleeping bags
a snowy Spring ascent of Beinn a' Chuirn when the snow was too soft and deep to do anything else
my wobbly walk up Sgritheal's north ridge courtesy of too much baggage but a pleasant summit bivvy followed by a night at Coireshubh
another night on Sgritheal when I discovered that I'd brought an empty gas canister to cook with and we ended up burning moss to cook a single bag of noodles between threeWell those were some of the closer up ones that were brought to mind but there were also glimpses of Rum and Eigg beyond Sgritheall, an inversion bound Skye further west and some familiar Torridon outlines to the north.
Spotted a stoat amidst the rocks just south of the summit and it reappeared as I wandered a bit further north, sandwiched between two flat rocks -maybe its den?
Uneventful descent aside from meeting a few folk on their way up. Someone pointed out that there had been an eagle above me but I had missed it though I did see it later on.
Beinn Fhada ahead.
I wonder if
KinleyHazel are down there.
First view of Sgritheall.
Me looking a bit of a twit and with loops of hair formed into deer antler stub shapes. Is this why the keds I encountered later on were so keen on me?
Got to a good viewpoint to see the sun rise over Beinn Fhada, more by luck than design though.
Good track and path got me up to about the 400m contour fairly quickly, though not as quickly as the jet-heeled Rodmeister whose report had inspired this trip.
Looking back at Sgritheall is also looking back in time to four different trips there, not forgetting one to Chapuill too!
Still some zig-zags ahead. If I'd known what was to follow I might have slowed down a bit here.
All clear ahead! What can go wrong?! Finished with the zig-zags but now the keds and other flies are started with me as the occasional slight breeze I'd had as protection has now completely disappeared and I am under attack by an entire air force.
North to Torridon.
Beinn Bhan.
Remembering a long and windy traverse of the Red Cuillin with my wife in December 2005.
No more keds now as the breeze has returned but ked countermeasure (balaclava) kept on as a sweatband.
Skye inversion.
It had been a little bit boggy between the zig-zags and the final steepening before the top. The last 1km or so is dry though.
Slightly surprised to see Ben Nevis.
Sgurr of Eigg.
Black Cuillin.
Red Cuillin. Jill that was some effort you made against those 30mph+ winds all those years ago. I wonder if we could still do that traverse. Only wondering mind!
Glen Lichd.
East along the summit ridge.
Part of the crag line / gully marked on the map. It's no wonder that the path stays well clear of this area.
On the way down and no flies of any description to be seen or felt!
The direct route. No thanks!
A last look at Sgritheall's north ridge or north east ridge if you want to be pedantic. When I went up from Suardalan in 1995 I had a lot of trouble balancing because I had the proverbial kitchen sink in my rucksack. Thankfully, I wouldn't even be able to attempt that now.
