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As Allison was on holiday, I had decided to do some hills myself, then meet up with her somewhere in the NorthWest on Friday when she was on her way home. My twin headaches as regards planning - weather and stalking - both made for difficulties. I had originally planned to head off early Sunday morning to have a stalking free day but the forecast was so horrendous I stayed at my mum's on Sunday and left up the A9 on Monday morning. I thought I'd do Ben Vrackie then Carn an Fhreiceadain on the Monday then head either to Cannich way for some Corbetts around there, or Strathconon, before making my way west.
I arrived at the Ben Vrackie car park, having passed through a Pitlochry bustling with tourists despite the poor weather. Took the standard route up then headed east to do the Simms of Carn Geal and Meal Breac. The mist and squidgy ground underfoot made these more challenging than they needed to be. At one point crossing over to Meall Breac I found a deer skull with the antlers sawn off - oops - I probably shouldn't be here today. I didn't see any vehicles or stalking in action and made it safely back to the standard way down.
E64CF807-81CC-4D21-923D-F3B523D8AAA1_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
D3DB581C-09B7-42C6-AF03-90F87EA10C19_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
The drive to Kingussie was smooth, I parked in the town centre car park which allows you 24 hours of free parking. It was about 3pm when I left the car, having taken my overnight bag with me, reckoning I'd pitch somewhere along the way. I used the standard route through the golf course then up the track. On the way I spotted a wee place beside a group of trees I thought would make an OK pitch - headed up to the summit with the mist clearing a bit and promptly turned around and came back down - by the time I reached the spot I'd chosen it was 6pm and time for tea...I enjoyed my Huel siting under the pines then got ready for an early bed. It wasn't the most comfy spot to be honest, and just before midnight a Landy with lights blazing roared passed up the track.
0C4AE295-CC3F-4807-8B1D-162FB0DB2FE2_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
0B9F4C78-5400-4C3B-BF7A-2A619692BFA4_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
EBFF08F1-B436-447C-B4BE-724EE24F6D7A_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
I got up quite early and headed back into Kingussie with the intention of going to Stathconon. The two Corbetts by Milton were apparently OK stalking wise if one kept to the track. They're two of my favourite Corbetts, though I always seem to mis-identify them when looking at them on a tableau. Anyway, I parked up alongside one other car and started off around 10.30. The walk up from the wood is always a bit of a trudge, with wet ground underfoot. And it always takes longer than you think it will. Eventually the ground started to level out, just in time to start climbing up Creag Ruadh and pick up the path towards the top of this. The forecast had been pessimistic, but the tops were clear and there was even the occasional hint of sunshine. I wandered along the ridge to Meall nan Uan, quite a strong wind buffeting me. I hunkered down to the west side of the cairn for some lunch, remembering that the first time we'd been here having lunch, an eagle had flown round from the other side of the cairn and surprised us (and itself). No such encounters today. I pressed on down into Coir' a Mhuilinn then up, using an ATV track, to the summit of Sgurr a'Mhuilinn. The descent from here was as grim as usual - once you are off the shoulder of the hill you are plunged into a morass of swampy bogs, swollen by all the recent rain. Then my GPS battery ran out and I didn't bother replacing it, thinking I'd be fine...ended up following the river too far down and had to correct course, but managed to get back on track and regained the car in good time.
Meall nan Uan and Sgurr a'Mhuilinn
9E00660B-830E-4C5A-A788-6FDBFBCA6114_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
EC949A17-A809-4F46-9391-26F11CEDD9BB_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
AFE94211-3914-46E8-BBC5-0C8B4503951B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Too good time, to be honest - it was only 3pm which meant it was too early to pitch for the night...I was planning on doing Bac an Eich and An Sithean - although I didn't know the stalking position I reckoned if I stayed on the track and only ventured straight up and back to each I should be ok. I could pitch roadside near Carnoch, or make a start on the walk in - and at 3pm the latter was the required choice. So I parked up at the start of the track down to Inverchoran. A beautiful tree down by the farm with wonderful yellow plumage. No-one about to ask about routes and stalking...oh well. I pressed on along the path, with the meandering river for company. As I got towards the top of Torran Ceann Liath I saw an ATV being manoeuvred just ahead...there was the stalker returning with a party and their kill on the back of a garron. I asked if I was causing problems - "No, not at all..." the stalker was very friendly. I explained where I was planning to go - he was fine with that, saying they'd just been up the glen by Bac an Eich and "cleared it out" so I'd be perfectly safe...I wasn't sure what I was going to be safe from - stags or men with guns - as I definitely feel safer around stags, but I thanked him anyway. He pointed out a path up towards Bac an Eich and we parted ways.
Inverchoran Farm
08A8520C-14F6-4F23-9ED9-7ED2EE6E8DF5_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
AF23A511-9553-4935-A60C-F42B874EDD4F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
I scouted about for a place to camp but didn't find any that were dry enough, so I just dropped my pack and set off up the hill unencumbered. Some almost good views from the top - I drank those in then turned around and set off back down the way I'd come up. I decided I should find a spot by Loch na Caoidhe (which means "the loch of mourning" I now find out
) and indeed I did. There were two swans gliding about on the water as I put up the tent and had my tea, plus numerous stags ranged all around the surrounding hillsides doing what they do best at this time of year - roaring. A few were up on the summits or rocks on the skyline, but it was quite cacophonous at times. As dark fell they seemed to simmer down, or maybe I just fell asleep.
Bac an Eich
90DA5C01-4D37-487D-81C2-76D47677A1B6_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
35621F51-28DF-433B-A34F-490592BBF207_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Looking down, you can just see the "lochan of mourning" where I'll pitch.
D20FFB30-7E7F-46C0-B5B3-8C8BF7DFAB46_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
60BB02E4-74E5-4F79-9002-56384F4F82A7_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Peaceful (apart from the Roaring Stags)
CBCB8FDA-769F-4FCB-9A41-6E55E7DE8BCB_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
A nice morning on Wednesday - I peered out and the swans and their reflections were gliding on the perfectly smooth water like a pair of fancy white brackets. The stags were still roaring a bit. I left the tent up and set off for An Sithean. The path is sketchy for much of the way along the valley and wet. I headed for the "Throat of Mourning"- or Sorrow and took a steep deer path up by a succession of waterfalls to reach more level ground on the way towards An Sithean. It had turned into a lovely sunny morning with blue sky and I was glad to be out in the big open spaces. I watched some cloud come and settle on the Achnashellach hills and the tops of the Strathfarrar ones too. I returned to the tent, finding more of the path on this journey and had lunch by the tent, dried off after last night's rain by the sunshine. I packed up again and returned along Gleann Chorainn. I wasn't sure what to do now - the forecast was for heavy rain tonight and for a terrible day on Thursday.
A2394FCF-1E25-483C-87AE-C41543A3F190_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
8824A231-B902-42F8-84FB-9FFC6B2F50D6_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Up to the "Throat of Sorrow"
93243D7F-2473-46A3-9C53-586CF2E88E61_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
09B1CFB3-D2BB-4537-AA61-0EF63DCC072C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Climbing the Fairy Hill
CED1B8C9-04FF-4B8E-91DF-EBBFB16B5953_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
0BD3F70D-9F94-4775-BED8-3D7D500C52BE_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
An Sithean summit
142A516B-73F4-404C-9F4C-EA9688A3457A_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
AC3AF708-C429-4503-8F6A-14311D156367_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Mossy boulder
F862803A-9249-4573-9643-21435EE4ECB1_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
5641F860-C2EE-4C8B-A483-11D5B54B60CC_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
253263E1-4EAB-4059-8FD0-02A9C93451BE_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
37E33174-57FD-4CD7-8D32-39D30224869A by
Al, on Flickr
Kinlochewe or something up the A835? I decided to stop off at Little Wyvis on the way, whatever was to come next. I hadn't checked to route for Little Wyvis, as it's such a straightforward one, up a track the whole way. I had a route on my GPS which I assumed would be the right one, although I didn't remember starting from Ben Wyvis car park...oh well. As I walked along the excellent track towards Ben Wyvis, it became increasingly clear that this was not the route we'd taken (twice) before. I have no idea where it came from, but I was committed to it now. Across the Allt a'Bhealaich Mhoir and up the side of a forestry plantation/old fence (there was a vague path, so some people must use this route) then onto old and unmaintained track high up on Little Wyvis, that I will describe as a linear swamp. Up to the summit, good views around then back down, avoiding as much of the swamp-path as possible. At least it had been quite quick at two and a half hours.
Little Wyvis
96D5921B-D1DF-4AFE-9051-FBAF7311097B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Big Brother
AB8E4689-E1E5-4F88-8399-B1854FE08A50_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
284867EB-F0A4-412E-B50E-1453DEAFEB92_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
46D35407-A1BD-49F3-AA2C-5C386AC7E842 by
Al, on Flickr
It was now six pm and I needed to decide where I was going. In a flash of inspiration I decided to try the campsite at Ardmair Point which would let me do Cut Mor/Beag on Thursday, where stalking wasn't a problem. I got to the campsite just before reception shut at 7, was delighted to find I could get a space for 2 nights for a tenner a night and promptly went and pitched on the tent field, which wasn't busy, unlike the rest of the site which was crammed with vans. More Huel then my bedtime book. Heavy rain overnight, making me glad I was in the bigger tent. Claggy morning, wet and misty. I drove the 7 miles to the parking for Cul Mor near Knockan Crags and set off into the mirk, unable to see any hills at all. The rain was heavy for the first hour, the paths more like rivers. As I neared the aptly named Fliuch-Choire I could hear a solitary stag roaring nearby, louder perhaps in the mist. I continued on up towards the summit, protected from the wind by my direction of travel...it was moderately blowy at the summit, but no more than that. As I descended I spotted the stag, standing in a small Lochan, roaring to himself. As I approached the clag lifted a bit and he noticed me. The roaring stopped and he watched me intently. Not moving. My path took me near the side of the Lochan. I looked at him, he looked at me. All very primal. I decided to give him a little wider berth than the path allowed, and passed by, still being watched.
Cul Mor is there...somewhere
8A56415B-CECC-4578-9899-FEB376EE6979_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
I don't think so...
B9E805A2-40A2-407C-8F91-5AA9489AC99C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
1E83E403-2297-4A29-8044-75D291F860F6_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
19A91918-9583-46DD-A243-032037BBF3BC_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Stag in Lochan
E5759125-2639-4A22-B83B-CD8C42D94B0F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
CA39C1E0-2089-4894-BDA4-578CD6A41249_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
A familiar profile
9C035648-568F-4E2B-A972-4E6A86407C50_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Cul Beag
9642FD79-8E07-4B66-ADC8-2E29CEB4194B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Cul Mor
D351670D-C537-4C42-B22E-6C217496E65A_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
B97B945D-CE88-41CA-BF21-F62D90A499FE by
Al, on Flickr
I returned to the car, having stopped for lunch along the way. I noted that my Mountain Equipment jacket, which I'd just washed and re-proofed was not behaving in a very water-resistant manner - my shirt was quite damp. I got to thinking I need a replacement before the winter rains come - it's one thing getting wet through one's jacket in autumn, but another in the middle of Winter. I reckoned, being an old git now, that something Paramo would be right for the job and I decided I'd have a look at their range when I got back home. The weather was now improving - by which I mean I could actually see some hills. Like Suilven. And Canisp. Although I was intending to do Cut Beag as well, I decided to do this as a separate walk, as the route joining the two hills up is quite tough and there's a river crossing, which would be challenging perhaps today. So I drove a couple of km along the road to the start of the Beag walk, still had a bit of a wade at the stream which feeds Lochan Fada, but had the pleasure of a more-or-less path with marker cairns all the way to the summit. On the way I checked my emails and found that I had an email from Paramo about its new Alta iii jacket. Exactly what I was thinking about an hour before...co-incidence or spying on my thoughts? I think the latter...I decided I would just get one there and then, and found a good deal in The Green Welly's online store - didn't even know they had one. So my thought-stealers had won...
6DD3C10A-045B-495B-B815-49D2D326EE4F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Walking along the path up to Creag Dhubh I kept looking over to the mass of peaks that is Ben More Coigach which was particularly impressive, making me salivate with the though t of getting in there and climbing them again. I was prepared for the sting in the tail of climbing Meall Dearg then having to drop 100m before ascending the last 200m to the top of Cul Beag. I was able to sit at the summit and have a coffee with no more than a breeze ruffling my beard, in stark contrast to the 50mph winds I'd been told to expect by MWIS and the MetOffice. It had been a really good day - the rain just started as I walked the last couple of hundred metres to the car.
2A42E34B-EFE3-431E-8CA5-5BF4F6A0F5F5_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Ben More Coigach & pals
CEE99054-A6DC-471D-A8FC-9007831A5A63_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
BC27003A-03D6-444F-B2BB-CF3A57A078B2_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
481F495F-617F-4DE3-A492-7FE4FA1F437D_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Summit Cul Beag and diminutive Stac Pollaidh
5B5553ED-679C-476A-823B-F3EF9BADB430_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
F7114C8C-60F1-4284-8F23-CDDAD662A7A6_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
AA46B522-ED93-426A-91E9-1AB6B933FC18_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
287365C7-AF6D-411C-9666-48F947EE37F0 by
Al, on Flickr
Before returning to the campsite I headed to Tesco in Ullapool to see if there was any variation on my diet of Huel. There was, but sadly I had't brought any cooking equipment other than my jetboil. I bought a cauliflower curry pasty and a couple of sandwiches for the morrow as well as some alcohol free beer and a bottle of Laphroaig (not alcohol-free). A hot shower at the campsite, which looked almost deserted tonight, food then a walk along the beach before the drizzle started. What's not to like.
I'd arranged to meet with Allison at Braemore Junction at 10am on Friday, so I had plenty time to sort out rucksacks, make sandwiches etc before leaving. I thought we could do Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich on Friday, then the Beinn Dearg lot and Seana Bhraigh on Sat/Sun to fit in with stalking issues. Friday turned out to be a much nicer day than expected, with no rain and some sunshine. I'd drawn up a route into Beinn Liath Mhor using a track from Droma Dam, intending to fit in Beinn Liath Beag too (and at the back of my mind Beinn Liath Mhor Ghuibhais Li too, but that didn't happen). We walked along the track for a while, looking for a way across the river and eventually choosing a place after it had bifurcated - still a boots off job. Then up the steepish grassy sides of the mountain, taking deer tracks where possible. On the way down we skirted along to the north of the crags and picked up a path with footprints on it and occasional cairns. Then over to the Simm of Beinn Liath Bheag, which involves more than 100m re-ascent. It's almost a Graham! Rather than have to cross the river again we headed straight for the track. Good thinking! We were almost back at the car when another vehicle pulled up - a Polish family out for a walk. I noticed a package on the front of my car, underneath the windscreen-wiper - at first I thought the Poles had put it there, but that hadn't...it was a nicely wrapped deli sandwich (BLT so no use to us), a chocolate bar and a bottle of sparkling water. I admitted to mystification, and offered it to the Poles who accepted when they realised we weren't going to eat it due to being vegan.
B57AF630-6818-45BE-832B-563EDC02E71E_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
78528525-EC79-4820-8157-67DD409AB397_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich
52BC6183-843B-4053-B8E4-DAFBA214B48C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
7D5437E0-D524-4288-A1F0-4C37AC6EEC7C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
6FD3FF33-86CD-41D4-9F45-4303AE3BE403_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Beinn Liath Bheag
B81D16A8-685E-4874-9AE1-BD2CC705DE46_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
97AE4FE9-DBA1-4635-8B05-DAF28881A0CB by
Al, on Flickr
We pitched the tent nearby and had another night of rain. But in the bigger tent, that wasn't a problem. Packed up and drove a few miles north to Inverlael. We'd head up by the River Lael and do Beinn Dearg first, then the others in an anticlockwise direction, leaving Seana Bhraigh for Sunday. Nothing to see except mist, drizzle and waterfalls. By the time we got to Lochan Uaine it was pretty miserable. Leaving our packs, we found the wall and started up Beinn Dearg, being lashed by rain and wind all the way to the top and back down again. I had hoped to do the Simm of Creag a'Choire Ghranda, to the south of the summit of Beinn Dearg, this involved almost 4km and 400m ascent - that wasn't going to be happening today. We collected our packs and headed over the short distance to the beginning of Cons' Mheall, left our packs again and started up. Surprisingly the clag cleared and we got some views down into Coire Granda and Coire Lair, always an impressive place to see, one I'd not be against walking into one day.
C2B25DDE-8367-45F8-A9E1-B5F32320E852_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
3A29D58C-AFEC-49F2-8FE0-16EEDBE9AE5C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
We thought this looked like a smiling Jabba the Hut
DA162640-024E-492E-8805-F41C60413C3E_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Beinn Dearg
C430C309-D483-4293-8D29-E736A51321E1_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
6C01FC78-D220-4299-B21E-34DD4F59A61D_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
635D0C91-D6F4-4C8A-A195-6792EC68C8C7_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Beinn Dearg and the Simm that got away, from Cona' Mheall
946D2FA8-9137-4203-BB60-5D334B6E631B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
F45C533B-545F-46D5-B493-571C6CD5AD88_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
34DA22ED-63D8-4A50-9606-929DEFF6DDAD_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
We returned to Lochan Uaine and set off for Meall nan Ceapraichean, an unassuming Munro, "the Hill of the Hobbits" or something. Undramatic whichever direction you approach from. Coming off Ceann Garbh was a different matter however - it looked quite different heading down than I remember it looking going the other way. It was getting on now, the wind strengthening and due to get worse overnight. I really wasn't sure where we'd pitch - did we try to find something before Eididh nan Clach Geala or head over towards Ca'-Dearg...I wasn't sure we had time for that. I managed to find a slightly soggy spot beside a wee lochan that was semi-sheltered from the wind. It worked out alright as it happened.
Ceapraichean
B1BEB53A-5792-40D8-A9B3-3D66682E405B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
197346BC-17EA-421D-A23E-74D8B50F5865_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Eididh
0DDC92AB-A492-4966-882E-CF11A8DC6CE5_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
CBAD5FCA-6C82-4793-8D76-4D6940BA4F82_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
On Sunday morning we continued the short distance to Eididh nan Clach Geala then the interminable bogginess heading over to the Gate of Ca'-Dearg. In the clag. And the wind/drizzle. I wondered just how bad it would be at the top of Seana Bhraigh, remembering the steep cliffs off to the east of the summit cairn. We squelched our way along, meeting no other souls, passed some waterfalls where the water was either horizontal or rising vertically due to the wind. The wind was strong but not overpowering as we reached the final slope up to the top and we were especially thankful for the existence of the wind shelter there, which allowed us enough respite to stop for a bag of crisps before setting off down again. Like on Beinn Dearg, there was a Simm to the east of Seana Bhraigh that I'd hoped to pick up - one we'd missed last time round, but it was no weather for dithering about in. We went off-beam a bit on the return leg, misled by the existence of different paths and cairns in the clag. We did finally manage to right ourselves and join the path that becomes a track - eventually. It's a fair walk back (we've only ever walked in this way and camped both times) but its all downhill and - other than the frequent showers - I didn't have much to complain about. We got back to the car just before 3.30pm and for a change got a good run down the A9 (apart from a road closure which took us all the way through the centre of Perth). In all, not a bad week for being away, I was fairly pleased with what I'd got done this week despite the challenges of the autumn weather.
Towards Seana Bhraigh
9E54A651-302B-4BA1-9BD3-4E7B936769EB_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
You have to imagine the wind, blowing left to right...
DF59D731-EB40-419A-B839-C6D783A934B6_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Says it all!
9D762373-C8F3-4AF2-A1D8-A64D863F1F88_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
71EB3A75-158C-41FA-92B5-FB7DCD2CC8F9 by
Al, on Flickr
.