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So far this year weather was rather chaotic, changing from cold and crispy in the first days of January to ridiculous +10/+12*C later in the month. February hit us with multiple storms and gale force winds. Then last weekend, we experienced a short blast of snowy conditions, the return of winter wonderland. This of course didn't last. Forecast for tomorrow (Saturday the 26th) in Beauly: +10*C once again. The world weather has gone crazy
If it was only weather, I'd get over it. But yesterday morning, we woke up to a new reality with war in Europe starting before our very eyes. I know Walkhighlands is a hillwalking page not a political forum and it is not my intention to start a political debate here, just describing my own thoughts and feelings. For many of you, this conflict is a distant problem, happening thousands of miles away. I spent an hour yesterday trying to convince my panicked mum that she is safe and Toruń will nor be bombarded tomorrow. Thankfully, Poland is a member of NATO, but older people like my parents, who lived through the old regime, have their own subconscious fears - an understandably so. I simply didn't know how to cheer her up; actually, all I was saying sounded empty and meaningless...
Therefore it is a strange feeling, looking at myself smiling to the camera lens only a few days ago. I admit I was naive enough to believe this whole political storm would blow over without any serious consequences - well, I was proven wrong
I'm still hopeful though, that the situation will go back to normal. Or sort-of normal.
OK, from now on I will concentrate on the walk itself. Always good to cheer myself up with positive memories. I really need it now.
Saturday the 19th was a beautiful, quiet, sunny day with fresh snow covering Scottish hills, creating that sort of winter wonderland usually seen in Narnia movies. We knew this was the day to climb our first serious mountain in 2022 - I was sick of Sub-2000ers! Looking for something relatively close to home and with good room for parking (with a serious dump of snow we wanted to avoid leaving Taylor on a dodgy road verge) and my eyes fell on Braemore junction. It's one of our favourite areas for shorter winter walks; Corbett Beinn Enaiglair and its lower neighbour, Meall Doire Faid, a Graham, not to mention multiple bumps and TUMPs around Coire Leacachain. The full circuit of the above mentioned corrie including both the Graham and the Corbett is a perfect walk for a longer day, we did it
in 2019. Today, we decided to climb Beinn Enaiglair only and it would be my third visit to this Corbett (Kevin's fourth).
The idea was to start from Braemore junction car park and climb directly up the western ridge of Beinn Enaiglair, descending the opposite side of the hill and returning via Bealach nam Buthan. Any hopes of adding Meall Doire Faid were abandoned as soon as we knew how deep the snow was today. Suffice to say, it took us 7 hours to do the Corbett only. Well, we didn't exactly hurry ourselves up as weather was glorious and we stopped every five minutes for photos (took over 400 on two cameras!). In summer conditions, this smaller traverse shouldn't take longer than 5 hours:
Starting from the car park by Braemar junction:
Initially, we followed the WH route to Home Loch. There is a new fenced-off area (some kind of natural forest regeneration project) but gates for walkers are provided. We took the old ATV track along the edge of the older woodland - and had to search for the second gate
before we could continue towards the loch.
- The wrong ATV track!
Kevin spotted a large herd of deer (mostly hinds) on the lower slopes of Meall Doire Faid. "The ladies club" he said
Views were fantastic from the very start, we only gained 50m and we already had a great view to the Fannichs:
An Teallach and Home Loch:
The snow was getting deeper as we continued towards the slopes of Beinn Enaiglair. Allt a'Chumhainn was not in spate, thankfully, and we had no problems crossing.
- White, white...
By the time we reached the stream, we lost the path under the snow; it made no difference as we were the first people on this route today.
We located the branch of the stalkers path circling Beinn Enaiglair; the idea was to contour around for about 1km and the climb the western ridge of the Corbett to the lower top (856m):
- Kevin on a mission
The Fannichs and Home Loch from above:
Braemore and the western Fannichs:
We didn't last on the path for as long as initially planned. After a few hundred metres, I was fed up with fighting the deep snow and suggested, if we are struggling just as well struggle uphill! Kevin didn't mind...
- Looks easy enough!
Snow was everywhere: from the fields of Strath More to the tops of An Teallach:
Kevin soon discovered that it was deeper than he anticipated...
...and he used every excuse to take a break to rest. He managed some good panos as a result
Zoom to An Teallach:
Despite the hard work with dragging my feet out of the white stuff, I was more than happy! We had done some good festive hillwalking during the Christmas period but even then the snow was nowhere near as deep. Shame this was not destined to last long...
- Panther in white!
We noticed a second herd of deer nearby. There was hardly any wind so they couldn't detect us. This group was exclusively male. "The gentlemen club" as Kevin called them
I had my eyes set on Beinn Dearg Mor - one of few listed hills in this area we still hadn't climbed:
Beinn a'Chlaidheimh - another one still on the list:
The more distant Torridon mountains can be seen through the gap between the Fannichs and the Fisherfields, but they are partially covered by Groban and Beinn Bheag:
Ben More Coigach and Ullapool:
Our progress was slow - too slow to my liking. I tried to charge at faster pace but the ground was getting steeper and I quickly run out of breath
Between 600 and 700m the ground is not only steeper but also more bouldery. In normal (summer) circumstances this would be no issue for us, but finding way through the field of wobbly stones when they are covered in snow can be tricky...
- Which way?
I left trail breaking to Kevin, staying behind him and taking the easy option
Loch a'Bhraoin and Slioch:
Cul Mor and Cul Beag:
The final 100m to the lower top were less steep and having arrived by the cairn, we felt like we had climbed at least a thousand metres - actually it was less than 500m from the circular path.
View south from the lower top:
Kevin posing with An Teallach behind:
The true summit is only a short walk away, no difficulties on the final stage:
Beinn Dearg and Bac na Faire:
After another photo break on the lower top, we strolled casually to the true summit, where Lucy posed for her traditional cairn photo (not a new hill for her but she insisted
):
Beinn Enaiglair is one of the best viewpoints in the area, especially to the south and west; the eastern side is blocked by Beinn Dearg, but to the south-east, Ben Wyvis and Little Wyvis can be seen:
An Teallach is definitely the one shape that draws most attention... Seen here with the lower top of Beinn Enaiglair in the foreground:
View south with Meall Doire Faid in the centre:
The Fannichs panorama:
We spent nearly half an hour on the summit; simply found it hard to move on and leave such wonderful views behind...
Our descent route followed the SE ridge down in the direction of Loch Feith nan Cleirach. Snow was deep in places, but we also encountered windswept areas where vegetation was hardly covered:
Down in Bealach nam Buthan, the white cover was quite deep, but we encountered a line of broken trail, left by a pair of walkers climbing up from the bealach (we saw them in the distance but they were too far to shout greetings). "We are in luck" Kevin said "We can follow these footprints down."
- Footprints! Hooray!
An Teallach seen through the gap of Bealach nam Buthan:
This big boulder sits right in the middle of the bealach:
The sky clouded over as we descended but we didn't mind it now... We had the feeling of a day well spent
I was once told that mountains have the ability to "clean your soul" and there is so much truth to this. A perfect day spent in the white world of Scottish hills is something to remember, to treasure forever. Who knows when we will get another chance with weather so unsettled? All I can do is hope. Hope that the sun will shine again for all of us. In every sense and meaning.