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I got precious little sleep in A'Chuil bothy. Luna had clearly decided that up on the sleeping platform with me was a better option than the floor in front of the fire and then spent much of the night trying to create a space to occupy between my legs to lie in comfort.
I nipped out at 5am to answer an urgent call of nature and didn't particularly like what I saw. It was wall to wall grey behind a curtain of thick drizzle. I retreated back to the sleeping platform after a quick check of the fire confirmed that it was pretty much dead and seemingly beyond resuscitation.
A few hours later and I was back up getting coffee and porridge on the go. The weather looked like it had picked up marginally with signs that the sun was at least going to make some sort of effort again today to burn through. After packing up, sweeping out, taking the spade for a walk in the trees and bidding farewell to Ryan, we were off through the flat boggy meadows in front of the bothy heading back to the rickety old footbridge, from where we climbed up onto the track and turned right for the walk back out to the car.
I had decided last night (the decision being apparently vindicated at 5am this morning) to give Sgurr na Ciche and Garbh Cioch Mhor a miss today in favour of the Corbett of Fraoch Bheinn. More faffing around on Corbetts, procrastinating and time wasting on my efforts to hit 22 new Munros in 2022. However, there was reason and a cunning plan behind my thinking. Apart from the fact that the weather still looked to be in the balance, I had cooked up a plan last night as I perused the OS sheet by headtorch light to do these two Munros via a kayak trip down Loch Quoich. Whether it will be sometime in 2022 or after that remains to be seen.
Looking back across the meadow to A'ChuilFraoch Bheinn across the River DessaryThe bothy from that bridgeOff the hill path and onto the track at the house at Upper GlendessaryLooking back to Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidhBack at the car I pulled my little daypack out from inside the big overnight pack and proceeded to retrace my steps back past Strathan and into Glen Dessary to the point where the Right of Way signposted for Tomdoun branches off and climbs up beside the Dearg Allt on its way between Fraoch Bheinn and Sgurr Mhurlagain into the depths of Glen Kingie.
The grassy track rose steeply and round a few sharp bends before I was forced to pull myself away from it and take to the steep, pathless, rugged terrain of the southern spur of Fraoch Bheinn.
Up Glen DessaryI do believe Luna has managed to achieve lift off!!!???The views soon opened up in most directions, west up Glenn Dessary, east down Loch Arkaig, south across the Glenfinnan hills and north up the relentless broad Corbett ridge.
East - Loch Arkaig and Mullach Coire nan Geur-oireanSouth - Streap, Glenfinnan Munros, Monadh Gorm and the long ridge running up to Carn MorNorth - Dog thinking "Stop taking photos and hurry up you ridiculous two-legged fool!"West - Up Glen Dessary to Carn Mor and Bidein a'ChabhairAll was well with the world, at least around these parts it was! My knees were not cracking up under the stress of a steep, rough descent (no doubt that would come later!), the 5am rain was a distant memory, the weather was experiencing its best spell of the past 24 hours and my situation was altogether more satisfactory and appealing than it usually is at this time of a Monday morning!
Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh - flashback to yesterdayAcross the western extremity of Loch Arkaig to Gaor Bheinn and Braigh nan Uamhachan - two hills that owe me a more favourable return visitBraigh nan Uamhachan, Streap and Sgurr ThuilmRidge narrowingSgurr Mhurlagain and the long arc of Loch ArkaigLuna loving life in the hillsNot too shabby for a Monday morningSgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh and Knoydart peaks beyondThe money shot from just below the summitThe cairn was eventually reached with the weather looking like it was about to let me down. A bit of low cloud was starting to barrel in from the west and the temperature was dropping. The joys of hill walking in April in Scotland!
Summit looking northSummit looking southSummit looking westSummit looking at an old geezer with dodgy knees and a dog with her arse in the airFrom the summit I figured the best course of action was to drop as quickly and directly as possible more or less due east into the glen running from Strathan north north east into Glen Kingie. It might be steep and brutal as far as my knees were concerned, but it should be fairly short and sharp. As I left the summit spring suddenly became winter and a series of April showers blew in and out, back in and back out again, seemingly alternating every couple of minutes between spring and winter.
Gairich and Sgurr MhurlagainLoch Arkaig across the southern ridge of Sgurr MhurlagainNorth across the Sgurr an Fhuarain/Gairich bealach to the northern arm of Loch Quoich and Gleouraich with the South Glen Shiel Ridge beyondAnother squall passing away down Loch Arkaig and the crags below which I had just tried to take shelter from itSgurr Mhurlagain now wearing a slight dusting of whiteAnother squall sweeping in from Glen KingieAnd back to glorious spring sunshineNext squall about to hitEventually made it back down into the glen and the weather calmed itself down. Flat and easier going on the knees but a monumental bog trot in places. The grassy/boggy track eventually joined up with a more substantial track that led down to the Tomdoun RoW signpost and then back past the old barracks to the car at the end of Loch Arkaig.
Fraoch Bheinn from the eastGaor Bheinn, Braigh nan Uamhachan and StreapThe Glenfinnan gangDropping back down alongside the Dearg Allt into the glenThen it was just a case of facing the rollercoaster Loch Arkaig road and the rest of the 3 hour journey back home to face the music of a new term and ponder where on earth all these Munros that I'm supposed to be doing this year are going to come from. And to dream about one day kayaking down Loch Quoich to reach Sgurr na Ciche and Garbh Cioch Mhor.
