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Hill no. 105 - Graham no. 20:
Carn a' Chaochain from Cougie in Glen Affric with Kids (9, 11, 17 yo.)Stats:Total distance - 9.6 km
Total time - 6h00m
Walking time - 3h00m
Altitude gain - 440 m
Terrain:0.6 km - good forestry track
2.2 km - old forest track, a bit overgrown, boggy in some places
2.4 km - ATV track, indistinct in some places, a few boggy and soggy places
4.4 km - pathless, mostly boggy and soggy, a few peat hags, shorter heather
This was a proper Scottish hill for birthday - good track, overgrown track, indistinct track, pathless, boggy, soggy, windy... We were just missing the rain and the midges
.
The best approach to the graham is from Cougie.
We parked at a junction by the sheds at Cougie:
Start of the walk:
After about 300 m we left the forestry track at this place, at a small cairn (in the circle), and continued on the old forest track:
The old track was a bit overgrown and especially in the lower section boggy in some places:
Upper part of the track:
A monster
at the track
:
Looking west from the track:
When we came out of the forest we reached the gate in the deer fence:
Behind the gate, the track was indistinct and boggy in many places:
The highest point of the track at Bealach Fèith na Gamhna is marked by white rock (red arrow). At this place we left the ATV track and continued pathless. The ground was soggy in many places. There was a mix of grass and shorter heather, mostly grass, a few peat hags. We walked first straightforward to the Loch Càrn a' Chaochain:
Looking NW - Sub2000
Creag Dhubh, Munro Toll Creagach and Graham
Beinn a'Mheadhoin:
Lochan heart
:
Another Lochan - Ghost?
:
Loch Càrn a' Chaochain. From the loch we continued directly to the summit - the southern top:
Conni on the top. Looking NW - Glen Affric Munros:
1 - Càrn Eige
2 - Tom a' Chòinich
3 - Toll Creagach
Conni on the top. Looking NNE, towards the triangulation pillar (red arrow) on the northern top:
At the top we celebrated the 9th birthday of our youngest daughter
.
Cake on the summit
:
From the summit we walked to the triangulation pillar on the northern top.
Birthday balloon on my backpack
:
Triangulation pillar on the northern top.
Looking WNW - Glen Affric Munros:
1 - Màm Sodhail
2 - Càrn Eige
3 - Tom a' Chòinich
From the trig pillar we headed to Loch Càrn a' Chaochain and from there we more or less retraced our steps.
A bit of snow:
Back on the highest point of the ATV track (Bealach Fèith na Gamhna):
On the way home, lambs crossed our way and played together on the road: