Munro Two Hundred and Thirty Four

[Chris Henshall]

Thursday, 14th. July:
Having failed to reach Kinbreak from Invermallie over Gulvain on Tuesday, Alex and I opted for an easy Wednesday, heading to Kinbreak over the Feith a' Chicheanais from Glen Dessary in poor but improving weather - a move which provided an afternoon opportunity for Alex to wander up Fraoch Bheinn. His photos (below) made me regret that I hadn't gone with him.

Glen Kingie and Kinbreak from Fraoch Bheinn (13.07.2022.)

Looking up to the north top of Fraoch Bheinn (13.07.2022.)

Glen Kingie and Gairich from Fraoch Bheinn (13.07.2022.)

As our progress had slowed, we had realised that Glen Shiel (and Cluny) were out of reach over the hills which we wanted to climb in the time we had available so decided to climb Gairich on Thursday and then head out to Glenfinnan on Friday. We managed to pick four or five hours of good weather in which to wander up Gairich and enjoyed some superb views to the west before getting back to the bothy just before the rain set in for the next sixteen hours or so; we even managed a small fire by virtue of some exposed bog wood scavenged from the Kingie floodplain as we returned. I spent the late afternoon sketching our route in the bothy book using a weird perspective in which the scale increased with distance from the viewer...

Glen Kingie and Kinbreak from the western shoulder of Gairich (14.07.2022.)

Alex on the summit of Gairich (14.07.2022.)

Route description in the Kinbreak Bothy Book (14.07.2022.)

As we were hoping to return to the Laggan Lochs earlier rather than later, Alex and I were away relatively early on the Friday morning - which meant mist and rain as we crossed the Feith a' Bhrolaich to Strathan - but the weather improved as we moved south and, by the time we reached the monument, railway viaduct and crowds of people in Glenfinnan, we were able to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a lunchtime drink on the lawns of the Glenfinnan House Hotel. This seemed appropriate as my brother and I had finished a lengthy trip through the Highlands at the same hotel in the summer of 1982, forty years previously. (Go to https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=48347 if interested.)

Descending to Strathan (15.07.2022.)

Better weather approaching the bealach at the head of Gleann a' Chaorainn (15.07.2022.)

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Next Report: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=118783.