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An Teallach has always been a special mountain for me. Such an impressive sight, the cherry on the icing of the cake of the northwest highlands. It was where we completed our Munros, back in 2014 and also, a year later, where I completed my Tops. So a return visit is always welcome.
I'd had a busy week, with little time to plan anything. The weather didn't look to be too great anywhere, though Friday seemed alright. I made a few routes and asked Allison what she felt up for, as I picked her up on Thursday afternoon - a loud round the countryside from Incheril or some single day walks with paths. She reckoned the latter might be wise, so An Teallach, here we come. Although she'd climbed it thrice, she still needed the Tops, so was quite happy to go along with a further ascent. A full traverse wasn't really on - last time we'd had Scoob & Fi for moral support getting up to Corrag Bhuidhe. So this time I thought we could head in from Dundonnell and do the two Munros and five of the Tops - this would mean we could pick off the remaining Tops at some later time, maybe when we do Beinn a'Chlaidheimh. We headed up on Thursday night as usual and camped near Braemore Junction, leaving a short drive to Dundonnell for Friday morning. Parking spaces were quite full at 7.30 but we got a place by the Mountain Rescue building and prepared to set off.
There is a clear track marked on the map that goes up Meall Garbh, but once again we found ourselves on a lower path going into the coire. Didn't really matter much - it's perhaps a bit boggier. We made to bealach with Sron a'Choire and set off out to Glas Mheall Mhor in the mist. Clouds were coming and going over the main peak and we half-hoped we might get it clear for our time along the pinnacles - half-hoped because part of me didn't mind if the clag was down and the resultant exposure dropping down to Loch Toll an Lochan was obscured, as it had been all these years ago. We returned to the main path and headed up Bidein a'Ghlas Thuill then dropped down to the eastern spur of Glas Mheall Liath. The initial section is quite intimidating in the mist as all you can see is a rocky tower, but we recalled from the last time we were here that you don't need to go over it. Out to the Top we went, I practiced a few scrambling moves over the rocky slabs (it's been a while, you know) then we paused for lunch. Allison heard some noises behind us - a person or a goat? She'd decided on the caprine option when a a tall, fit looking guy appears. "We thought you were a goat" she says to him. Not that that would be a bad thing up here. He'd done the traverse and was heading down from here.
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Al, on Flickr
Top of Bidein
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Al, on Flickr
Towards Glas Mheall Liath
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Fed, we continued back to Bidein, contouring round to the path that leads down to the bealach with Fiona (probably more bother than it's worth tbh). We met an English guy with his dog who had been out on the Fisherfields the day before and had headed up from Shenaval. He was making for the pub now. Onwards we went up the back of Fiona - there are so many "paths" up to the summit. Now it was Pinnacles time. I wasn't feeling great about this, but the conditions were good - dry rock and no significant wind. We headed out for Corrag Bhuidhe first - I'd marked the 1049 spot as our target and we made it up there after a fashion. I almost baled out, but knew if I did that I'd never complete my second Full House...It was easy enough to start with then a couple of slightly trickier moves. We could see a cairn on the next top along to the north of us...was that the higher spot? After making a bit of a meal getting down from the summit of whatever we'd gone to, I was in no mood to find out - "I'm not risking my life again" I growled to Allison as she scampered away up to the cairn...and then, of course, I followed her. Just as well, as this was the Top of Corrag Bhuidhe. Then it was up to Lord B's seat - which was easy enough, although I resisted the temptation to sit in his chair - touching it was quite enough for me
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Lord B's Seat
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Beinn Dearg
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Al, on Flickr
The tough stuff behind us, we returned to the bealach between Sgurr Fiona and Sgurr Creag an Eich. Now we had to go over this Top before heading out to Sail Mhor. I looked at the time - we'd already taken seven hours to do 12.5km - that was less than half the distance done. Just as well it's still light late into the evening. We headed west along the spur, reasonably easy going. I was traumatised (a little later on the top of Sail Mhor) to find that I'd walked past two Simms on this ridge. I need to do my research more efficiently. We headed down past Lochan Ruadh - there's a strange circular raised beach here. Sail Mhor looked a long way off still. And we were shedding metres of altitude rather too quickly for my liking. We made for the gully between Ruigh Mheallain and Sail Mhor, joining the standard route up. A fairly gentle pull up to the top which we reach around 6.30pm. We knew the way down by the river to Ardessie, although the path seems more eroded each time we travel it.
Sgurr Creag nan Eich
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Sail Mhor off in the distance
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Al, on Flickr
Raised beach
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
When we'd done Sail Mhor after our completion, we'd left the car at Ardessie - no such luck tonight - we had another 5k to walk along the road this time. Having no idea where we'd pitch, we kept an eye out for possible spots along the roadside and found a couple of "it'll do at a pinch" spots. Having said that, the Dundonnell Hotel has grassy camping areas outside it - I don't know what they charge for using them, but inevitably it would involve a couple of pints as well, at the least... We drove back to one of the parking spots which had a camp-able area beside it and set up on a very bumpy surface in a small cloud of midges. We got our dinner at 9.20... both of us were really tired, almost (but not quite) too tired even for a nip of whisky.
The road was pretty quiet overnight but sleep eluded us despite the level of tiredness. Forecast for Saturday was good for the morning with rain coming in later on. I wanted to do the two Western Fannaichs today, which would take my remaining Munros down to a dozen. Would we include Groban? Time would tell. We drove back along to the usual parking area for these hills, passed an old guy who was waiting for a lift, having spent a lovely night,lying on grass he'd cut, in the boathouse (he didn't have a tent with him and said the midges didn't bother him as he smelt like a badger's arse
). Lots of people out fishing on the shores of Loch Bhraoin, some playing music...We started up to Sgurr Break, described as "a faint path" in the WH description but now something of a motorway (or at least a trunk road) - such is the effect of having a route description online. We weren't complaining however. We've not done these as just a pair before - first time was a five-for, then we did all nine, so this would be a nice short day. Unless we did Groban... Blue skies as we headed over the wet plateau of Toman Choinnich (surely a mis-transcribed name that...Tom a'Choinnich, no?) but clouds coming down as we started towards Sgurr Breac. Making the summit with quite a cold wind buffeting us, we paused for lunch before descending. Several folk passed by on their way up as we headed for A'Chailleach. We'd not taken water with us today, intent=ding to fill up along the way, but there weer no streams that we'd passed so far and we were nearly drinking from puddles...
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Sgurr Breac
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Al, on Flickr
A'Chailleach
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Allison wasn't in the mood for a wander over Groban, which really didn't trouble me as I also needed Creag Rainich, so we'll save them both for another day. We decided to descend to Loch Toll an Lochain to pick up some water, which was much appreciated, but hen decided to head back up to the ascent route as we both remembered the WH route from A'Chailleach to Loch Bhraoin as pretty grim. The rain had started by now and we debated what to do...we could go back to the car and collect our gear and walk along towards Lochivraon (or even risk the bothy) and do Rainich and Groban tomorrow, or we could head back to the pitch we'd used on Thursday night and do Beinn Enaiglair instead. We met a couple from East Lothian who were enjoying their weekend and were also pondering what to do tomorrow - but they had a van to shelter them. We opted for the easier option, not fancying another 8km along the loch side in the rain.
We were pitched by 5pm and had the luxury of the slightly bigger tent. Quite a lot of rain overnight, but we did get some sleep despite this. Forecast for Sunday wasn't great and the clouds were down when we set off. I'd decided we'd do the WH route for Enaiglair - both times we'd been up before we'd used the track up Bealach nam Buthan and gone over Meall Doire Faid. This time we'd take the track round the NW of Enaiglair. This was actually quite pleasant, although the track is boggy in places. The ascent is very gradual, so that you've gained 500m without really noticing it by the time you turn to go up the zigzags. Summit reached we headed down towards Loch Feith nam Cleireach and met up with the track again. As we were passing by Meall Doire Faid I felt an urge to head up - although I've not decided whether I'll try for a third round of Grahams (still have 58 to do in my second) I knew I'd be annoyed with myself if I passed this opportunity up - it's a mere half km and 150m to the summit from the track. Even Allison said she was coming up too. Some not very pleasant slippy mossy boulders to clamber over but yay!
On our previous visits we've cut down over the SW shoulder of Faid to get back to the track, but it's not a very pleasant descent that way, so we rejoined the path we'd left and took the slower but much nicer option. Back at the car we now had several hours driving ahead of us, with a weather warning for heavy rain. But it had been a not bad weekend
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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