Tired in Torridon

[weaselmaster]

For the last few weeks I've not been feeling 100%. Easily tired, muscle aches. Not sure if it started when I had some sort of bug a month ago, maybe it's been the heat too. I had a busy day through at the Edinburgh Festival on Tuesday, walking through the garbage filled city, then some hard work in the garden on Wednesday. Allison was up in Torridon on a week's holiday and I thought I'd head up and catch her at the end of it - especially as the weather was threatening to be quite good. We'd arranged that I'd meet up with her on Friday morning, which meant I could do something on my own on the Thursday. Having all the Corbetts and almost all the Grahams still to do up here meant that I had plenty of choice.

I couldn't face an early start on Thursday morning, so I decided to leave after 9.30 when the traffic would have cooled, meaning - with a short stop for lunch - I'd arrive in Kinlochewe around 3. Time enough for a smallish hill then. I decided upon Beinn a'Chearcaill, which Allison had already done twice. We'd first climbed Chearcaill towards the end of our mammoth "Graham Harvest" back in February 2017, in adverse weather. Today was much nicer, although some rain was forecast to come in around 5pm. I was hoping I'd get good views from this particular summit. Last time the Hydro was in construction - good to see it's been finished off and "muted" in terms of its impact now. I parked up from the cottage driveway on the old road, got a bit lost trying to find the suggested "path" to the start of the stalkers path, but after that it was all plain sailing.

2022-08-25_1456 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The track has a clear cairn marking where one turns up into the coire, and the path up there isn't bad either. When you come out of Coire Briste it's more a matter of following deer tracks, although there are some cairns here and there. A brief rain shower caused a rainbow looking over to Slioch. Of course, the main feast for the eye here is the incredible geography of Beinn Eighe - the twin coires of Mhic Fhearchair and Ruadh Staca separating Sail Mhor and Ruadh Stac-Mor. The views just keep on improving until you get to the sandstone pavement that marks the top of Chearcaill. Cloud had come down to sit on the very tops of the mountains, but the sight was still an impressive one. Having drunk my fill I started off down again, more or less the way I'd come up, although I did drop down to the Hydro track on the last section. Partly to make it easier underfoot, partly to see if there were any camping spots (there weren't). I returned to th car, drove up the road a little to one of the parking areas, where I found an ideal little spot by the loch, far enough away from the road to be quiet. Sat on the loch side rocks to eat my tea, a light breeze keeping the midges at bay. The sun was beginning to set up to the west end of the loch and created some pretty colours. After watching it burn away as it fell, I retreated indoors, read my book and was almost too tired to drink my whisky

156B72FF-82A8-43AE-8543-EAF75222426E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

FCCB8748-B0F7-4727-AC59-34CEA3FD8735_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

F33D5CDA-38AC-4237-8568-712E1E79A2A6_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

7E3E492A-42B5-4C1B-93BD-99DA44908BCD_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

5D2E01CE-3473-4FC3-827D-A59BFC370B4B_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

A707C6CD-9344-45E6-8DA0-8B6CEAB7806B by Al, on Flickr

D8D46F07-1CDD-4251-A90B-FDF4D3CC661F_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

7B2B83CB-FA44-48DB-B686-F2A1C579FE13_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

67374186-794E-42E4-A48D-50F765AD3B80_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

A353B959-4CDA-4F0C-A06E-2254AD41B9B2_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

91841A19-C6B5-4485-B3C6-45C5976DD437_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Had a reasonable night's sleep and headed along to the cottage Allison was in just after 9. I'd been thinking what would be the best things to do - decided on the pair of Corbetts to the south of Glen Torridon: deciding to do them this time from Loch Clair, a new approach for me.

2022-08-26_0935 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The day was promising - blue skies and warm sunshine. There's space for maybe half a dozen cars at the parking spot leading down o Coulin Lodge. As we walked along Loch Clair the water was perfectly still and there were splendid reflections of Liathach and Sgurr Dubh. We crossed the bridge between lochs Clair and Coulin, walked through the various buildings around the Lodge, managed to ignore the turn for the right track which required a little backtracking, then found ourselves on the stalkers path that winds its way towards the bealach between Sgurr Dubh and Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine. At the end of the track there's a stone shelter of sorts, presumably for deer sighting. We followed one of the many streams up into the bealach, being gifted tremendous views of Liathach and Beinn Eighe as we climbed.

992FDC0A-9384-453F-B60F-79FF93E537BC_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

1761EE6F-61C3-433A-9929-FCBDC82D6551_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

F8A39DF2-0935-486E-A0D3-2B9FBF576C98_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

158A6CCA-8717-4751-A1DC-869F7E5C667D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

5E17C217-5931-4022-8336-B469EBCFB061_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

2C0027F5-A698-4381-BE61-31B7C2A7BFB7_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

1FAB8A4F-0961-426B-9781-DD6DE390D967_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

3A199455-AC27-4076-86C1-4FE568AAC4CA_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

From the summit of Uaine we looked over to the other Torridon hills, including the triumvirate of Maol Chean-Dearg, An Ruadh-Stac and Beinn na h'Eaglise; one of the few places that you can complete Munros, Corbetts and Grahams all in a 25k single outing. Not that I would be thinking about that at all We took the traditional route across to Sgurr Dubh - by this time I was flagging a fair bit. Perhaps it was the heat - we made sure to top up on water when we found it. I was slow up the rough path to the summit, but a bit faster on the scree run back down into Coire an Leth Uillt. Allison descended more tentatively - the scree was mostly large chunks rather than nice small stones. We made our way back along the glen and considered what to do now...

00D40996-BC85-49F7-B19C-46B59F4D4DA7_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

DAB42A5D-62A0-4C84-92DF-20CD09E5F678_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

The Triumvirate - An Ruadh-Star on L, MCD right of it and Beinn na h'Eaglaise the rounded hill to the right of Beinn Damh
AB64155D-73B2-41D9-8C28-F312A18B1E47_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

D2BD6C09-353E-4D45-97B4-19D62AF3973A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

CF190A5A-C02B-46D5-8C4D-3B2D58C23BFF_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

F796303D-454B-4E66-9A83-60F5D13C2969_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

6B8834D6-6B68-4AE1-A654-80BF04F31B04_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

091767B4-B60F-462D-AA6B-2692FC4861FF_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

56CC2665-98DA-4541-8ADE-464A1CBDBC38_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

3BC0F9EB-FE48-4D01-AB91-77B3D8F4B949 by Al, on Flickr


I had thought of doing Baosbheinn and Beinn an Eoin from the north, meaning we could walk in to the Flowerdale Forest and try to camp somewhere, although from memory the terrain there isn't great for finding a pitch. But I had serious doubts whether I would have the energy to do those two. And anyway, the option of combining them with Beinn Dearg with a camp near Loch a'Bhealaich was more appealing, if I ever feel fully fit again. What else? well, Beinn nan Ramh would do - we could camp somewhere along the track and it's a gentle whaleback of a mountain. So we packed our gear into the big packs, drove along to incheril and set off into the early evening sunshine.

2022-08-26_1744 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

I'd wanted to get past the houses before we stopped for the night (actually I'd have loved to walk to the summit of Beinn nan Ramh which is an ideal spot to high camp, but realistically that wasn't on the cards). Midges were becoming a real annoyance as we walked along. There was almost no breeze. I spotted a small hillock to the north of the track and decided to try that out. Sadly, our approach wakened or summoned mos of the midges in Christendom, or so it seemed. The air was thick with dancing shimmering midges. We got the tent up and Allison suggested getting some dry twigs and setting them afire, hoping hat some smoke would dispel the hordes. I managed to find some suitable bits of dry wood, put these on a flat stone outside the tent door and set them alight - this did seem to help. We hastily got inside the tent and battened the hatches down, hoping for breeze in the morning.

No breeze came to our relief. Again I was feeling really tired and it took great effort to get out of bed at all. Not that knowing we'd have to face midge hell provided much incentive. Eventually the sun shining on the tent made it simply too hot to remain inside and we packed up and set off, sometime after 10. Along the track to Leckie, which I had a peep inside - I wasn't sure what it was, maybe an estate bothy, although there were holes in some of the floorboards. It wasn't locked, just secured with a wire and there were no signs of any sort...Anyway, the track runs up the hill behind Leckie and I found it slow going. Great views of Fionn Bheinn on our right, with an increasing number of Torridon/Fisherfield summits appearing as we walked on. The track continues over some peatland (which is presently being restored) and peters out at the bealach with Beinn nan Ramh. We stopped a little way up the flank of Ramh, had lunch and decided it would be better to leave the packs behind whilst we went to the summit. Even without my load I felt I was wailing through treacle and took what seemed like an eternity to reach the top, where Allison had been sitting for half the afternoon waiting on me.

Leckie
393F8ECC-066A-40F1-811C-4F33933F64BE_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Fionn Bheinn
E5CC3622-AE95-4343-8CF9-7B0FE5AA65C0_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Beinn nan Ramh
8DB61AB1-BD9B-4468-BAE9-DE1DB51C8E0A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Slioch
D037B95E-D656-4FA0-AF61-41F3BEAD0E54_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Allison waiting patiently at the summit
1E00042F-620C-4D25-8731-E3F0128BB63F_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

DCF218A1-0B22-42C7-BC61-43064A958F32_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Fisherfields
A1DDC4DC-0E1C-4376-B9E3-8627711160BF_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

So slow the grass is growing out of me
3B84D87A-95D0-48EE-B413-8B2EF05C6107 by Al, on Flickr


What now? Had I been feeling alright I might have fancied heading north west down to the Chadha-Bhuidhe, camping somewhere by the Allt and climbing Groban. But that wasn't going to happen. Beinn a'Mhuinidh was another option - I was loth to simply walk back along the track to the car. But would I be able to manage it? The tiredness feeling had been increasing cumulatively over the three days thus far - maybe it would be Wednesday before I got finished Beinn a'Mhuinidh at the rate things were going We did trudge back along the track we'd come up, with me thinking that maybe we should spend the night in Leckie - we'd be out of the midges at any rate. Allison agreed to at lease have tea there and see how it was inside. Shoving the rickety outer door aside, the interior was clean and tidy, albeit under attack from woodworms. One of the rooms had been painted and it looked an adequate place to overnight - especially with the lack of midges. We ate our Huel in the sun then retired indoors for another chapter of Wuthering Heights and an undisturbed night, although both of us did expect the door to be shoved open at some point, whether by estate folk or ghouls we didn't know.

Would you enter here?
44FFB959-88AA-4091-8B65-64C035DE4A91_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

BB42DBD2-D94B-48C5-8749-9BD9E83CDE7F_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

... a bath?
3D0866AB-022C-4A3D-B4CD-5CA7355D8CDF_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

FE7C9C46-93AD-4388-85FA-09CBB43DFCD6_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

DAA00AF6-8167-4771-AA7A-3BBF609DACB7_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

An earlier start was demanded today, so we got up at 7 and were ready to leave at 8. We'd decided to continue on to Beinn a'Mhuinidh, which sits to the south of Slioch. We were fortunate to find a good deer track that took us up the steep initial section then we wandered over the flattish ground, pocked by lochans. Clouds were sitting under the tops of the bigger hills and threatened to obscure us by the time we got to our top. I was pleased to find I had my usual level of energy today - why this should be I couldn't fathom, but I wasn't complaining. Sure enough the cloud came down as we neared the summit. On the way down a group of goats snorted and bleated at us (or maybe, as Allison thought, the big daddy goat had something stuck up its nose ). We came off towards the track at incheril, following a sheep path down the hillside - easier than the steeper route we used that comes off to the west the last time

D1BEF7F3-B42D-41DB-83AF-26D90493D52D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

B618C800-E7A4-4183-9CD5-C5F701496951_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

6CB9A0D6-47A6-42CE-B222-422907A1B457_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

DC64B4AE-2472-4121-B0E9-3DD6D3E288C4 by Al, on Flickr

ACF206B0-8DFA-4102-9C9F-6766E056222A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

66B20B7B-135B-4BDA-8E0C-2AE68E01C018 by Al, on Flickr





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[prog99]

Lovely photos.
Get tested for Lymes disease. Your out in the hills a lot.

[weaselmaster]

Lovely photos.
Get tested for Lymes disease. Your out in the hills a lot.

Yeah, one of the big worries of outdoor life. Haven’t had any suspicious “bullseye” tick bites but plenty of the regular kind. Will see how the next few weeks progress, but thanks for the concern

[johnbythell]

Wow, nice trip, some great skies in those photos!

[Fiona Reid]

Yeah, one of the big worries of outdoor life. Haven’t had any suspicious “bullseye” tick bites but plenty of the regular kind. Will see how the next few weeks progress, but thanks for the concern

Please please consider getting tested. The bullseye doesn't appear in all cases (about 1/3 have no rash etc) and the symptoms you are describing are classic.

See https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/podcasts/series/health/lyme_disease_-_what_you_need_to_know-14475 for a excellent and up to date article and podcast on the subject.

My friends wife just tested positive after nearly 2 years of symptoms. It was only after eliminating everything else they even bothered to test for Lyme. I asked him if they'd considered Lyme at all and as a result she got tested and is now on the first of what might be a number of sets of antibiotics as she'd left it so long.

FWIW, I've been treated 3 times and only once did any mark appear around the bite. It was a big red blotch rather than a bullseye. Each time the antibiotics nuked it. Ticks like me unfortunately

[weaselmaster]

Yeah, one of the big worries of outdoor life. Haven’t had any suspicious “bullseye” tick bites but plenty of the regular kind. Will see how the next few weeks progress, but thanks for the concern

Please please consider getting tested. The bullseye doesn't appear in all cases (about 1/3 have no rash etc) and the symptoms you are describing are classic.

See https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/podcasts/series/health/lyme_disease_-_what_you_need_to_know-14475 for a excellent and up to date article and podcast on the subject.

My friends wife just tested positive after nearly 2 years of symptoms. It was only after eliminating everything else they even bothered to test for Lyme. I asked him if they'd considered Lyme at all and as a result she got tested and is now on the first of what might be a number of sets of antibiotics as she'd left it so long.

FWIW, I've been treated 3 times and only once did any mark appear around the bite. It was a big red blotch rather than a bullseye. Each time the antibiotics nuked it. Ticks like me unfortunately

Thanks, Fiona
I'll make an appt for testng- although can't get a GP appointment for at least a week

[MusicalHiker]

Oooh, some gorgeous photos there! And thanks for using the word TRIUMVIRATE - brilliant!

[Coulags]

Good stuff . Stunning pics and weather .

Re Leckie . Looking at your pics does the 2nd fireplace with the brush next to it look as though it’s in use ? Were there any chairs ?

Thanks

[weaselmaster]

Good stuff . Stunning pics and weather .

Re Leckie . Looking at your pics does the 2nd fireplace with the brush next to it look as though it’s in use ? Were there any chairs ?

Thanks

No chairs. Some large rocks that can be sat on. The fireplace had some recent ashes in it and a drying line over it, but whether it actually works I couldn't say.

[weaselmaster]

Oooh, some gorgeous photos there! And thanks for using the word TRIUMVIRATE - brilliant!

[Coulags]

Good stuff . Stunning pics and weather .

Re Leckie . Looking at your pics does the 2nd fireplace with the brush next to it look as though it’s in use ? Were there any chairs ?

Thanks

No chairs. Some large rocks that can be sat on. The fireplace had some recent ashes in it and a drying line over it, but whether it actually works I couldn't say.

Thanks for the info