by Smason1 » Fri May 05, 2023 9:00 am
Date walked: 18/04/2023
Time taken: 48 hours
Distance: 37 km
Ascent: 2850m
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What possessed me to agree to cycle in to Fannich Lodge and do the 9 Fannich’s with a wild camp or two. A total underestimation of the task is the answer. My friend and I drove up from the central belt arriving early evening. We already had experienced a drama when the bike rack fell of his car. Thankfully the bikes had only cosmetic damage. We heaved on our heavy rucksacks and started what seemed like a long haul up the glen on the bikes. It was not a fun ride. On arrival at Fannich Lodge just after 6pm, we dumped the bikes and continued on foot. Optimistic me had a plan A to do the first two Munro’s that night. Plan A became Plan B with a target of one Munro. Plan C soon became just getting up onto the Bealach. In actual fact we lost light and camped at the base of the Bealach. Next morning the weather was good as we headed up on to the Bealach dropped our packs and completed Munro number 1 - A' Chailleach. From there we picked up our bags and headed over Munro number 2 - Sgurr Breac. Next up was a serious drop in height before a long slog back up onto a Bealach where we dropped the bags and headed out to Munro number 3 - Sgurr nan Each. I was beginning to get weary as we descended from there and faced another 300 metre slog up the Fannich’s highest summit Munro number 4 - Sgurr nan Clach Geala. The decent was a little tricky with snow patches covering the path. Completely exhausted now we decided to pitch out tents on the Bealach below. My friend asked me if I wanted to do the next Munro which was substantially lower. My body said no but my mouth said yes as I knew it would make the next days journey a little easier. After resting we made the easy hike up to Munro number 5 - Meall a' Chrasgaidh. On return we both went straight to bed to get rested for the next day. It was a windy cold night and the chilly wind remained all the next day. We set off and were faced with a fairly awkward assent of Munro number 6 - Sgurr Mor' due to a partially snow-covered path. After descending from that we dropped the bags and headed out to Munro number 7 - Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich. The route out and assent seemed fairly easy but I started to tire on the way back. We picked up the bags and headed up to Munro number 8 - Meall Gorm. There was a tantalising stalkers path down to Fannich Lodge from there but I was never going to take it. The final Munro number 9 - An Coileachan came fairly easy as my motivation was high and we soon arrived at its impressive cairn. We then headed for a break in the boulder fields (which we missed) to head down into the glen. It seemed to take forever to get down and then we were faced with a bog hopping walk back to our bikes. I was completely spent. The first 5 kilometres of the route was uphill with mainly downhill after that. I have never been so glad to see a car. It was a great achievement but as a reasonably fit 63 year old I must learn to temper my ambitions. Would I do it that way again… absolutely not.