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Back in early March, we'd been in Strathcarron for most of the week, as reported on separately (apologies for the delay in catching up with reports, I had other adventures to partake in!). After a diversion for a night up at Forest Way near Ullapool, it was time for Steve to head south, whilst Nige and I had another couple of days before we headed home. With our legs slightly tired from lugging bags to and from our bothy, and wanting to get a few miles further south afterwards, we were looking for a shortish day. I then remember Little Wyvis, not a hill that had overly inspired me, but the weather was good, apart from the wind, there was snow on the hills still, and the views should be fabulous.
Parking at a deserted Silver Bridge car park, we'd simply follow the ziz-zagging Landrover tracks up the hill, then planned to make a small circuit by diverting northwards from the top before dropping down and contouring back across the western slopes. It looked fine, but still wasn't inspiring me hugely. Still, it would be exercise.
The Blackwater Falls were lovely, with sheets of ice across the slower water below the bridge shimmering in the sunlight.
Crossing the road, we followed the zig-zagging track up through the trees and past various small buildings and bits of farm infrastructure. However, it wasn't long before we reached the top of the main plantations, and already the views were opening out. Ahead, our destination was now clear.
We were being watched, both by impressively horned woollies, and unusually coloured deer. The latter were definitely not red deer, and I think they may have been sika, that I have seen mentioned for the area.
We trudged on upwards, eventually reaching a gate where we stopped for a drink and snack. The views were now impressive. West were the distant Torridon hills, with the cloud-topped wall of the Fannaichs closer to hand. Suddenly a red kite appeared, a common site for me in the south of England, but I'm not used to see them over the hills. As we climbed onwards, the ground rock hard and starting to be covered with ice, we could see the snow line was not far above us.
The Coulin Forest Hills
Fionn Bheinn
Fannaichs
The snow, unlike that we'd found on Maol Cheann-dearg earlier in the week, was quite crispy and where the sun had got to it, at times was very slippery. The ice underneath meant a little care was required but being on a track, it was never ice axe terrain. It was also much more enjoyable than just tromping up a high-altitude farm track, and I was enjoying this hill properly after all. And still, those views...
Distant Seana Braigh's Creag an Duine I thinkOn we climbed, towards a very blue sky that contrasted wonderfully with the glistening snow.
Realising it was going to be very cold on top with a strong wind chill, we stopped for First Lunch in a hollow below the final slopes. Now we could also see to more southerly hills, as well as getting a glimpse of the corries of An Teallach under a blanket of cloud.
The final slopes were much more like the soft snow we'd had earlier in the week, but it wasn't deep, and it wasn't covering a load of awkwardly shaped rocks, so it was simple enough. The wind was cutting now though.
We reached the summit, though it wasn't a place to stop for long without putting on lots of extra layers. Our hill was still cloud-free, that little bit of height difference between it and the Munros making all the difference today. To add to our familiar west views we now had the Cairngorms to the south, and our hill's Big Brother Ben just to the north.
Having spent just a few minutes taking photos with a shaking camera, thanks to that wind, we headed on northwards towards Tom na Caillich, though we only intended to go to the small bealach before it before turning west.
Back to the summit
As we dropped from the col, we started angling back south westwards to intercept the lower of two tracks on this side of the hill, after crossing the first. The wind was whipping up plenty of spindrift as we walked, this was definitely a wintery experience and all the better for it. It also meant we didn't have to fight through the wet boggy stuff that is mentioned in other write ups of this walk. This was much better!
Beinn Dearg
Loch GlascarnochThe lower track was simple enough going, as long as we watched out for the odd bit of thinner ice covering a black oozing hole, and we were soon back below the snow line. Here we stopped for Second Lunch, out of the wind and enjoying the sun.
The lower descent was quick, though my knees were feeling the hardness of the track now so I eased off a little.
An Coileachan, Fannaichs
Back at the river, there was time to stand once more and look at the falls, before we headed southwards to our last night's accommodation near Drumnadrochit, via an excellent stop at the Bad Girl Bakery Cafe in Muir of Ord. We were even handed a box of free cake as we left, as they were about to close. There were 6 more pieces of cake in it!
I may not have been that excited about this hill, but it had proved me wrong, as is almost always the case. It had been an excellent day, and we still had one more day, with a good forecast, to grab before we headed home.
