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Hello a' ribhist agus ciamar a tha cùisean a' dol a 'charaidhean ? .
It has been a while , just don't find the time for trip reports these days however been out and about on the Corbetts myself the last while and without An Cù since May last year. He has fully retired from the hills at 15 and now ,deaf , stiff , half blind but relatively happy spending his days mostly sleeping in strange places and going out for short walks.
I am now down to the final four Corbetts having completed a tough round of the Fionn Loch hills last week and with such good weather thought i may share the experience with you ...
Set off from Pol Lù or Poolewe on the usual route out to Beinn Airigh Charr and the previous days ,indeed the weeks heatwave weather was temporarily suspended which made for cooler walking
- Loch Mael Rubha
With a pòca droma ( big pack) and overnight ahead i had not quite decided where it would end up today ,however a vague notion to summit camp on Beinn Lair was in my head via Beinn Airigh Charr and Meal Mheinnidh with A' Chaisgean Mòr the following morning.
Pretty much followed the WH route up to BAC with light mist, cloud and weak sun up in the mix that looked like it would burn through .....rinn e (it did) just i reached the summit ..... nice inversion conditions
- Air a mhullach Airigh Charr
- An Teallach agus beanntan eile
Bha mi glè toilichte ....very happy and perfect timing, similiar to my last visit to the Fisherfield Munros in Sept 2015 ..well maybe not quite as spectacular and without An Cù !
- Uinneag
- Druim
Once a rest was undertaken and the inversion started to clear i decided to head down the shoulder toward Càrnan Maire, with a notion to keep some height and land near to the burn that leads up into Meall Mheinnidh. Some nice views to Eileanan Loch Mael Rubha and a herd of goats that kinda shadowed me all the way down to the Càrnan .I used to keep goats many years ago on the croft and as i bleated at them they were definetly interested in this particular Gàidhealachd and his stride ,in the end they were also on Beinn Lair watching me with some intent
- Na h- Eileanan
- Na Gobhairean
Once down i ended up in the Abahinn Strà Mhoir looking for water ..pretty scarce given the dry period however found a trickle and headed up in a straight meander toward the midrift of Meall Mheinnidh and its slope, finding a burn that falls from the wee Lochan that is whithout name on the East shoulder ..... suas a chaidh mi (up i went) .
Seallaidh gu leor agus brèagha ....
- Sealltainn
- Fionn Loch
I had dropped the pòca- mòr at the bottom of this fine wee hill ,beside an old carrion trap which has seen better days and an easy twenty had me on her fine summit ,so it was off with the boots and into the nameless loch for a cool down with an eye on Beinn Lair ...would i camp on her summit for the night ? .....
- Beinn Lair
Well to be sure the wander back down and then hike over to the Bealach Mhèinnidh was short n sweet even with the pack, so i decided then to hoof onto Beinn Lair and then see what i thought of the Fionn Loch as a camp for the night ...suas a' ribhist agus bha robh e fada gus mi aira ' mhullach .
Wasn't long till i was on top ...
- Druim
and the goats were not far off my tail ,you can see them on the zoom just mid ridge lol
A fine summit with a real monadh ruaidh feel to it in my opinion and now decision time, do i push back down, camp in the bealach or on Fionn Loch and summit Beinn a ' Chaisgein Mhòr tomorrow ? .
Uill ...well i spotted the trail up and round the back of A' Chaisgein Mhòr and noted a wee loch at the apex of the path ...a possible pitch ? ...chì sinn
In the end i was back at the bealach sharpish and decided i was heading for Loch Fèith ic Illean which lies between A' Chaisgein and Ruadh Stac Mòr and with a view to summit early evening on the thrid Corbett of the day
First a troop down to Fionn Loch .... I have a grandson called Fionn who is in the Gaidheal Sgoil in Inverness and at six a wee bit young yet, however one day i shall take him here ..
- Fionn Loch
- Fionn A' dha
Tempting as the idea to camp here was i pushed on and up ...a fine choice and by 18:30 was pitched on a wee gravel sand spit on the loch ...abair oidhche gu dearbh ...abair àite
- Phuibil
I took a wee bit time here t'was a long day so far and a dram with the hydro meal was a joy under with the shadow of A' Mhaighean casting her blessing on me. I was tempted to scoop the hip flask and take some time out leaving A' Chaisgein for the morn ...ach !
Suas a' ribhist ... a long straight pull to the summit once on the back of the ridge and i was on her top at 20:00 hrs ....a nice night with cloud ,inversion and a cool northerly blowing
Shuidhe mi air a' mhullach airson uair ...sat on the summit for around an hour out of the wind which was ro fhuar ...very cold and watched the cloud snake in through the feadan , bealach and gleannan , slowly filling the landscape with her white sheet as the sun dropped in the West
- Grian
- Sgoth
For me the Gàidhlig landscape lives and breathes ....dol fodha na greine (the sunset ) is always a special connection to the dualchas or spirit that is present in every nook and crannie in this land. Our people are largely gone. however the mountains and now quiet places of the Gàidheal hold our spirit ,essence and with every natural cycle i witness that connection becomes more apparent ....
- Dualchas
The hills is not only about numbers ,lists or rounds but if that is what your at well fair play ...but please look for the connection feel it and once you tap into the cultural root you will find the "dualchas" .... it is real, vibrant and strong
sin e !
- Gealach
