Beinn Fhada and a'Glas Bheinn with a camp

[mrssanta]

over the past two days we had climbed Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgurr Ruadh and Maol Chean-dearg in hot sun and were somewhat kn***ered. After a good night sleep, a shower and a change of clothes at Glen Shiel campsite, we were - still pretty exhausted, so we decided to do these two over two days and miss out the trip to the Falls of Glomach. Since it has been very dry for weeks, we thought we should keep the falls for some time when there would be more water in them. This was a good decision.
So we had a leisurely morning and an early lunch at the Pit Stop @ Kintail, (formerly the Jac-O-Bite, now reopened and doing excellent grub). I have to say that I felt very much better for a bowl of chips with extra salt, so perhaps I was salt depleted from all the glowing I had done in the previous two days.
Anyway, it was another gorgeous sunny and hot day. We set off from the parking area at the NTS centre at Morvich at around half past one. We had expected to have to walk along the road, but there is a lovely path among the trees along the riverbank. The path then crosses the river Croe, past some houses and then enters beautiful woodland where we saw many dragonflies. It was hot, but although the burns in the woodland were very dry, there was enough water to be able to keep our buffs wet.

woodland path parallel to the road

here be dragons

lovely woodland

Towards the end of the second stretch of woodland I splashed my head, my shirt, my leggings and put the wet buff round my neck before coming out onto the open hillside - at which point the sun promptly went behind a large slow-moving cloud and I was delighted to feel slightly chilly at last!

a welcome cloud over the sun

bonny waterfall in the gorgeous gorge

The path is very good and rises at an easy pace with zigzags in all the right places and we reached the path junction at about 3.45pm. At this point we needed to find a place to camp. Everything is very steep with virtually nowhere flat. We put the bags down and investigated a small flat area behind a lump just uphill of the path as it turns towards Bealach an Sgairne, but it was very exposed, and the burn we had identified near the path junction was completely dry. So we headed in the other direction into the Coire an Sgairne towards Beinn Fhada. We found a flat enough area at about 440m right next to the burn and not too far from the path. There was plenty of water in this burn although it was clearly well below its usual level. To be extra sure of fire safety Rusolph set the stove on a rock in the burn to brew up while I pitched the tent and blew up the sleeping mats.

all very steep

hard to imagine this burn being dangerous to cross in its present condition

this'll do

Leaving the tent all ready for later, we set off just after 5pm for the summit of Beinn Fhada. It was cooling down a bit now, and the stalkers path was excellent until it topped out of the corrie, after which it was just a trog up hill to the top, with a few false summits thrown in. We reached the summit bang on 7pm, where we could hear a cuckoo (yes, really) and it was so still that we were discovered by some midges. So we didn't linger long, but took just an hour to get back to the tent for a hot meal.

looking into Glen Affric.

Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan aka Mount Doom on the left, Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail on the right, scenes of earlier adventures where I got blown over and we ended up in Glen Affric instead of Glen Cannich, in rather more violent weather.

Rudolph on the summit, in the background Mullach Fraoch-Choire and that.

and me. Mount Doom again

Jaggy ridge of Bhenn Fhada

Ah yes, the hot meal. Search as we might, we could not find the blow up dinner anywhere! (we found it later, in the car). So I had a Mexican Scrambled egg breakfast for tea - acceptable, just - and Rudolph had rice pudding.
Despite the not-flatness of the terrain, we slept well, although with feet right against the end of the tent most of the time. In the morning we were up bright and early to watch the sun creep down the hillside to our left as it came up above the hillside to our right. We were away at 8am and stashed the camping gear somewhere in an undisclosed location near the path junction, where it was well hidden - from below, anyway, although not in the least from above!!
There was no mist in Gleann Choinneachain all the way down to Morvich, but a dramatic curl of mist came out of the bealach and we were soon enveloped in it. The bealach an Sgairne seems quite a forbidding place in the mist.

mist and sunshine

mist is quite thin, but persistent

Reaching the large cairn at the top of the bealach, we turned left towards A' Ghlas-bheinn. Although this is one of the lower Munros this is quite a rugged twisty path with quite a few ups and downs, and it took us longer than expected to reach the summit, arriving at 10.45 in time for a good brew. The mist came and went, but we claimed the summit as cloud-free.

out of the mist, Meall a' Bhealaich with Beinn Fhada behind

Sgorr nan Ceathramhnan wreathed in cloud.

out of the cloud, but still a way to go.

Glen Affric still full of fog

but Morvich and the west is completely clear

summit at last

and me!

happy mug and its emotionally neutral friend waiting for the kettle

Eventually it got a bit chilly and we set off again, inspired by the thought of loaded chips at the Pit Stop (or at least I was!)
The descent back to Morvich took us about 4 hours, taking our time and enjoying the surroundings, with a short detour to the bridge that takes you to the Glomach path, and it was again hot with lavish use of the wet buff.

Last look up to the gorges of A' Glas-bheinn

Cows cooling their feet in the river

So that leaves us with just 3 Munros left to climb. One more tomorrow, then a rest.

[steverabone]

Thanks for posting this report. It reminds me of two super days when I stayed at Shiel Bridge and climbed these two hills on two consecutive days doing that "long walk in" twice! One of my memories is seeing dozens of huge dragon flies (your photo reminded me of them). I also remember all those false summits on a'Glas Bheinn!!

[Verylatestarter]

Good report, I particularly like the heroic summit poses. Which hill have you decided upon for your completion?

John

[mrssanta]

Thanks for posting this report. It reminds me of two super days when I stayed at Shiel Bridge and climbed these two hills on two consecutive days doing that "long walk in" twice! One of my memories is seeing dozens of huge dragon flies (your photo reminded me of them). I also remember all those false summits on a'Glas Bheinn!!

Ah yes, we do prefer a camp to a repeated walk in, the downside being carrying all the stuff!

[mrssanta]

Good report, I particularly like the heroic summit poses. Which hill have you decided upon for your completion?

John

Currently the plan is to compleat on Bynack More, likely in October so that various family members can be there. Will probably be our usual lashing rain and gales!

[gammy leg walker]

Bynack Mor is a very fine hill to finish on,you never know.if I know which date.I may be there.

[mrssanta]

Bynack Mor is a very fine hill to finish on,you never know.if I know which date.I may be there.

Well that would be a treat!