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Ruadh-stac Mor in Fisherfield should have been my landmark 250th Munro back in July but my epic navigational screw-up in a June heatwave on An Riabhacan had put paid to that and left me sitting one short of the landmark figure. With August having been a blank month on the hill walking front, the honour would now fall to Maoile Lunndaidh in the rapidly shortening days and encroaching darkness of late September.
The date had been pencilled in for a couple of months, ever since Mrs D and Ailsa booked that weekend away with two other mums and their kids in Kingussie. I'm pretty sure I've used that line before in a trip report but then I possibly used the phrase "two other mums and their toddlers". With Ailsa and two of the three other kids now in first year at high school, that ship has well and truly sailed!
It was meant to be Bruce, John and me, but Bruce had to give it a miss on account of having a chainsaw refresher course the following week with his work and having to get all his gear in order for that. When a man's gotta sort out his chainsaws, he's gotta sort out his chainsaws! So it was just John and I (and Luna). We decided against heading up on the Friday night and walking in under cover of darkness to our planned camping spot at the Pollan Buidhe, by the turn off onto the stalkers path up to the Bealach Bearnais. Instead John said he would be at my house for 06.45 on the Saturday morning for the 3 hour or so drive up to Craig. I'd believe he would be at my house by 06.45 just as soon as I saw it with my own eyes!
To be fair, he wasn't far off the mark and we set off up the A9 for the long drive to Strathcarron in his car. We made a quick stop for coffee and doughnuts just north of the Kessock Bridge and were parked up in the busy Paschendaele re-enactment themed car park at Craig and away across the road and railway line by 10.40 with the heavy overnight packs on.
Not long in, looking back to Fuar Tholl, Sgorr Ruadh and Beinn Liath MhorSgurr nan Ceannaichean and Sgurr a'Chaorachain from the high point of the trackWe live by the river! Camp established next to the Allt a'Chaonais at Pollan BuidheBy 12.30 we had the tents up and ready for the night ahead and were away from our camping spot just before the second wire bridge at the Pollan Buidhe. We had passed a bike at the edge of the track just by the first wire bridge but otherwise seen no sign of human life so far. We set off east along the track towards Glenuaig Lodge and a short distance beyond the clump of forestry on the left, cut off the track for the rough trudge across pathless, at times boggy terrain, to pick up our chosen ascent line.
I had stuffed a little day pack into the big overnight pack and transferred the basics required for the next few hours into it. John was travelling with his few essential items rattling around in the bottom of his big overnight pack which by his own admission, somewhat resembled a burst balloon!
Target at 12 o'clock - Luna going the wrong way again!Looking back to Sgurr na Feartaig with Sgurr Choinnich, the Bealach Bearnais and Beinn Tharsuinn to the leftApproaching Glenuaig LodgeSouthern slopes of Moruisg from the early stages of the ascentIt was hot, muggy, tough going across the rough, lumpy terrain towards the confluence of the Allt Crom-Allt and the Allt an Fhuar-Thuill Bhig from where we picked up the broad shoulder to the right hand side of the latter stream.
SwamplifeOur ascent shoulder to the right with Fhuar Tholl Mor corrie far leftWe saw one lone walker descending a short distance to our left and gave him a cheery wave in the hope that this would make him feel guilty and have second thoughts if he stumbled across our tents later and decided to drink all our beer, eat all our food and sell all ourgear on eBay!
Gleann Fhiodhaig and Creag Dubh Mhor A distinct sense of autumn may have been in the air and in the shades of the landscape around us but it was hot work labouring up the shoulder with little respite until the rough boulder field at the edge of the flat Carn nam Fiaclan plateau.
Sgurr nan Ceannaichean with the Coulin peaks popping up at the backJohn close upJohn far awayGet a move on! Luna pouring scorn down from above!Once into the boulder field, the gradient eased significantly and a whole new world of views opened up. The wind was now whipping across with a bit more force and it was carrying the definite threat of oncoming winter! Gloves were donned!
What kept you, you ridiculous two legged malingerers!!!???Luna gazing north across Moruisg to the Fannaichs and beyondTorridon and the Coulin peaks across Sgurr na Feartaig and Sgurr nan CeannaicheanA more gentle ascent experience leading to Carn nam FiaclanThe shape and the character of Maoile Lunndaidh, not particularly evident until this point, was now beginning to take form and the views south, as well as north beyond the summits of Sgurr nan Ceannaichean and Moruisg, were opening up to reveal many of the big ranges of the north west Highlands.
South down Strath Mhuilich across Loch Mhuilich and Loch Monar to An bloody Riabhachan and the rest of the MullardochsJohn against the vast bulk of Bidean an Eoin Deirg, Sgurr a Chaorachain lurking beyondMountains galore from the ascent of Carn nam FiaclanThe gradient eventually levelled off almost entirely into a vaguely Cairngormesque landscape with the broad, grassy ridge sweeping around the head of the lochan filled Fhuar Tholl Mor Coire and the various spurs of the summit plateau now becoming visible.
Big skyscapes from the summit of Carn nam Fiaclan, which may or may not be the highest pointLurg Mhor, Bidean an Eoin Deirg and Sgurr a'ChaorachainNorth down Coire Fhuar Thuill MhorSouth to Loch Monar with the dam just visible at the far endJohn just out for a leisurely Saturday afternoon strollEventually the large, sprawling summit cairn, which may or may not be the highest point and which had been standing out for some time against the skyline, was reached and I was finally able to claim my 250th Munro. We each cracked open a can to celebrate (John celebrating the not quite so landmark but still significant figure of 113) and hunkered down by the cairn to get as out of the wind as was possible - which wasn't very much!
John searching the vast empty spaces of his big backpack for his lunch!Luna utterly nonplussed at my achievement of hitting 250 Munros!The day was by now, much like ourselves, no longer young so we didn't hang about unduly before dropping north down the side of Fhuar Tholl Mor Coire to negotiate a way back to the track in the glen and the way home to our tents.
The start of the road homeLooking for a crossing opportunity as the late September sun begins to slip awayGlenuaig Lodge