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https://youtu.be/C9T1h9WFlHA?si=zNSpAW6uMnhgz8Z_After last weekend spent south of the border doing more gigs than hills, we were back in action with only Storm Babet to contend with. This time west looked to be best, with not much of the rain the rest of the country seemed to be swimming in. I had a small clutch of Grahams around Loch Arkaig that could be tackled over a weekend, maybe with some other summits thrown in. And we could do a bothy on Thursday night to avoid the worst of the winds. Sounded good to me - although I was aware that Allison didn't need to do any of these hills for her own quest...
We headed up to the head of Loch Arkaig through a dark but mostly dry night. The car was being buffeted as we drove whenever it was exposed to the wind. Arriving at the Eas Chia-eag car park around 7.30. Earlier, I had checked on the MBA site to see if Invermaillie bothy was open, as we were still in Stag Stalking season - whilst the bothy was fine, the road along the loch side was closed for repairs for the next few weeks. I had to do a bit of recalculation of routes when I found that out on Wednesday night. Right enough, there was a Road Closed sign up just by the car park, although it seemed to be daytime work only. We ate our tea in the car then started to get the packs sorted out. It's a while since we were in the dark setting out on a route and I dug out my head torch. No juice...Dug out my spare - likewise out of charge. Things to remember now that the darkness is back - charge up your lights! I pulled out the torch I keep in my bag for inside the tent - it had power although I didn't' know how much. Allison's was working fine, thankfully. Chastened a little, I set off with my torch on low to conserve whatever juice was left in it.
From memory, it's about 4.5k from the car park to the bothy. Rain threatened but didn't come to anything. Would there be anyone else inside? There had been a car in the car park, so probably. We could see candle light on in the smaller downstairs room, so yes, occupied. But it's one of the bigger bothies. We creaked inside to be greeted by a wash of perfume that would have raised the dead. I've smelled many smells in a bothy, but this is a new one
Allison and I headed upstairs, got the sleeping gear out and headed to bed - no noises from the other occupant/s. In the morning we heard talking - it turned out to be a woman and her dog, who were heading back to the road by the time we were ready to set off ourselves.
Mullach Coire nan Geur-oirean was our target today, one of the less climbed Grahams as it's a longish walk to get to it. Last time we combined it with Meall a'Phuibuill, but today it would be on its own. That was - if we could get to it... As we strolled along the track, a 4x4 and ATV came up behind us. Stalkers... We had a chat about our proposed plans and the head stalker asked us to wait til he had a look at a spy point just along the road to see where they were going to go. When we reached them they had decided to head back to the coire on Beinn Bhan as there wasn't much doing on our hill. We talked for a while, all very friendly. I asked about the new opening of shooting to all year - he said he hoped that most estates would just keep to the traditional timetable and that it would mainly be for foresters and the like to get the numbers down.
05D68EB7-907D-4CDD-8B26-CD0CCD716E29_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
2E79101C-6A41-4303-982D-8A98BFE6B0DE_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
We could have gone up onto the back of our hill much earlier, up Sron na Leac, but - having previously done this, we knew that the undulating heathery terrain is pretty hard going - it's easier, if much steeper, to go up further along the glen. We reached the ruins at Glenmallie (quite good camp spots around here) and continued on, following the river, past the scary bridge, then picked a promising looking line straight up the hillside. Last time we came onto a good deer path that made matters easier, but we were not so lucky today. Just a slog. Eventually the slope lessens and we could romp to the summit cairn. Lovely views down towards Gulvain. We came off more directly from the summit, relishing the autumnal colours all around. At one point we were about 50m above a stag and a couple of hinds - he was roaring cross the valley. We could see him lifting his head every time he roared. Eventually he lay down, but continued to roar intermittently. They were not aware of our presence yet, and we stood and watched for some minutes. When we did start to move closer, he noticed right away and was off, whilst the hinds were slower on the uptake. Back on the track we headed back along the glen, wondering what was the best option for tonight.
B597911E-DE77-4DB2-A79B-F034B01C2FC7_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
View north over Loch Arkaig
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
The bothy was tempting, although it was a Friday night and I don't usually do bothies at the weekends. We reached it about 5pm - no one there. Let's just go for it...I went off to collect some fallen wood - the high winds had been generous in supplying that, and Allison got our packs sorted out. Nice blaze going, Huel, coffee, chocolate, watching some music videos on YouTube (yes, Invermaillie bothy has good phone reception). Some time after 7pm there was a commotion at the door and three lads from Ft William tumbled in with carry-oot, coal and lots of food. They were keen to get a weekend "away from the wummin". As we had a good fire going I suggested they make use of the room - we were going to head upstairs soon anyway. They weren't too loud - I had brought earplugs anyway.
21EAFE06-5392-4481-8256-B41574127FD4_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
What I'd planned to do...
What we ended up with
Saturday was supposed to be dry with lessening winds, but a revised forecast had it raining til tea time, winds still in the 30+mph and cold - wind chill apparently taking it down to a -9 "feels-like". My plan had been to do a big loop over 4 Simms, 2 Corbetts and 2 Grahams with a high camp somewhere in the middle. But the change in the weather was making that uncertain. We left the lads getting on with breakfast and walked back to the car, restocked the packs and prepared to set off again. Due to the road closure I opted to start the walk from the hydro track behind the Eas Chia-aig which leads directly up to the east of Glas Bheinn. It's a usable option for these hills, bringing you out at the head of Gleann Chia-aig and within striking distance of Meall na h-Eilde. There are two footbridge marked on the map - the first is over a dam, the second a wooden structure, but it's worth noting that although it takes you over the marked river fine, the tributary immediately to the west is wider than the map suggests. By the time we had got to the head of the glen, we had decided to junk the plans for the bigger route and just do Glas Bheinn.
Leaving the bothy
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Al, on Flickr
The things you find on the hills...
3BD5433B-799A-431B-8617-8611C498A7CE_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Suggestions on a postcard...
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Al, on Flickr
C8E0F4BD-D78D-4EF1-9920-32C37CB8A6E1_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Hydro track
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Al, on Flickr
Glas Bheinn
263B1B73-0FA6-479A-8763-88C4D8F7B51F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
More pathless steepness - Allison was feeling it after several weekends without many hills. We disturbed a big herd of deer who were sheltering from the chilly wind in Coire na Cosaig. Keeping below the rim of the ridge we edged along towards the summit. Options were to either head back the way we'd come and drop down to the foot bridge on the east side, or come off to the west and hit the track that leads to Achnasaul, with a bit of road walking back. I opted for the latter as we could see whether the road was indeed closed. They have done a good bit of work already, replacing subsiding edges of road, and there was no sign of anyone working today...that would mean we could head along the road a bit tomorrow for Sgurr Choinich and Meall Blair. But first we had to find a place to pitch for the night. Managed to find a sweet little forest glade to pitch in. Lot of rain overnight.
E3CCCAB7-490C-4912-A976-C56DBBD77A8C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
1E71D1BD-2B28-417B-9858-51CDCC1A065B_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
View up Loch Arkaig
C91423E1-B751-46CE-9F6D-9E2534FDED26_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
5F2684EE-BB24-4FFD-96C0-AF7F766BE381_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
We've done Choinich and Blair by much the same approach twice - I'm always keen to do hills by different routes if I can, and indeed had prepared a route in from Tomdoun in the north, which was a bit longer. But today we'd just be going the same old way. Parked at the butterfly nature reserve car park and followed a marked path up to the transverse track. There's a clear ATV track which wends its way right to the summit of Choinich - steady ascent, nothing too steep. Blue skies and views today - something of a miracle on these hills. I could see over to Meall Blair from the top, whereas in the past it's just been clag. To the north east, the pyramid of Ben Tee pokes upwards.
610CCEA6-A833-4066-BEB7-E554D71AB05F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
044F91D1-BBD1-4AAD-BE06-A3178B55C2C0_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
7A4E0FEF-F8DD-42FF-A2C6-692F8C450E9C_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
From the summit, it's a matter of following the fence line for a while down into the bealach where the going gets a little boggy. There's a faint ATV track which can be followed towards the intermediate lump of Meall Lochan nan Dubh Lochan - you can skirt around this to the north rather than having to summit it if you want to save on some ascent. Then a climb of 120m up to the trig column on Meall Blair. A great viewpoint this - when it's clear - all along the ridge from Garich to Sgurr na Ciche, lots of snow on the steep flanks of a'Chralaig - I was enjoying the PeakFinder app I'd downloaded on Friday, which promises to settle all the arguments about "what hill is that?" which Allison inevitably wins.
886D34C2-0411-41C4-AE87-79615279ED9F_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Sgurr Choinich
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Al, on Flickr
AE1ACCC3-A0FB-466E-9406-B63171672F89_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
Meall Blair
098A4870-C573-46CF-90AB-526E1AB359A2_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
1D4CBD32-0C3C-44BE-B6B6-6888A9F31D59_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
D663AC4D-3086-49F1-8B1A-0B6111B49278_1_201_a by
Al, on Flickr
From the top we headed SE and joined a soggy ATV track which took us - with several detours - back down to the transverse track near the treeline. We took an alternate path through the butterfly woods - so many oak saplings, the adult trees resplendent in a mix of yellows and greens in the golden late October sunshine
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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