Unpleasant little Fiona destroyed my phone

[The English Alpinist]

This summarizes Meall Tairbh (viewed from the descent).

Note: this was June 2023, but I've only just got round to uploading it.
This walk was preceded by '12 Hours Around the Bridge of Orchy Munros'.
www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=119305

It was a rubbish phone anyway. I have history at this: a few years ago I took a smartphone up Old Man Coniston at the height of summer (meaning it was a wet day). Its not-so-smart owner thought it safe to keep it in the pocket of my waterproofs but, of course, after several hours of drizzle, water had permeated through said pocket nicely and seeped its way into the inner workings of the phone. This time, in Scotland in July, I had kept the phone inside my rucksack, but this too was no defence against the abilities of H2O, as was obvious by the little pond at the bottom of the rucksack by the end of the walk, which the phone was sitting in. Only an Alcatel for £39, with the charge-holding ability of a beer mat. Happily, this has prompted me to get a decent phone finally (a Samsung), and enter the 21st century. I will not make the same mistake a third time.

Inveroran Cottage.

Seems unfair Ben Inverveigh is denied Fionaship. Doesn't have a descent of 150m on all sides?

Starts easily: the West Highland Way.

One departs from the WHW here, and the horsehoe route can be seen ahead.

The ridge of Ben Inverveigh is gained.

Ben Inverveigh summit proper, 2,096 feet (639m). Pointing across to Fiona.

What of the walk itself? I believe I've said what needs to be said about the weather. In short, a classic June day, with a lot of grey cloud and light but determined water hanging in the air, sometimes having a flourish at you. The hill looks lush and pleasantly green from a distance, but rough and sodden when on it. The location, round the back of Bridge of Orchy, has a nice secluded feel to it, and enjoys a steady trickle of West Highland Way walkers passing through (Inveroran). The walk would be an idyllic, even classic, little horsehoe if paths existed beyond the summit of Ben Inverveigh. Ironically, this is not the Fiona, but Meall Tairbh across the glen from it. I had forgotten my compass for this, and in a useful prod not to underestimate anything in future, cloud came in quite thickly for a time on Ben Inverviegh so that I got worried about missing the bealach and deliberately skirted the rim so I knew where the ground fell away into the glen at all times. This made walking arduous for a bit, but everything worked out fine. The climb to Meall Tairbh looked quite fierce but once on it, as so often with these things, was not so steep and soon conquered.

Skirting the rim of the glen.

The sought-after bealach does exist ok.

Across this.

Then up this.

This is she: The Fiona, Meall Tairbh, 2,181 feet (665m).

I guess the summit of Meall Tairbh would be quite a satisfying and panoramic place to be in fine weather, but in drab and cloudy weather is just a wet tramp, with a long steady descent back to Inveroran which does not get any less wet; wetter if anything. This walk was a 'reward' for my epic day of the day before, accomplishing the Bridge of Orchy Munro fivesome. As such, I suppose my prepping and concentration was not as tight as could be, and I simply allowed my phone to sit at the bottom of my rucksuch devoid of any wrapping protection and forgot about it. Rucksack fabric is no match for Scotland drizzle. I should not blame Fiona, really, nor even the weather; but me. Just keep your phone in a bread bag or something - as I always do now, since this day - and there's no problem. The bin at Tyndrum's Real Food Cafe claimed it in the end.

You get a lot of this on the descent.

Unpleasant till the bitter end. Return to Inveroran.

Well, it only cost £39.

[Graeme D]

The title of this report sounds like an allegation one of my S2s might make against a classmate!

I actually enjoyed this one but then I got the decent weather and views from the summit that you didn't get, and it didn't destroy my phone or any other piece of kit for that matter. And by coincidence it was followed by a big 12 hour day on the Black Mount hills (in unseasonably deep snow on the tops as I recall).