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I'd been hoping to do the 7 eastern Fannaichs for a while after seeing Steve Fallon's route description. The forecast was for light winds and the clouds lifting during the morning, leaving the tops free of cloud most of the time. Having stayed in Strathpeffer for the night, I parked just before Grudie in a big layby off the A832, opposite the private road up to Fannich Lodge, and set off on my bike at 6.35am. The sky was cloudless! It's a good tarmac road, and although it did need effort because of the climb up to Loch Fannich, there wasn't anywhere where I had to get off the bike and push.
- An Eigin, which is next to An Coileachan: 20 minutes into the cycle
After crossing a bridge, the tarmac road continued left towards the dam and the road towards Fannich Lodge turned into a track for a while, although it was still cycleable. After 1.3 miles of gradually ascending track, the tarmac resumed for the rest of the way.
Just before Fannich Lodge, a sign asked walkers and cyclists not to pass the lodge but to turn right through a gate and up a track which was near the edge of a plantation of trees. I left my bike just past the gate, and put on my boots to start the walk, hastened by midges beginning to gather. Once walking, the midges ceased to be a problem, and after reaching the highest point of the track, I set off across country up the shoulder of An Coileachan. It wasn't particularly boggy, and to begin with an easy gradient. After a bit, I reached a new looking deer fence which didn't have any gates or stiles within view, so I had to climb over it. Soon after this, the ground got steeper until fairly near to the top.
- Looking down to start point by trees round Fannich Lodge
When I was fairly high up, a herd of about 30 deer moved off east on the grassy ground, and on rocky ground I twice saw a silent ptarmigan. There were a lot of meadow pipits flitting about as I approached the summit. After 1 hour 40 minutes climb, I reached the top of An Coileachan, the first Munro of the day.
- An Coileachan summit
From the summit, I could see for the first time all of the hills I would be walking later, except Meall a' Chrasgaidh which was hidden for now. Some of them looked a long way away!
- 5 of the 6 remaining Munros to be walked, seen from An Coileachan's summit:
(left to right) Sgùrr nan Each, Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, Sgùrr Mòr, Meall Gorm, Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich
After having a second breakfast, the meadow pipits had disappeared and after sitting in the sun for 20 minutes, I headed down to the bealach 150m below which leads to Meall Gorm. From the bealach, I heard a raven calling, and then spotted 5 ravens flying high and mobbing a bird of prey which was bigger than them. Eventually they gave up as their target sailed in a straight line north west up the glen.
The climb up to Meall Gorm's south east top wasn't bad. Once there, the remaining hills seemed a little nearer, but Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich, out on a limb on the other side of the glen to the north, looked a long walk there and back from Sgùrr Mòr on the main ridge.
- Looking back at An Coileachan from Meall Gorm's south east top
The walk along the rounded ridge to Meall Gorm's summit was easy, with only a small climb at the end. What at first looked like a stone wall near the top turned out to be the remains of some shelters. The top was pretty flat and it extended for some distance.
- Looking north west from Meall Gorm's summit
By this time, clouds were beginning to gather, although it had so far been mostly sunny. The one hill which never seemed to get any sun was the prominent dark peak of Sgùrr Mòr (I'm sure Tolkien would have made something of that).
- Cloud reflections in Loch Fannich
- The way ahead seen on descent from Meall Gorm
The descent from Meall Gorm was somewhat steeper than the ascent. For the first time, there was a clear path all the way. As I started uphill again towards Meall nam Peithirean, a Munro top, I passed someone heading the other way. He gave the impression of being in a hurry, and didn't stop to talk. Wherever he had come from, he must have set off pretty early. After another not too taxing climb, I reached the top, where there was a clear view of the nearby Sgùrr Mòr. There was a great view across Coire Mòr to Sgùrr nan Clach Geala and its neighbour Sgùrr nan Each, which would be the last two Munros of the day.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala seen from top of Meall nam Peithirean
A short distance after Meall nam Peithirean, a bypass path cut across the side of Sgùrr Mòr heading towards Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich.
- Sgùrr Mòr, with bypass path midway up photo
I'd been drinking quite a bit of water on the walk, so I filled up at a spring which is conveniently located not far along the path, and just below it. A little further along is a small stone shelter complete with stone roof and mini porch.
- Meall Gorm, Meall nam Peithirean with Loch an Fhuar Thuill Mhòir below, seen from the bypass path
After a 20 minute walk from the spring, I reached the col below Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich.
- Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich beyond the col
Once past the col, rather than head up directly towards the top over boulder fields, I continued on the stalker's path which skirts round to the north of the summit, and then at its highest point cut up the relatively short distance to the top. This greatly reduced the amount of boulder hopping needed to reach the top. From the path, I could now see my fifth Munro of the day, Meall a' Chrasgaidh, which up to then had been hidden.
- (Left to right) Sgùrr Mòr, Càrn na Crìche and Meall a' Chrasgaidh from path round Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich
When I reached the top, two other people were already there, having walked separately from Loch Glascarnoch to do the eastern 4 Munros. I was glad to have reached Munro number 3, and to know that I no longer had the long diversion ahead of me.
We all set off separately towards the next towering hill, Sgùrr Mòr. Instead of reversing my route up, I headed directly towards the col. The long descent over boulders confirmed that the best route, both up and down, is the way I ascended. From the col, there was 100m ascent up a moderate gradient to reach the start of the real climb up to the summit of Sgùrr Mòr.
- Sgùrr Mòr at the start of the ascent
The climb up Sgùrr Mòr was quite steep, but there was again a clear path to follow. In some parts the path ran near the corrie edge, giving great views across the chasm. Its precipitous eastern face, which stretched 250m down from its summit to the corrie floor below, was impressive. It was a relief to reach the top, and good to know that I'd climbed the highest peak of the day, Munro number 4. I arrived in between the other two people, and we chatted in the pleasant weather for a while.
- From Sgùrr Mòr summit (nearest to furthest) Càrn na Crìche, Meall a' Chrasgaidh, An Teallach, and (right) Loch a' Mhadaidh
I then set off for Meall a' Chrasgaidh, while the other two went the opposite way. Seeing Meall a' Chrasgaidh in the distance beyond the Munro top Càrn na Crìche, and out on a limb like Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich (although this time not so far off the main ridge), and knowing that it would also take me to the furthest point from the start of the walk, made me have to overcome a certain reluctance after 5½ hours' walk to head out to it. Nevertheless, it would have been daft to have skipped it and left it for another time, so on I had to go. The descent of Sgùrr Mòr was quite steep with patches of boulders, although a slightly intermittent path helped.
- Looking back at Sgùrr Mòr
I next had to pass over Càrn na Crìche which lies on the main ridge. There wasn't a big climb up to it. When I got to the top, the views had improved due to the air becoming clearer. But Meall a' Chrasgaidh still looked like an unwanted effort.
- Meall a' Chrasgaidh from top of Càrn na Crìche
To get to Meall a' Chrasgaidh, I initially headed down part way towards the bealach on the main ridge on the way to Sgùrr nan Clach Geala.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala seen from below Càrn na Crìche
Soon I turned off north west down over a very broad grassy area to a somewhat boggy bealach at the foot of Meall a' Chrasgaidh. After this, there was a good 110m climb until it levelled out onto the summit plateau of Munro number 5.
- Meall a' Chrasgaidh summit ahead
When I was on the top, a raven flew around for a while, calling.
- Loch a' Mhadaidh with Beinn Liath Mhòr Fannaich behind, and Càrn na Crìche with Sgùrr Mòr behind, seen from Meall a' Chrasgaidh summit
It was nice to know that from now on I'd be heading back towards my bike. However, the sight of Sgùrr nan Clach Geala towering up above the bealach was rather daunting - it was like a huge wall. Only then did I realise that it is just 15m lower than Sgùrr Mòr. So another big 250m climb lay in store for the second last peak.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala seen from Meall a' Chrasgaidh summit - the photo makes it look small
When I got down to the foot of Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, there was no obvious path up, so I just had to head up the steep slope towards a relatively low part of its ridge. It only took 15 or 20 minutes to reach the ridge, but I needed a breather when I got there. From then on, there was a good path along the ridge all the way to the top. To the left of the path, the ridge fell away extremely steeply down into Coire Mòr, but to the right the slope was much more reasonable.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala summit ahead
After a 15 minute walk along the ridge, I reached the summit of Munro number 6, where there were the remains of a trig point which looked slightly lower than the nearby cairn.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala summit
The views were great, both over the cliff edge above the corrie, and all around.
- Meall a' Chrasgaidh looks very low from Sgùrr nan Clach Geala summit
I spent nearly 15 minutes there in the sun, enjoying the views and replenishing my stomach. The path then led on round the rim of the corrie to the end of the summit ridge.
- Corrie below Sgùrr nan Clach Geala's summit
- Looking across from end of Sgùrr nan Clach Geala's summit ridge to Càrn na Crìche and Sgùrr Mòr
From here, the final peak of Sgùrr nan Each came into full view. It looked as if it might involve more of a climb than I'd expected from seeing it earlier in the walk.
- Sgùrr nan Each seen from Sgùrr nan Clach Geala
The path now went down to the col Cadha na Guite. After that, the gradient for most of the ascent of Sgùrr nan Each was quite reasonable, allowing me to maintain a good speed, until it steepened for the final short stretch up to the summit ridge.
- Sgùrr nan Clach Geala seen from Sgùrr nan Each
- Sgùrr nan Each summit ridge
Finally I made it to the seventh and final Munro summit. The big question which had been preying on my mind was whether I still had any chance to be back in Strathpeffer before the Deli on the Square stopped serving food at 8.30pm.
- Loch Fannich from Sgùrr nan Each summit
I didn't stop long at the top before heading down towards the next hill on the ridge, Sgùrr a' Chadha Dheirg. The bealach before it, Cadha Dearg Mòr, strangely had a large area stripped of almost all vegetation and with bare small stones littering it. When I was approaching the bottom, I saw a herd of perhaps 30 deer off to the right, and as I walked on uphill again, several more groups of deer came up over the lip on the left to cross it, running quickly in the direction of the main herd when they saw me. I'd seen tracks up its eastern side, so this was evidently a busy crossing point for deer.
- Sgùrr a' Chadha Dheirg
By this stage, I couldn't see the point in more unnecessary effort, so I skirted round Sgùrr a' Chadha Dheirg to avoid climbing to the top. Once round it, there was a fairly steep, somewhat uneven, grassy slope down towards an extensive area of peat hags rising up the next small hill, Torran Ruadh. It wasn't obvious what was the best route to take past the hags, but I eventually decided on a way straight ahead which seemed to have less obstacles. In the event, by the time I was crossing the peat area, I couldn't really see the route any more, so I ended up having to do some meanderings before making it past the peat onto higher ground. Thank goodness a lot of the peat channels weren't too wet - it was frequently possible to walk on the peat without sinking in.
From the top of Torran Ruadh, I could see my whole route except for the two outlying hills. The first hill, An Coileachan, was well into the distance, and it hardly seemed possible that I'd actually walked all that way today. It was encouraging to now see the track back to the bike. Here, my water ran out, but I knew I'd be able to fill up again at a burn crossing the track below. The descent off Torran Ruadh was quite rough in places, but there was very little bog and soon I was on the track for the final nearly 2 miles to reach the bike. I was glad that there was no diversion sign in this direction approaching Fannich Lodge, so I could keep going directly to where I'd left the bike.
During the entire walk, the ground seemed much drier than I would have expected given that Scotland, and in particular the north west, has had a very wet summer. Often the ground seemed to be parched if anything. Very strange. Also, off and on throughout the walk a frog would leap out of my way, typically while I was quite high up and on relatively dry ground.
I changed over to my cycling gear as fast as possible to avoid the midges which began to appear, and soon I was back on wheels. After the initial climb above Loch Fannich, the road was unexpectedly almost all downhill, so I was able to cycle fast along a lot of it. The cycle out in the morning had taken 50 minutes, whereas the cycle back only took 30 minutes. I'd completed the outing tired but not out of energy.
Unbelievably, I made it back to the Deli in the Square in time to eat, with less than 5 minutes to spare before the kitchen closed. A satisfying trip all in all.