Beinn Mheadhoin

[litljortindan]

A day of small mishaps and long range visibility.
I already had misgivings about taking on a longer walk than normal but further west it wasn't forecast to clear until mid day so Beinn Mheadhoin suggested itself.
Ideally I would have arrived at the 1082m point for sunrise but I didn't quite manage. Nevertheless, the early morning light had still been dramatic enough to draw me up and over there and then down to the western end of Stac an Fharaidh.
At that point I wondered why I was bothering with trying to climb another Munro when I was enjoying being where I was so much, with only a slight regret that I hadn't made for sunrise. It had been a gloomy ascent up from the ski centre car park and I had managed to take the wrong path up to Fiacaill a; Choire Chais, or at least one inferior to the normal path, but breaking out into hilltops clearing of fog had made it all worthwhile.
Initially I told myself I'd at least have a look at the start of the descent from Coire Raibeirt to Loch Avon. So on and on I descended thinking someone had done a good job with the path. Towards the bottom, though, it became a lot more demanding of concentration to pick out the best route over the steep ground.
Eventually I reached a point opposite the obvious shortcut west. The was a little bit of an awkward paddle and then quick traverse of the burn bank to get to a decent section of path. The lochside kilometre of path after this was, I found, quite hazardous with plenty of holes for ankles and boulders to knock legs against. Indeed, I managed at one point to send my trailing leg smack into one such boulder and thought to myself that I should try to follow a different return route.
The going improved greatly after departing the lochside and I made my way easily up to the bealach beneath Stacan Dubha, all the time stopping to admire the clifftops of Selterstone Crag that I had visited in May 2016.
At teh bealch I briefly contemplated making my way up to Stacan Dubha but the ground full of holes and boulders put me off so I abandoned that notion and follow the main route up to Beinn Mheadhoin from there. If I'd had more energy I could, I suppose, have included Stcan Dubha in the descent route but it is now left for another time.
It was an easy if slow ascent to the start of the tors but it didn't take me long to get to the summit tor though I did the ascent full of concern over whether, frankly, my body would stay joined together. Well, I got up there anyway. Had a look around from the summit then went to descend but realised I could not easily reverse my way up this "easy scramble". I first try to ease my backside downwards to a point where I might stretch my left leg out to a secure point but it wold have been staying there by friction and too far for my right leg to stretch down beside it. I'd had a dream the night before of not being able to hold on where I'd got to on a scrambly descent and thinking back to that was enough to make me re-think the descent. The next obvious idea was to face the rock and pick out footholds but these would still have been uncomfortably far away. Logic suggested that short jump across and down to a better stance would be a better option and that's what I decided on.
One, two, three go! Nothing happened. I was frozen with, if not fear, then severe apprehension about what I was trying to execute and my body had clearly countermanded my head. "Man rescued from backside" screamed the imagined newspaper and social media headlines and that gave me the required motivation. Probably just a skip or step across for most other folk or even for a younger self but today it felt l had executed a dramatic self-rescue. That feeling might also have had something to do with remembering a dream from the night before. Normally I don't remember very much at all of dreams but in this particular dream I lost contact with a cliff top and fell. The ground closed in on me and then I was awake!
Feeling slightly out of my depth after than my less than elegant descent of the summit tor my next minor mishap involved dropping my camera onto a rock. No problem, I thought, as these things are probably drop tested. Sadly, the camera now boasts a damaged sensor. But on a happier note, its replacement is on its way.
After and while taking in the splendid views I made my way back to the bealach and contemplated and dismissed the option of ascending Carn Etchachan on the basis of it looking just a bit too steep for my various niggles to cope with.
That left me with the option of a longer walk back via Ben Macdui with the added attraction of seeing the views that I'd largely missed there when I visited in 1993.
I got a refill of water at the bealach but then struggled to stand up with cramp in both legs. Did some stretches and all was well but definitely day now for taking the easiest return option.
If I'd paid more attention to the map I'd have thought to follow the clifftops overlooking Coire Soutan Dearg but at least my plod up the path didn't provoke any aches or pains. Then, at the closest point of the path to the clifftop I was bowled over by the view into the coire. Doesn't really show in the photos I got but it is a truly dramatic spot.
More plodding to the top of Macdui ensued and there I was able to enjoy the views I'd largely missed thirty one years earlier.
Great views of Cairn Toul and Braeriach from the summit and Ben Nevis could be made out to the west.
Strightforward walk back to the car.


Not much to see but interesting that the herdsman has a dollop of cloud on top.





And there's a glow in the sky but...


Trouble ahead? The cloud is supposed to clear so my plan is just to plough on rather than waiting it out.




This photo doesn't do the scene justice but the sky really did look like it was on fire and this projected me onto a diversion to the 1082m point.


A bit too slow to catch the sunrise but not far off.






Interesting details on the horizon.


Approaching the 1082m point.


I have to say that at this point I was very happy bimbling about and even thinking of limiting the walk to another visit to Stac an Fharaidh.


Bynack More catching the early morning light.




The colours at this point were tremendous to behold.


In the other direction Shelterstone Crag was catching the light too. Eight years ago I had a memorable walk along that cliff top and I also had this in mind as a possible return route for Beinn Mheadhoin..




Not much of a photo but it does convey the intensity and redness of the light.


Beinn Mheadhoin beckons.








I slowly amble downhill towards Loch Avon. I decide I will at least have a look at the steeper part of the path.


Stac an Fharaidh.




The top of Shelterstone Crag catching the light.










Loch Avon way doon below.






The walk along that cliff top is highly recommended.










How tall I feel at this point.


Back on the path and ready to descend.




A bit of concentration required to negotiate some rocky steps beside the burn.




Getting onto the path on the other side of the burn feels like progress but I find the next kilometre a bit hazardous with boulders and one or two holes for ankles. Naturally I manage to bang my shin and that is quite sore but no major problem.










At last some relief from the boulders and I'm able to walk along the beach for short distance.








On the way up and onto a good path.


Part of my original plan was to divert to Stacan Dubha but the ground at its foot is full of holes and boulders of which I've had enough for one day.


So I continue along to the main route up Beinn Mheadhoin. I also look across at Carn Etchachan and decide this will be too steep an ascent for me which leaves a long loop via Ben Macdui as the most risk free option.


View south from half way up.


View west.


Braeriach appears on the western horizon.




And up onto the Beinn Mheadhoin summit plateau.






Looking down on Stacan Dubha -left for another day though in retrospect I could have diverted there from above, assuming less problematic ground to cover.




After a brief struggle, I mean easy scramble, I am at the top of the summit tor.


But the descent has me stumped for a few minutes, my recent dream of a fall very much at the forefront of my mind at this point.
I initially tried to edge my way down from a seated stance top left of photo but eventually realised that the easiest option for me would be to make a small jump left to right.
Once safely down I promptly manage to drop my camera and a dot appears in subsequent photos.




Bennachie on the eastern horizon.


Doesn't take long to descend back to the bealach and then set off up the Ben Macdui path.


The view into Coire Sputan Dearg from where the main path gets to its closest point is impressive and in retrospect I should have followed the cliff top before this.


Then it was an easy plod up to Ben Macdui to take in the views that I largely missed in 1993.
















Descending.
















Completing the loop.


Looking back.




On the last stretch of path back to the car. At some point along the way I managed to lose my headtorch which was bought in 2018 I think with a prize from the old Scottish Hills site.

Overall a good walk but one that had me concerned about the chance of an injury. I did start the day with a mild headache so maybe that had affected my coordination a little bit. Banging my shin possibly rattled me a bit too but still glad I took the long way back, not least for those views.