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A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:01 pm
by kevsbald
I was due to stay in the Black Isle for a week and the forecast was glorious. From Fortrose (apologies for the number of f's used in this post - I have omitted a few from the mauvais pas later on), I drove to the car park, not far from Loch a Bhraoin. I was there for 0730 and although it was a hot one, there was a welcome breeze. The view over to A'Chailleach and Sgurr Breac was clear, as was my intended route up the Toman Coinich 'nose'.
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The day ahead
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Up the Drum Reidh
I padded down to the loch and made my way over the bridge before starting the ascent up Toman Coinich. It was quite steep but this made for rapid ascent and the views just got better and better. The route up is easy enough and you can walk up in between any crags. It wasnae long before I was up on the Drum Reidh plateau and the two Munro's for the day were clear. However, much to my chagrin, so was An Teallach - it looked absolutely brilliant - I was beginning to wish I had set out for that hill instead.
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The majestic An Teallach
No matter, after my swig-stop, I headed up towards the summit of Toman Coinich - be careful here - a path starts taking you away from the highest point and down towards the lochan below A'Chailleach.
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A'Chailleach
I had to re-ascend slightly and once at the cairn, I chose Sgurr Breac to bag first.
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Sgurr Breac
The path up is defined and the going fairly easy. Once on to the summit, there are ample 'seats' to sit and admire the view, most notably over to the impressive Sgurr nan Clach Geala and an interesting gouge out of its side.
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Sgurr nan Clach Geala
I didn't linger too long as I wanted to get over to A'Chailleach - the old lady - the Juventus of hills, if you will. From re-traced steps up to Toman Coinich, it was good footing down to the bealach before the ascent up to my 2nd objective. The path takes you nicely beside some vertical drops down towards the lochan but nothing too exposed. Belly rumbling, I reached the 2nd summit of the day in 3 hours and a wee bit of lunch - nothing fancy for today's lunch as date at Anderson's was on the cards.
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A'Chailleach looking over to An Teallach - damn!
I checked the map and decided to head directly down to Loch a Bhraoin, which is fairly unremitting but gives a quick descent. Because conditions were dry, this posed no problems but not sure about a descent in wet conditions. Anyhoo, before long I was back at the head of Loch a Bhraoin and relaxing from a great day on the hill. Just the small agricultrural matter of getting past some cows and a little bit of boggy ground. One small step for Kev and one giant leap for.....splosh!!!!! :( The ground was bog and I disappeared up to my waist in some foul, disgusting and unpalatable shecht. I managed to pull myself out, spitting crap out of my mouth and cursing as I went. I was covered in plabber and the cows watched me in the same way as I had laughed at them cooling off in the loch.
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Happy as a cow in water....
They were almost smiling as I submerged myself in the Loch to remove as much cowcrap/bog as possible. I got most of it off me but there was some orange tint to my skin - I had been cow-tangoed. The 3 mile run back to the car allowed me to dry off but it was a sour end to a sweet day. 7 days on and my public health brain has been in over-drive - Crypto, E. coli, Giardia??? So far so good but I'll never forget the Fannaich-faecal feast before Fortrose!

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:52 am
by mountain coward
LOL! :lol: Believe me, cows have a great sense of humour and would most certainly be laughing at you! Half the time, when a whole herd charges you, they do it for the hell of it and a laugh at your expense :)

I was just going to post that walk (done a different way) in the next few days so now I'll probably just put a few comments on here instead (didn't get any good pics as the weather was cr*p! That path you say heads down to the loch doesn't - we took it - it takes you to the col between Toman Choinnich and A Chailleach - not easy going and doesn't save time but saves an extra climb up Toman Chonnich. We did A' Chailleach first from that col, then Toman Chonnich and lastly Sgurr Breac. From there we descended to the pass which goes to Loch Fannich.

I was in dread looking at the start of the ascent up Toman Choinnich's ridge but you're right, a great track wends it way through all the crags/difficulties etc. with no fuss. When I looked back down from the top I thought that I sure wouldn't have gone down that way if I hadn't come up it first - it just looked like a huge drop off!

Enjoyed the photos - wondered what it all looked like!

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:41 am
by kevsbald
Ah, so that's where the path went. I did wonder but I had decided I wanted to top out on Toman Coinich so no matter.
Pity you never got the views. I could have taken hunners o photos - over to Slioch and even as far as Canisp, I think. Sorry I gazumped your post!

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:29 am
by canisp
kevsbald wrote:One small step for Kev and one giant leap for.....splosh!!!!! The ground was bog and I disappeared up to my waist in some foul, disgusting and unpalatable shecht.

Priceless…… :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: ……sorry :oops:

ps enjoyed the report :D :D

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:16 pm
by kinley
:lol: :lol:

Excellent 8)

And you got a clear day in the Fannaichs - I didn't think they ever cleared 8)

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:08 am
by monty
Hi Kev, I never thought you were the type for mud wrestling :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:30 pm
by Paul Webster
Great report. I think we descended from A'Chailleach along the ridge and then down into the coire, then down by the stream but across the moor, not near the loch. However it was still very wet. :shifty:

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:49 pm
by AlyBalyBee
The only disapointing thing about your report was that there was no picture of you covered in dung! Possibly hard to do if you were on your own, and I'm sure at the time it was the last thing on your mind, but my, it would have been a classic. It's swine flu that we're all worried about rather than cow flu, so I'm sure you'll be all right....

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:21 am
by kevsbald
I have a photo of me with what looks like an orange head - I'll post it later.
Day 9 - still no symptoms!

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:45 am
by kevsbald
See orange half of head

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Semi-submersed head

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:20 pm
by monty
Hey Kev, you should nip back up there and bottle that stuff. You could sell it as fake tan at car boot sales :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:14 am
by Graeme D
Fantastically farcical report! Did this fiasco unfold on a Friday by any chance? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: A face full of faeces in the Fannaichs

PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:57 pm
by Rekrab
great report, i've done the Sgurr morr 4 in the fannichs and can't wait to get back up north to finish them one ofthe guys we went up with did some crazy hitchhiking and finished all 21 munro's in 10 days the Fanniichs, ben wyvis, Cornival, assynt, an teallach you name it what a man.

MacKenzie,