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I spent a comfortable night on the Lochan na h-Earba beach although from around 2.30am, sleep came only in short bursts as the wind got up and rattled my tent. Now pitching a tent on a beach in a stunning location such as this is all well and good, but as I'm sure you can imagine, tents pegs don't bite as well in sand as they do in more conventional wild camping terrain. Therefore it was probably less the wind and the subsequent splattering sounds made by rain on canvas that kept me awake as the nervous concern for the state of my pegs!
My alarm went off at 6.30 but once that was killed, the only sounds I could hear were the aforementioned rattling and splattering sounds. Not looking good for these tasty looking Grahams G!
I lay in my bag for a good hour or so and listened to the Sounds of Scotland Summer 2012 soundtrack playing outside. There was little point in getting up to make breakfast as it had struck me on the walk in last night that I had forgotten it! Still, some water had to be boiled for a caffeine hit to go along with a cereal bar originally earmarked for elevenses, so eventually I ventured outside to be greeted by weather that was not as bad as it had sounded but was still no great shakes by any means.
Early morning view from the front doorDark clouds massing to the south westHaving had my coffee and cereal bar, I attempted to get packed up and strike camp quickly while still being careful to take as little sand as possible with me - the stuff was clinging to anything it came into contact with. Whose idea was this anyway for a camping spot???
I was away by 8.20 and initially as I hiked along the good track on the south east side of the lochan, the weather looked like it might shape up. There was still a stiff breeze blowing but also suggestions that the sun might be about to make an attempt at breaking through. It was certainly a pleasant walk with no need at this stage for any heavy duty waterproof gear.
Low cloud clinging to the Ardverikie Wall of Binnein ShuasBinnein Shios and Creag a' ChuirShuas from the end of the first section of the lochBridge over the Allt a' MhaighNorth east along the second section Between the two parts of the loch, I had a decision to make - whether to stick on the track to the south eastern side of the water or to cut across and onto the track which runs along the north western shore of this half of the loch. The weather was now beginning to deteriorate again and I was unsure about the wisdom of continuing with my plan to do the two Grahams, but I decided to cut across, meaning I could either ascend up to the broad bealach between the two hills or continue along the loch shore and up onto Binnein Shios at the far end, although it was not at all clear from the OS map how feasible an ascent route that would be.
Crossing to the other sideNorth east from bridge at 488842South west from bridge at 488842I decided to continue along the shore even although the dark clouds were massing behind me and the white horses were becoming increasingly agitated as they rolled down the loch. There was a distinctly stormy feel about the place by now and it was quickly apparent that I had chosen by far the least appealing and most bog-ridden side of the loch, assuming of course that the track on the other side had continued in the same manner as it had started.
Bogfest!Weather going downhill fastBy the time I reached the weir at the far end, I had decided to can any notions of doing the two Grahams and was about to simply loop back around the other side of the loch and back out past last night's campsite when I had second thoughts about exiting this way, and pulled the OS map back out again to look at the options.
The weirWe have a Silver D of E assessment route that heads on it's final day from Culra down the River Pattack and out at Gallovie near the eastern end of Loch Laggan, but I had never been in the area between there and Loch Laggan so I decided to head through the forestry towards Loch an Righ and then out to the track running along the southern side of Loch Laggan. Before that however, I nipped over to the track on the other side just to check out how good it was, and while I was at it, I dumped my pack in the limited shelter offered by a tree and walked back along to check out the suitability as a campsite of the copse of trees on the little neck of land jutting into the loch, just in the off chance that a future D of E group comes this way.
Shios from beyond the weirHeading along to check out the copseSomeone has used this place before - Shuas in the backgroundBack at my pack - Plan B about to swing into actionThe walk out along Loch Laggan (with a short detour to check out Loch an Righ) was long but very enjoyable as the weather perked up, although it did still have one final heavy shower in store when I was only 10 minutes or so short of the car - oh come on weather gods! I'm cool with you putting the kaibosh on the two Grahams, but could you no just have cut me a wee bit more slack for another 10 minutes or so?????
From bogfest to puddlefestTsunami-like!I can't say I even realised there was such a thing!Loch an RighTall treesThis must have been some beast of a tree when it was still standing!Out onto Loch Laggan sideDon't fancy their chances of still being standing come the spring!An abundance of foxgloveEilean nan Tunnag comes into view aheadNearing Eilean nan TunnagShuas from the other sideCloud cover over Meagaidh groupThere were quite a few of these things lying on this stretch of the trackApproaching Moy Lodge and the end of Loch LagganBack along the loch to the north eastAn Cearcallach and Meall Coire Choille-rais behind Moy LodgeShuas from the westDescending the track towards Luiblea - Shuas looks almost Cobbler-esque from hereLuibleaWell, not exactly what was planned for today but I thoroughly enjoyed the alternative route as a way of rounding off a fine weekend. Mojo may not have come home just yet, but he's out there, alive and well, and I'm sure he'll be home soon in his own good time!