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Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:36 pm
by JonAksel
This is just a trip report from May, so far the best weekend of 2012.
This is the route walked:

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


You take a chance and leave the long Johns and woolen inner mittens at home. The weather forecast is good. Then you set off to Glen Affric on Friday afternoon. It's a long way so you have to camp somewhere near Cannich late in the evening and it is almost no night. Saturday morning you are ready to walk from the car park near Loch Affric.
You want to see the old pine forests of Glen Affric and this view meets you.

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Then you walk up to Toll Creagach and follow the ridge to Tom a'Choinich and Carn Eighe. You will meet a couple from netherlands on the way to the Tom. They walk from Glasgow to the northern parts of Scotland.

This is what you see on your way along the ridge

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Don't make your compass bearing too near this one.

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You are tired after a long walk and choose to camp between the twin peaks of Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail. It is very exposed and you are happy in your reduced to clear solo tent. And you don't know anything about hurricanes.

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This is your food. It is really dynamite like the text on the tin. You are lucky that this is a solo trip.

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This is your evening view to the west. You read about the Dubliners and fall asleep after the first page.

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In the morning you decide that you can't leave Beinn Fhionnlaidh behind. You go there without your luggage. Then you think: There are no cloudes anywhere. It is going to be a very dry summer. It is no wind. On the way back to your camp you find cold water where the stream is starting. And it is coming from nowhere.

This is the Beinn Fhionnlaidh: You are alone in Scotland.

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Then you pack your things and you go to Mam Sodhail. The cairn on top is enormous. And you are small. It is the biggest cairn you have seen in your life.

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This is another small surviver on your way. You are taking care not to step on it.

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Now you want to go to the far away mountain that you have seen all day. It will be your first Sgurr. The name is not pronounced like it is written. Twenty meters from the summit you meet a translator on the way down. You are very tired and should have spoken more. But you don't know what language you are talking. The translator can see that you are tired. You take the other ridge down back to your left behind rucksack and second camp. There is another energy bomb waiting for you there:

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If you have Dracula tendencies this food will cool you down.

You think about all the rain gear you were carrying on your back.

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These things were not applicable this time.

You have a long way to walk back to the eastern side of Loch Affric tomorrow.

The next day after a few hours walking you look back to this view, and you know you are lucky.

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Re: Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 6:29 pm
by andrewdoggett
Fond memories of this weekend...

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21667

Did we see you along the way????

Gorgeous hills; great photos... 8)

Re: Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 10:25 pm
by JonAksel
andrewdoggett wrote:Did we see you along the way????


In the time window 1744-2031 on 26th may I was somewhere on the ridge between Toll Creagach and Carn Eige like you were. We followed the same route but opposite directions, so by the principle of continuity we must have met at one point.
Most likely is that point near Carn Eiges eastern ridge. I remember that I met some swift moving people there that possibly could be you.
Three consecutive days of sunshine.

Re: Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:54 pm
by GariochTom
Nice concise report, and some great pictures :)

Re: Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:04 pm
by robertphillips
Well done, done these that same weekend. a really hot day. :clap:

Re: Glen Affric 2012

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:18 pm
by monty
A nice report Jon.... I remember the weekend well. I got cooked :lol: