free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
For the second time in as many weeks myself, Quoman, Rottiewalker and Bear headed up the A9. This time the targets were Monadh Mor, Beinn Bhrotain and hopefully Sgor Goaith tagged on as well.
Five o'clock tolled and it was time to get up and get ready for the 6am departure from Stenhousemuir to Glen Feshie. We arrived at the car park and were out walking just before 9am. The wee road up the glen, to Achlean Farm and the track beyond, had been waymarked out as a mountain bike racecourse, but we didn't see any bikers and made good progress up to the very good path leading up to Carn Barn Mor.
In great weather, height gained quite rapidly and the views to the south over Glen Feshie opened up very quickly, after the trees were left behind.
Back behind us, to the west, Creag Meagaidh and last week's walk Beinn a'Chlachair, Gael Charn and Creag Pitirdh were all becoming more and more visible the higher we climbed.
The path up the hillside is excellent, but the sun was shining directly in our faces which I found to be a bit of a pain in the bum. The path is so good it was even marked with horeshoe prints. I wondered if you could hire a wee garron to take you up?
When this excellent path ends you are not far away from the cairn that marks a 4 way junction, to the left is Sgor Gaoith, straight on the Moine Mhor and to the right is Mullach Clach a'Bhlair. Quoman and Rottie had been speaking with a couple of ladies, who were heading over to Cairn Toul as I caught them up. After a quick bite to eat, we continued straight on, across the undulating land of the Moine Mhor. Soon a burn was forded and the summit of Tom Dubh was reached. We didn't linger here at all, just kept walking, and almost immediately forded the Allt Luinneag, which wasn't too difficult despite the water level being quite high.
All the time as we crossed the Moine Mhor me eyes kept getting drawn over to the north east, where Giants bide. The massive tops around Cairn Toul were and impressive sight and back over to the north west, the sheer drop off the eastern side of Sgor Gaoith caught the eye as well.
Despite it being our first destination, Monadh Mor couldn't have been further from my mind. It's a good hill, but it just has the unfortunate luck to be placed right next to some very grand hills indeed.
After crossing the Allt Luinneag we finally began to climb Monadh Mor itself. It's a pretty featureless slog up a combination on heathery, grassy and rocky slopes, until the ridge top is reached and the views of The Devil's Point and Glen Geuchasan come into view. The Glen feels a a long, long way down below.
Away in the distance Lochnagar and it's 4 outliers along with Mount Keen were clearly visible and making for a dramatic back drop to Deeside.
Once the ridge was gained, it's an easy walk up to the summit, where we enjoyed lunch with a stunning back drop.
From the top of Monadh Mor, Beinn Bhrotain doesn't look that far off and it isn't really. An easy walk south is followed by a turn east and a steep descent on gravelly ground, which could be a lot tougher in wet or icy weather. Around 90m is lost on the descent to the bealach, but once again my eyes were being drawn elsewhere, rather than the hill in front of me. Over to my left The Devils Point and Glen Geuchasan continued to steal the show.
However, Bhrotain was about to pull it's ace out of it's sleeve and throw a boulder field at us. It's not a particularly difficult one, but in sections it does seem to have those rocks that are just that awkward shape and size to move when you stand on them.
I was in my customary position of 4th out of 4 most of the way up, in fact all of the way up! While, Bear The Dug was already champing at the bit to be celebrating her 100th munro by the time I got to the top!
Easy as pie with 4 paw drive!
Second lunch was had in the shelter without the trig point and then it was back down Bhrotain and up Monadh Mor. At almost the bottom of Bhrotain I had the brief pleasure of meeting JMRussell and her walking partner. They had wild camped not far below Cairn Toul's summit and had tramped all the way across, well done to them, seemed like a monster walk!
Soon after another WH member was saying hello and I was falling even further behind Quoman and Rottie, who had to wait on me for the upteenth time... at least this time I had the excuse of a wee blether!
At the top of Monadh Mor, for the second time, the first munro I've climbed twice! We met an English guy, who had camped by Loch na Cnapan, which was the direction in which we now headed to make the attempt on Sgor Gaoith.
We had a choice to make, get back on the path, head back to the cairn at the 4 way junction and hang a right over to SG or cut directly across the country. We chose to cut directly across and it was a mistake. Being the least experienced and least fit, I quickly found the going too much after such a long walk up to MM, BB and back and time/light was definately against us. Perhaps Quoman and Rottie might've made it, but I knew I couldn't, not before it was dark anyway. So the team decision was to bail out at around Coire Odhar nan Each and just after 5pm.
Sgor Gaoith will be there another day and I recon I'll be back to do it soon along with Mullach Clach a'Bhlair, so in the end it won't mean at 2.5hr drive for just one hill anyway.
We summited Carn Ban Mor and quickly made our way back to the excellent path and in just about 75 minutes we were back at the motor. On the way were straffed by a glider, clearly in search of a thermal to give him lift. We watched as he was well below the height of the surrounding hills, but at what seemed like the last minute, he suddenly got lift and was on his way again.
We also spotted a straggler on the mountain bike race, who completely blanked us as we wished her well! Those bikes had turned the bottom of the path into a quagmire, but we skirted round the worst bits easy enough and before we knew it Achlean was back in view, with it's rusting Escort and Renault cars and the day was done.
