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Scoob had been planning this massive day trip for a while now. On holiday for a fortnight, we were off camping when the weather turned for the better. And so it was, the 2 of us set out on a grand adventure
Starting at Kinlochewe, we left the Slioch car park at 6am heading east on the bikes...
- 0613: cycling in
This was a good landrover track to begin with, then became more of an endurance test making me feel like I was in Scoob's boot camp!
We left the bikes a couple of hours after setting off, had a rest stop and then walked the last km or so to Lochan Fada. Our planned route was to take a direct line from the point where the path ends at the lochan straight across the peat hags up to the bealach between Tarsuinn and Mhaighdean. There was a faint, not too boggy, path hugging the lochside though so we followed this to begin with instead.
- 0903: skirting Lochan Fada
Quite a slog up, but we could soon see our first 2 summits
- 1010: Scoob (travelling light!) checks out summits 1 and 2
We were going for the 2 on the west first with the aim of getting across to the Corbett for our third summit to finish the round by heading across the rest of the summits to the south on the way back to the bikes. We would make a decision once up there, leaving options open for dropping right down to cross the river then up again, or keeping some height but taking a longer line around the rim of the glen.
- 1150: A' Mhaighdean summit
It took a bit longer than we'd thought to reach the first target, so after a quick break taking in the views we then headed for the next summit.
- 1233: Ruadh Stac Mor
- Fuar Loch Mor
- 1305: RSM summit view to Loch a'Bhrisidh and our next summit Chlaidheimh
Knowing it would be a gruelling trek back up the other side, we decided we'd just go for it anyway and take a line down to the river rather than the longer route around to keep the height. By the time we reached the river at the bottom and walked along to find a good crossing point, we'd certainly earned a few minutes of feet-soaking time!
- down we go!
- still going down!
- 1440: chilling! final summits in background
- An Teallach
By this time we realised this was taking an awful lot longer than we'd thought. With an 800m climb ahead of us Scoob started to talk of bail out plans and the possibility of not completing this round today... at which point I ignored him and carried on up the hill!
I also realised I shouldn't have listened to him when he insisted I leave the head torch at the bike to save weight!
Taking a fairly straight line up to the lochan we then had to make our way around it so we could leave the bags to 'nip up' our third summit of the day.
- 1609: view over to Sgurr Ban as we head around to join the path
Now I'd started to work out times based on Naismiths rule at our current pace to give a better idea of just how realistic this was...
- 1712: Chlaidheimh summit
We made it up to summit No.3 and back to the bags with 10mins to spare though, giving me renewed confidence to reassure Scoob that there was no way we were giving up!
Just about out of water between us, we aimed for snow patches (no yellow bits up here!) as we took a direct line up Sgurr Ban. Filled the water bottles and let the sun melt our 'slush puppies' as we carried on our way, taking fewer breaks now!
- 1853: Sgurr Ban summit
Even now Scoob was thinking we'd never make it! As he chatted to Munroman Graham on the phone
I did yet more calculations - less than an hour to the next summit and 1.25hrs to the last one, would mean we'd make it back to the bikes before sunset. Taking over the 'boot camp' I encouraged Scoob to get a move on
- down again!
- ups getting tougher!
- 1941: Fhearchair summit
We got here faster than I'd worked out that we would, now with only one more to go, so all doubts were gone!
- crossing Meall Garbh, the end is in sight!
- dropped off the bags again, this would be our route back down to the bikes
- 2054: Tarsuinn summit reached!
- slightly broken but happy man! :D
- wow that was a long way!
Straightfoward walk down the shoulder in a straight line back to the corner of the lochan, we were racing the sun back to our bikes!
- 2222: almost sun down!
We reached the bikes at 2224, still in dusk, and cycled most of the way back to the landrover track without needing the torches on. Well, Scoob cycled while I pushed my bike over the rough bits, bashing my shins off the pedals on the way
(ripped trousers and a gash in my leg as a final souvenir of the day!). Fun cycling out for the last bit though, we arrived back at the car just gone midnight. What a day!!
GPS track doesn't include the 2 summits where we'd left the bags (and my gps!)
