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The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs


by Mountainlove » Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:38 pm

Munros included on this walk: A' Chailleach (Fannichs), Meall a' Chrasgaidh, Sgùrr Breac, Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, Sgùrr nan Each

Date walked: 06/09/2013

Time taken: 14 hours

Distance: 29.4 km

Ascent: 2683m

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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby Johnny Corbett » Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:03 am

I did 5 of these recently and when heading for no.3 couldn't quite figure it out where it was as i thought i could only see two Munros. It was then i checked the map to see it was the little that looked like it was part of the big one. I'd suggest a proper map as Essan has said and fold it to the route required and stick it in a waterproof map case.
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby PeteR » Sat Sep 14, 2013 9:45 am

An interesting report Mountainlove. Glad to see that it turned out ok in the end :D

I think we've all had our "bad hill" days, where it just goes from bad to worse...........I know I have. Mine was the south glen sheil ridge a few years back :shock: Although the middle three Fannaichs got me confused at one point too and I found myself on Carn na Criche rather than Meall a Chrasgaidh and enjoying a similar steep descent off the wrong side of the hill as you had :(

Thanks for posting such an honest report of your experience though. Always useful for visitors to the site to realise how easily things can go wrong, even for the best of us.

Great photo of An Teallach by the way :D
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby pollyh33 » Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:19 pm

Edge of my seat stuff ML :shock: :shock: :shock:

I was reading this constantly reassuring myself that if you were able to post the report you must have made it back safely :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby Mountainlove » Sun Sep 15, 2013 11:20 am

BlackPanther...That makes me feel so much better..at least I wasnt the only one who thought it did not look like 2 mountains. The 'accident' you had made me laugh...but sometimes it is so easy to make them

ceaser...
Yeah sometimes it sucks being alone...but at least I had no one who could blame me after.

Graeme D...
Your friend sounds fun...'Oh what went wrong, made me laugh :lol:

kevsbald...Yep sometimes it is the little things which make up for it all.

brpro26...Half of the Munros I have walked I did solo. Taking pictures of yourself with a self timer is a second sign of madness? Lol happy to join the bunch of mad people who for later remembrance do the same, apart from having no photo at all. 8)
As for tents during my trip up north I had 3 tents with me... that might be a bit mad...but different occasions need different tents. As for accidents...they happen everywhere...had my worst whilst doing a 3 inch jump up a pavement close to home- resulted in a weeks hospital visit with 3 slipped disks- so far in the hills nothing happened- probably due to missing pavements. :lol:

gaffr..Agree with the tents...although mine consists of a pop up tent for midge infected areas (pitched in less than 1 min) and a more sturdy one for heavy rain and storms...and my wee backpacking one for overnight trips in the hills.

PeteR...Thank you...it is always harder writing an honest report, but as you said...it is not always wonderful and easy and maybe just as well...brings us all back to reality of being mortals

Polly...Thank you...of course I made it back...although without the decision of missing out the remaining 4, I still might be wondering up there :o
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby rohan » Tue Sep 17, 2013 1:41 pm

Great honest report, with learning points for all. I recently had to bivvy cos I couldn't find my tent. I was only 200 metres from where I had left it but the light had failed, weather had deteriorated to high winds and rain and I had taken far longer than I planned on my walk, was exhausted and felt that I needed to rest up ( this was before I was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid and hadn't realised that I basically wasn't up to the walk BIG MISTAKE). I spent a pretty miserable and cold night (but dry in my bivvy bag) doing maths in my head to ensure I wasn't succumbing to hypothermia but wondering who was going to check that I was right! I decided not to expose my mistakes on this forum so hats off to you for this.
BTW you may already know but your dragonfly was a Azure Hawker. It was probably suffering from the cold and wet too, enabling you to pick it up. http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/azure-hawker
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby Mountainlove » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:09 am

rohan wrote:Great honest report, with learning points for all. I recently had to bivvy cos I couldn't find my tent. I was only 200 metres from where I had left it but the light had failed, weather had deteriorated to high winds and rain and I had taken far longer than I planned on my walk, was exhausted and felt that I needed to rest up ( this was before I was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid and hadn't realised that I basically wasn't up to the walk BIG MISTAKE). I spent a pretty miserable and cold night (but dry in my bivvy bag) doing maths in my head to ensure I wasn't succumbing to hypothermia but wondering who was going to check that I was right! I decided not to expose my mistakes on this forum so hats off to you for this.
BTW you may already know but your dragonfly was a Azure Hawker. It was probably suffering from the cold and wet too, enabling you to pick it up. http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/azure-hawker


OMG that sounds like a hellish night. Doing maths in your head (good idea- thats if you like maths :wink: )
I think more people should post honest reports...as you said you learn and thanks to you I have now made a mental note to GPS mark my tent as well! Just as well that you had a bivvy bag with you! A night out in the rain without any cover must be horrendous.

Many thanks regarding the dragon fly info :clap: . I did not know the name of it, or that it native to Scotland...lovely animals they are!! :D
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby rohan » Sat Sep 21, 2013 1:21 pm

Just as well that you had a bivvy bag with you!


I carry one instead of a survival bag. Its great esp if I change my mind and stay out on the hills if the weather is good. This time it was the opposite! I was also wearing my grandfather's kilt which is a great warmer. I put all my spare clothes on; my gloves on my feet, and stuck my hands under my fleece,
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby EvanandEarth » Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:04 pm

What a great read Mountainlove - Your candid writing had me laughing out loud throughout, particularly this:

The remaining fuel table only managed to heat the water to a luke warm temperature and opening the instant noodle pack I had brought along, I realized that the seasoning was missing. Half cooked, luke warm noodles without any flavour are rotten :cry: and without any motivation to even brush my teeth I tried to sleep.

LOL! :)

Nightmare on the Fannichs indeed :)
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby gaffr » Sun Sep 22, 2013 2:56 pm

Maybe I missed this in the report etc. Is it possible to ask which Global Navigation Satellite System was being used?
I mean was it one without a mapping facility included.....at a guess I maybe thought that it would be one of these that you were using?
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby cathy123 » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:30 am

You have experienced it ,which is your fortune in your life . And it will give you more than a usual travel can give you, I believe .And on usual I will hug a plush which I bought from toyswill.com when I am sleeping .It give me much sense of safety !
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby balgonie » Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:38 pm

i did 7 of the 9 couple of months ago in similar conditions day 1 hellish weather day 2 better weather... relief!! wasn't looking forward to another soaking...
i to headed off in the wrong direction, but fortunately for me realised at a relatively early stage, i felt your pain ML you kept your nerve and battled on, awesome, honest report i was with you everystep of the way reading it

WELL DONE :clap:
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby Mountainlove » Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:50 am

rohan wrote:
Just as well that you had a bivvy bag with you!


I carry one instead of a survival bag. Its great esp if I change my mind and stay out on the hills if the weather is good. This time it was the opposite! I was also wearing my grandfather's kilt which is a great warmer. I put all my spare clothes on; my gloves on my feet, and stuck my hands under my fleece,


Thats such a good idea. Survival bags are ok...but I guess a bivvy bad would really get you through the night in a slightly more comfortable way. Wearing your grandfather kit? I now have an image of you in tweat :wink: but why not the olden stuff was probably warmer than some of the stuff you get today :D

EvanandEarth wrote:What a great read Mountainlove - Your candid writing had me laughing out loud throughout, particularly this:
The remaining fuel table only managed to heat the water to a luke warm temperature and opening the instant noodle pack I had brought along, I realized that the seasoning was missing. Half cooked, luke warm noodles without any flavour are rotten :cry: and without any motivation to even brush my teeth I tried to sleep.

LOL! :)

Nightmare on the Fannichs indeed :)


Many thanks. Even though I am trying hard to forget the taste of 'those' noodles it is hard and I haven't had a pack since :lol:

gaffr wrote:Maybe I missed this in the report etc. Is it possible to ask which Global Navigation Satellite System was being used?
I mean was it one without a mapping facility included.....at a guess I maybe thought that it would be one of these that you were using?


Oh it was equipped with the right map -down to 25.000 (Memory Map), but without any battery power left, even the most advanced system would have been useless. :roll:

balgonie wrote:i did 7 of the 9 couple of months ago in similar conditions day 1 hellish weather day 2 better weather... relief!! wasn't looking forward to another soaking...
i to headed off in the wrong direction, but fortunately for me realised at a relatively early stage, i felt your pain ML you kept your nerve and battled on, awesome, honest report i was with you everystep of the way reading it

WELL DONE :clap:


Many thanks and well done for doing all 9 of them :clap: Yeah one day of bad weather is ok ...two in a row awful!
Although I now will have to make sure that I will do the remaining 4 in perfect conditions to make up for it :D
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Re: The darkest day- nightmare on the Fannichs

Postby Fcfraser » Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:09 pm

Jeez.... I can relate to that, to some degree... I was meant to do some of them last week, parked at wrong car park! but at least I bagged two and redeemed myself!

Yours was a real learning curve! well written and you were safe!
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