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A few weeks back found me driving the rollercoaster route beside Loch Arkaig in pursuit of the Munro Sgurr Mor and the Corbetts either side of Sgurr an Fhuarain and Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh. A lack of energy and enthusiasm resulted in an ultimately enjoyable substitute walk of the two nearby Corbetts of Fraoch Bheinn and Sgurr Mhurlagain.
Fast forward and I was again enjoying rollercoaster route beside Loch Arkaig in pursuit of the Munro Sgurr Mor and the Corbetts either side of Sgurr an Fhuarain and Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh. Met three lively women at the start, who were off to walk the Glendessarry three
- Start of the day at the parking area at Strathan
During the intervening period there had been a fair dollop of rain, so the already extremely boggy path I was going to have to navigate was no doubt going to be beyond boggy
And oh yes, it was well beyond boggy
The track up to the Feith a’Bhrolaich and then over to the Kinbreak bothy and over the River Kingie was perhaps the most boggy ground I have ever walked on
Until the walk back via the standard “in and out” route over the Feith a’Chicheanais that is
Thankfully my energy and enthusiasm levels were up at the start of the walk, enjoying the views back to Streap and the Glenfinnan Munros, resplendent with a partial inversion
- Partial cloud inversion.....looked better than the photo suggests
- Toward Streap and Co.......note the delightful boggy track
Despite the rain earlier in the week the weather was looking pretty good, with good breaks in the cloud and even a bit of heat on my back too
- And the route ahead
Once on the saddle Gairich came into view, looking pretty special
As was the “back” of Fraoch Bheinn
While the views might have remained, energy was easily sapped in the atrocious bog and slop that I was walking in
Walking either side of the poor excuse for a track was pointless too, as it was just as boggy, and with added lumpy ground to navigate
And the roaring of the stags was eerie too and at times a tad unnerving
Especially as at one point the path seemed to veer off toward the loudest of the roars
So, it was slightly slower progress than perhaps I’d hoped as I eventually arrived at the bothy. I’d thought of stopping here, but instead just pressed on. The crossing of the Kingie occurred without incident, but then the ground immediately following the river crossing was dire
Lumpy, boggy and a potential ankle breaker at every step. This was then replaced by more glorious boggy ground, which seemed to take an age to get through. As well as the bog there was plenty of water too. Too big to be puddles, but perhaps a bit small to be lochans.
- Lonely Glen Kingie
Eventually I arrived at the stalkers track that follows the lower reaches of the Sgurr Mor Sgurr an Fhuarain massif before swinging round the eastern ridge of Sgurr and Fhuarain and over toward Loch Quoich. This was the firmest track I had to walk on all day, but it was short lived as it made easy progress to the foot of Sgurr an Fhuarain’s east ridge.
- Glen Kingie again, as I ascend Sgurr an Fhuarain
At the point I planned to hit the ridge I took the chance for a quick rest and text to report in to MrsR
Then it was what turned into a slow slog up the ridge
From the base it looked not too bad, but I found it a bit more undulating than and confusing than I had expected. So, slower progress than I’d hoped for.
- View up the ridge
Still, there were great views back to Gairich and across Loch Quoich and the south Glen Shiel ridge
- Quoich
- South Glen Shiel ridge excerpt
- River Kingie
- Higher up the ridge
- Gairich
Just a shame the clag came in as I hit the summit
- Extensive summit views
By the time I made the summit of the Corbett my sense was that I was behind schedule and concerned about getting off the hill and over what I didn’t know at the time, but expected all the same to be, a boggy return track before losing the light. So immediately plans for Sgurr Mor were being shelved in my head.
Then, as I set off down the easy descent from Sgurr an Fhuarain the clag lifted and the view of the ridge up Sgurr Mor looked more than tempting
- Sgurr Mor looking inviting
- Still looking inviting
- Sgurr an Fhuarain
Arriving at the saddle I’ll admit I was very tempted, but after a few moments thought I decided to stick to my original decision. Can’t tell you how annoyed and frustrated I was feeling by the way the day was going, but with shorter days I didn’t fancy risking a boggy return in failing light. I’ve come to the conclusion these Glen Kingie hills have the Hoodoo on me
The return was a slow, steep descent off the side of the hill, followed by more bog and slop over the Kingie and up onto Feith a’Chicheanais. Clocked one of the locals giving me the stare from a distance
- Fraoch Bheinn
- Glen Kingie Boulder......with tree
- Glen Kingie
Just before the relative safety of Glendessarry House came into view I suffered a both-legs-up-to-the-knee bog experience, which just about topped of my day
Eventually back on the main Glendessarry track I was able to find a wee burn and wash my boots and trousers off, at which point the three lively women caught me up as they headed back. It seems there day had been far more fruitful than mine, as they had succeeded in ticking off their three munros
- Back in Glen Dessarry
As for me, I was a frustrated man as I set off home. That was one long trip for a single, measly Corbett
There was one special moment on the rollercoaster road back along the Loch though
