
Car Park

View of Spidean Coinich from Lodge...

Into the "Milkpail"

Rod, Sick Kid and myself (who for the day shall be called Sick Weasel) forged ahead - the other two blithely stepping through the terrain, me dragging my semi-lifeless corpse around after them. As well as being windy, the clouds were down low and a haze sat in the air. No indication at this point what our visibility might be later in the day. We tramped over the slabs of Creag Mhor, Sail Gharbh topped by a layer of cloud and what seemed to be a considerable amount of ascent and descent coming our way

Sail Gharbh in cloud topped condition

The peaks ahead...

Spidean Coinich pops out of cloud

SK & the Rodmeister at summit 1

Ridge

Looking back...

View down to lochan

Approaching Sail Gorm

Spidean Coinich, Suilven to the R

Sail Gharbh from the bealach

Poseur's paradise...

...and accompanying view

Path to Sail Gorm

Rod & SK battle the wind

We then retraced our path back to Baithach Cuinneige, meeting Scoob on the way, though I was still in a far from human state

Return journey...

Rod contemplates where we've been

Approaching top of Sail Gharbh

Sail Gorm

Rocky approach

Summit 3

Queasy Weasel

View to the W

WH Laggards just getting over to Sail Gorm now...

The descent to Bealach a Chornaidh was straighforward, sandy beach at the end of the lochan there and some great views back up to Spidean Coinich. Then a long tramp over the boglands to return to the car - eventually dragged myself there feeling done in. We'd talked the night before about making it up Glas Bheinn, just over the road, but I don't think I could have managed it in the shape I was in. Back to the lodge and a couple of hours kip and I was feeling more human, managed some food and able to join in a good evening of banter and quiz. Stuck to drinking water, mind

Descent


Spectre-stone

View back to Sail Gharbh from track


Stats

Quiz night...


Next day we were up early, partly due to the clocks going forward and having to vacate the Lodge by 10.30. Another windy but dry day. Took leave of the weekend companions, some of whom were looking a bit fragile, but most hale and hearty, discussing what they were going to try today - I do hope Hutchy1 didn't head up Wyvis as he planned as he may have been blown off the other side

Scoob & the Weasel - Corbetting rivals


Lodge

Canisp from the road

Cloud on Conival

Slab "pavement"

Nearing the top

Note lack of view behind...

Spectre

After 15 mins or so I finally got what I wanted to see - Suilven looming like a ship out of the clag, with her covers still on, but the wonderful, unique shape of the hill there to see. Snapped picture after picture as the clag came ond went - sometimes you'd see her then, as if a mighty magician brought down his veil, she was gone again. Eventually, cold fingers encouraged us to head back to the car, past a dried up river-bed. Conival was coming out of her covers too as we wandered back.
There is something there...

Yay! Suilven



Dry river-bed

Conival

Stats

The walk had taken us 4.5 hours - there was still too much day to do nothing with, so we headed up for a peek at the Bone Caves. A pleasant walk up the side of the Allt nan Uamh in sunshine (sunshine!!) and we reached the caves, a pair of ravens perched above on Creag nan Uamh. Interesting place this.
On the way back down, spotted the underground spring - Fuaran Allt nan Uamh coming mysteriously out of the ground at a fair flow rate. Pleasant little waterfalls further down too. Back at the car and a drive to Ullapool for a fish supper, warm enough (just) to sit on the front eating that.
Off to the bone caves




Valley

Source of underground stream



As you do...

Snap on the road to Ullapool...

Ullapool harbour

Campsite

Plan was to drive down to the start of the walk on the Gairloch road and look for a spot to wild camp, heading off early the following morning and getting 3 - or maybe 5 - of the Fannaichs done. Found a perfectly serviceable spot just south of the car-parking area and settled down for an early night, knowing we had a big day ahead. There was little traffic overnight to disturb us, although a very inquisitive grouse did come right up to the tent at one point and made some investigative noises then a loud cackle-burble which was a bit amusing. Managed to get set off by 7.15 on monday morning, which wasn't bad, give the clocks change, and set off down the track to the boat house, where we spied a little tent. Didn't - stupidly - take the new track off to the left, so ended up having to climb the deer fence to get out of the boat house area. Then back to the track and some confusion about what hill we were actually going up first, me mistaking Sgurr nan Clach Geala for Meall a'Chrasgaidh as is so easy to do

SnCG & SB from the track

Boat House

Bridge, MaC behind


An Teallach

SB & A'C

Morning mist in the valley

Last section to MaC

Sgurr Mor comes into view

pano from top MaC

Heading to the top of MaC there were good views over to the western Fannaichs and - though I didn't realise it at the time, to the Fisherfield hills. Right at the top of MaC, the impressive form of Sgurr Mor reared up - we'd been up there 2 weekends before and seen nothing, so I was especially grateful for the views today. Particularly impressive were the crags of Creag A Mhadiadh and the loch below. Sgurr nan Clach Geala looked imposing from here, a serated edge swathed in snow. We sauntered down to the bealach of Am Burach, found a little shelter to stop at to put crampons on and headed up the steep snow clad side of SaCG, keeping well away from the edges as there was still risky looking cornicing around. Up to the summit, gingerly stepping out to the smashed trig point and what views - back round the horseshoe to An Coileachan, where we'd laboured under blizzard and high winds seeing nothing, then on to the snaking sinuous ridge to Sgurr nan Each. The snow was gone from the south facing slopes of SnCG so off with crampons, ditch packs by a big rock at the bealach and nipped up SnE unencumbered. As it's only about 100m ascent from the bealach it was a skoosh with good views to Loch Fannaich albeit through the sunhaze and back to the horseshoe. Then back to the packs and 3 Munros done before lunchtime

Pretty in pink - top MaC

SnCG

Creag a'Mhadaidh

SnCG from the bealach


eastern Fannaichs

Sgurr Mor

SnCG

View to Western Fannaichs, Fisherfields beyond

Happy weasel

Sick Kid on Sick Trig

Towards SnE

Ridge SnE

View back up the horseshoe

Summit SnE

Looking N from top SnE

Sick Kid had been feeling a bit knackered, but fortunately was restored by lunch and up for adding in the two western hills, Sgurr Breac and A'Chailleach. This did mean a bit of a drop to 550m into the valley floor before heading back up to 999m. Ach well, it was a cracking day for it. The descent was reasonable, bit boggy in places and we made for a big rock at the eastern spur of SB - looked easy enough up from here, helped by finding a great path that led up. Impressive waterfall over in Coire Saobhaidhe, just a great day to be out.
Sgurr Breac from SnE

Waterfall SB

Path up SB

An Teallach

View to Loch Fannaich

Summit SB

West to A'Chailleach

Reached to flat top of SB without too much effort at all and enjoyed to views - An Teallach making an appearance again, cornice remnants all around. Down a stony path to Bealach Toll an Lochan then on to the final hill of the day, the Old Woman. Another snaking ridge then summit reached - two small cairns of similar height. We'd wondered which descent route to take - either head downby Sron a Goibhre or head back to the bealach and along the longer, gentler spur of Druim Reidh. We chose the former, mostly as the thought of re-ascending to Toman Coinnich was unappealing, but this probably would have been the easier route - it was very windy on our path down to Sron a Goibhre, with pellets of ice being whipped up from the cornice and smacking into face and nexk like tiny bullets. After the Sron, there was a steepish descent to boggy ground by the loch, then an ATV track of sorts to follow down the stream, then turning NE around the head of Druim Reidh, watching for one craggy bit very close to the path. Finally the path runs south of Loch a'Bhraoin, with a stile to climb into an area where drainage and new trees have been planted, leaving digger scoops full of water - wouldn't like to try and get across here in the dark!. We could then see the boat house at the end of the Loch and gratefully got back onto firm track, getting back to the car in under 10 hours. The weather was still beautiful, the effect of full sun in the face leaving us like a couple of berries, as we made the last few metres up the road, the pinnacles of An Teallach alluring in the distance.
Towards top AC

Sick Kid getting her 5 a day (now increasing to 7 a day I hear...)

Descent route

Lochan



Mind the crags

Loch a'Bhroain

View back to Boat House

Car with compelling backdrop

Stats
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