When FudHair messed first with my head & then with my knee!

[Graeme D]

After my outing the previous day with Nathan on Lui and Cleibh, my plan for today had been to head over to Arrochar and pick up Beinn Ime and the neighbouring Corbett of Beinn Luibhean. However a few people had pointed out that the ongoing issues with the closure of the main road up to the Rest And Be Thankful and the ongoing use of the old military road (due to persistent land slides), might mean that the parking arrangements could be a bit questionable. That and the fact that I couldn't really be arsed driving all the way round there meant that I took the opportunity to tie up a niggling loose end from 11 months ago.

I had initially intended to combine this Corbett with the neighbouring Graham of Beinn Damhain but on a stinker of a December day last year, I managed the Graham (just) but wisely bailed out of an attempt on the Corbett - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=38543

I bade farewell to everyone who was still mooching about the bunkhouse and scooted round to Glen Falloch. I was parked, booted and away by 9.40 and already the outlook was a million times better than it had been last December.

Someone's taking gate security a bit too seriously round here!

Along Glen Falloch to a snow dusted Ben More

On the track below Troisgeach Bheag

I chose to cut the corner on the walk in and go over Troisgeach Bheag rather than following the track to the junction - this involved a bit more ascent and rougher going but gave me better views along Loch Lomond. Maybe if I'd known the trouble I was going to get later from my left knee, I'd have stuck to the track.

Northern Loch Lomond from Troisgeach Bheag

I picked up the track once again a short distance before it turns north west around the foot of Troisgeach and heads into Gleann nan Caorann. I wasn't on it for long before taking to the eastern ridge of Troisgeach, up and under the power lines and into the weird and wonderfully knobbly terrain of Troisgeach, Meall nan Caora and of course, the objective, Meall an Fhudair, tucked secretly away at the back of the range.

Creag nan Caorann, Gleann nan Caorann and a distant Beinn a'Cleibh

Eastern slopes of Troisgeach below the pylon lines

That zip wire again!

Much like yesterday, the sun and the blue sky seemed to be fighting an ultimately doomed battle against the cloud and never quite managed to make a comprehensive breakthrough. It did partially succeed for a while on the Troisgeach - Meall nan Caora plateau and then again on the summit of Fhudair, but other than that, the cloud hung low and stubbornly over this gnarly, lochan studded, discombobulating terrain. There was never any real risk of becoming lost and getting into much serious trouble, but it was nonetheless very easy to become disorientated and I was having to work the compass like I haven't had to do in a while. It was almost like being back on assessment with Stuart Johnston and his guys again! If I'm being honest, I was actually relishing it!

Into the Death Zone

Lochan Troisgeach

On the Troisgeach to Meall nan Caora plateau

Lochan nan Caora

Summit of Meall nan Caora

I got a bit lazy at the summit of Meall nan Caora and, without stopping to take a compass bearing, realised that something was amiss. I had managed to "sling shot" myself around the top and was now heading off in completely the wrong direction. A bit of relocation work and a proper bearing then got me to Fhudair with no further incident.

One of many lochans between Meall nan Caora and the Corbett summit

But the navigational trickiness of this route was not my major concern today. My left knee was beginning to give me sharp twinges of pain on the ascent of Troisgeach and although it seemed to abate by the time I reached Meall nan Caora, it returned with a vengeance later. Walking on the flat (or at least what passed for flat up here) wasn't too bad, as was ascent, but stretches of descent had me wincing in agony, almost unable to bend my left knee.

I took a good half hour or so sitting at the summit of Fhudair, mostly just to enjoy a leisurely lunch and the amazing sense of isolation, but also to think through my options for the walk back out.

Blue sky summit on Fhudair

West from the summit

I'm smiling but my left knee is on fire!

I didn't fancy retracing my steps back through all that maze of knolls, false tops, crags and lochans. I also didn't like the look (on the OS sheet at least) of the descent due south towards the Allt na Lairige. In the end, I opted for the more gentle looking descent north east and then north through the wide shallow coire between the northern face of Meall an Fhudair and Sgairneach Mor. This would be longer but would hopefully be more gentle and, according to the OS at least, would lead me onto a marked path much sooner than the alternative routes.

Escape route north

Well balanced slab

Towards the Meall nan Gabhar - Beinn a'Cleibh bealach

The descent was excruciating, done mostly with gritted teeth and a poker straight left leg. At least I was on my own and not slowing anyone else down, but I did wonder at one point whether I would be able to make it off under my own steam, or at least before darkness fell.

Eventually I reached the first of the concrete water intakes that run along the north side of Sgairneach Mor and the going became easier on a grassy flat section that looked almost like it had once been an old railway line.

The first of many water "intakes" along the northern flanks of Sgairneach Mor

This eventually joined the landrover track at the pipeline and led me back to complete the loop at the foot of the eastern ridge of Troisgeach.

Pipeline heading north towards Lui and Oss

Hello there!

On the long limp back out Gleann nan Caorann

All that remained then was to agonisingly negotiate the steep, descending switchbacks of the landrover track back down into Glen Falloch.

Zoomed down Loch Lomond and the mighty Ben Lomond

After a few days of being unable to bend my knee much at all followed by a hideous grinding sensation and noise when I was finally able to, I went to the doc and was told that there does not appear to be any lasting damage. I have been told that there appears to be significant inflammation to the ligaments and that I should avoid the hills for 6 weeks or so.

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[SecretSquirrel]

With all those lochans and mist, that looks a very wet hill! Thats bad news about your knee It sounded a painful descent and return. Hope you'll be back on the hills soon!

ps ... laughed out load at the excessive amount of padlocks

[malky_c]

Bummer about the knee. Hope it sorts itself out. Some views this time, although you seem to have been more unfortunate than me in finding the clag (looks like the Bridge of Orchy and Glencoe groups won there on both days).