So it made for an interesting journey. By the time I'd had a bit of food going thru Glencoe I felt better however and quite enjoyed the plunging ups and downs of the single track road - other than when we met the "Horses" truck on a blind summit (and there are very many blind summits on this road). I'd used googlemaps to scope out a possible camp-spot near the start of the walks and was pleased to see that it met the bill very well, and that it was free of other campers - lots of fisherfolk tents elsewhere along the loch. So we pitched, had a quick beer then off to bed - for some reason I had a sound night - can't think why 
Driving along Loch Arkaig
P1070475 by Al, on Flickr
P1070478 by Al, on FlickrPitch
P1070480 by Al, on Flickr
P1070481 by Al, on FlickrSaturday morning was a beauty - looking out across the loch in dazzling sunshine, over to the right is Sgurr Thuilm, still snowy-capped. A leisurely breakfast in the sun, then we decide just to leave the tent up and the car by
it and walk the extra 0.5km to the gate. More campers down by the loch by the gate, and a new car-parking area that doesn't feature in googlemaps. Our target for today were Sgurr Mhurlagain and Fraoch Bheinn. Being in this part of the world I was expecting steep and rocky as the order of the day - not what was delivered by any means. The tarmac track is exited with a right turn up the hillside marked for Tomdoun that passes alongside the Dearg Allt then crosses over some boggy ground on the way to the start of the shoulder of Sgurr Mhurlagain. It's just a grassy stroll the whole way up! Certainly not a Sgurr from this direction. There are pretty views along the miles of Loch Arkaig and the scenery is dominated by the Glenfinnan hills in the South - Thuilm and Streap being joined by the bulk of Gaor Bheinn and the lesser height of Braigh nan Umahachan as one climbs and gains a fuller view. A microlight appears from the Glenfinnan direction, circles around the peak of Thuilm before returning - what a glorious view they must have had today. View from the tent - Saturday morning
P1070484 by Al, on FlickrThuilm & Streap
P1070486 by Al, on FlickrBarrack ruins
P1070487 by Al, on Flickr
P1070488 by Al, on FlickrWarning!
P1070544 by Al, on FlickrTrack going up hillside on R
P1070489 by Al, on FlickrGlenfinnan Pano
P1070493 by Al, on FlickrHillpath
P1070494 by Al, on FlickrFraoch Bheinn
P1070495 by Al, on FlickrMhurlagain
P1070498 by Al, on FlickrGaor Bheinn
P1070499 by Al, on FlickrStreap & Thuilm again
P1070501 by Al, on FlickrEasy for a Knoydart-ish hill - the rounded back of Mhurlagain
P1070502 by Al, on FlickrBig Ben
P1070506 by Al, on FlickrLoch Arkaig
P1070507 by Al, on FlickrAs we gain more height views to the northwest open up, with the long ridge from Gaorich to Sgurr Mor and beyond, in the distance, Sgurr na Ciche and Ben Aden. There's some snow held in the north facing corrie at the summit plateau of Mhurlagain as we cross the summit and go out to the Northeast promontary. Coming back the wind is cold as it has been blown up over the snow lined corrie. We retrace our steps for a bit then descend to the Feith a'Bhrolaich and stop for a languorous lunch in the sun. We look up at the face of Fraoch Bheinn, pick a line to the left of the crags near the top to ascend by and enjoy a modest meander up the grass, disturbing a pair of ravens who are presumably nesting somewhere round here as they chatter away to us for a while before flying off in disgust. A few wee scrambly bits (should you be so inclined) and the top of Fraoch Bheinn is reached. There's the odd snow patch, some with large footprints - either a Yeti or perhaps Scoob who was up here last week. We cross from the summit to the North top and enjoy views across the mix of Munros and Corbetts in Dessarry/Knoydart. Bidean a'Chabhair looks particularly impressive with its twin peaks. We can see the curving horseshoe of Sgurr Cos na Breachd-Laoidh, tomorrow's hill.
The Quoich Hills
P1070511 by Al, on FlickrAlong the ridge towards Sgurr na Ciche
P1070512 by Al, on FlickrQuoich Pano
P1070513 by Al, on Flickr
P1070521 by Al, on FlickrFraoch Bheinn
P1070523 by Al, on FlickrAscent
P1070524 by Al, on FlickrCarn Mor & Bidean a'Chabhair
P1070527 by Al, on FlickrSummit Fraoch Bheinn
P1070528 by Al, on Flickr
P1070531 by Al, on FlickrView across to Mhurlagain
P1070533 by Al, on FlickrNorth Pano
P1070535 by Al, on FlickrSgurr Cos na Breachd-Laoigh... tomorrow's target
P1070537 by Al, on FlickrIt's a gentle descent down the shoulder of Fraoch Bheinn, eventually rejoining the ascent path at the fence/gate. On the way back along the track we see an number of walkers with big packs - we speak to a couple and realise that these are folk out doing TGO Challenge. We walk with them back to our tent, wish them well on the rest of their journey and marvel at being back at base before four pm with 2 Corbetts in the bag, sunshine and some beer cooling in the loch waters. A number of other TGO folk walk by as we sit and lazily bask in the sun - until the wind gets up and forces the donning of various layers.
Descent
P1070538 by Al, on FlickrBidean a'Chabhair
P1070540 by Al, on Flickr
P1070541 by Al, on Flickr
P1070542 by Al, on Flickr
P1070543 by Al, on FlickrStats
P1070545 by Al, on FlickrSitting in the sun!
P1070546 by Al, on FlickrIt rains all night. The forecast I'd seen was for rain after lunchtime only, but there's obviously been a change of plan. I wake up quite refreshed at 6.25, but the drumming of rain on the tent cools my enthusiasm and I lie awake listening to a pair of cuckoos, one each side of the loch, try to outdo one another. Sometimes we have stereo cookoos, sometimes out of phase. We get up around 8 - it's still raining and a peer out the tent shows the clouds sitting at around 500m. Ah - at least we had excellent views yesterday. We pack up the tent in the rain and drive up to the car parking area - no sense in having more distance to walk in the rain. It's initially along the same track as yesterday, but instead of going up the hillside along the Allt Dearg, one continues along the track past Glen Dessarry Lodge and onto the grassy slopes that border Coire Chicheanais to the south. Steady incline with a few rocky sections thrown in, stony shapes looming out of the mist. We reach the top section and have a wander over snow patches and lochans til we find the pile of stones marking the summit. By now it is cold and wet, a vicious wind whipping at our waterproofs. We follow the line of fenceposts NE across a narrowish ridge, stopping in the shelter behind the pinnacle A'Chioch for some lunch. I have a half-hearted attempt to climb it but give up on account of the wet stone, winds and being a feartie.
Change in the weather on Sunday
P1070548 by Al, on Flickr
P1070549 by Al, on FlickrSgurr Cos...
P1070550 by Al, on FlickrThis represents local attitudes to wildlife
P1070551 by Al, on FlickrGlen Dessarry Lodge
P1070552 by Al, on FlickrUp the shoulder
P1070555 by Al, on FlickrThings disappearing in the clag
P1070557 by Al, on Flickr
P1070558 by Al, on FlickrApproaching the cairn
P1070559 by Al, on Flickr
P1070560 by Al, on FlickrWalking over the ridge
P1070561 by Al, on Flickr"The Pinnacle"
P1070563 by Al, on FlickrWe press on, up the rise to Druim a'Chuirn then down the SE shoulder to eventually join a stalker's path which leads us back to the wee bridge over the Allt na Feithe. Walking back to the car we meet a mature gentleman carrying a modest pack who is on his second week of walking, having come down from Skye, by Loch Quioch and is now heading through the pass to Glenfinnan. Meanwhile, we reach the car, divest ourselves of wet layers and prepare for a long wet drive home. On the road the is a rollercoaster we once again meet the "Horses" van on a blind summit - what on earth do they do with horses in Glendessarry that they're always trasnporting them?
Up to Druim a'Chuirn
P1070564 by Al, on FlickrEaster Island Head?
P1070565 by Al, on FlickrDescent ridge
P1070568 by Al, on Flickr
P1070569 by Al, on Flickr
