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There's not many Corbetts left to go now - a handful of repeats for me to do with Allison and four we both need. Beinn Mhic Monnaidh had slipped and slid out of being climbed for a while now - reports on WH, especially that by Graeme_D suggesting it would be a miserable and wet experience. So with a miserable and wet weekend forecast, what better conditions to give it a go in
Finding a campsite at this point in the year onwards is something of a challenge. I'd wanted to stay at Pine Trees but both they, and By The Way told me they were closed to tents (they could let us have a hobbit lodge of course for extra cash). I swithered about wild camping but the amount of rain forecast dissuaded me from this. So it was back to Strathfillan Wigwams on Friday night - not a packed camping field - empty except for the tiny tent of one woman and her Jack Russell walking the WHW. It was useful having a camping kitchen to cook and eat our food, as the rain streamed down all night. At least the field was well drained - despite the nocturnal downpour there was no more surface water evident around the tent when we emerged than when we'd turned in.
There are two obvious ways of climbing Mhic Monnaidh - one from half way down Glen Orchy, involving an ascent through forestry, and the gentler, and I suspect prettier, going up Glen Strae. We chose the latter and parked up just after the bridge at the apex of the Stronmilchan road - there's space for several vehicles. There's a good metalled track to begin with which heads to the farm, passing a Hydro building with a "confined space" inside. We puzzled at what that might mean and walked on, past a lochan with strange shaped nesting arrangements for waterfowl and some hides to observe them from should you wish. Beinn Eunaich and Beinn a'Chochuill were on our left, mostly hiding in mist. Up in the distance we could intermittently make out the dome of our desired mountain.
Start of Glen Strae
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Mhic Monnaidh
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Al, on Flickr
The heavy overnight rain had swelled the streams into gushing torrents. We crossed a bridge with a flume of white water careering underneath and continued on into the autumnal landscape, russets and golds replacing the greens of summer. We walked amongst a herd of hieland coos, always a little disconcerting given the sharpness of their horns. Young bullocks tried their hand at standing in the middle of the path and psyching us out, but ran off as we approached.
In drier conditions you can cross the meandering River Strae after the second ox-bow, but with the current swift we elected to carry on to the bridge, a wee bit further along. There's some boggy ground alongside a deer fence to follow that brings you round onto the shoulder of the hill, on An Sgriodan. We paused for lunch, surprised to be enjoying some sunshine.
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Al, on Flickr
Mhic Monnaidh
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Mhic Monnaidh/Donachain
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Al, on Flickr
Bridge
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Al, on Flickr
I was feeling really drained - I had a mild headache but no energy at all and it took me some time to get going after lunch. The views - when the swirling mist allowed - were impressive over to the west; the Glen Kinglass hills brown in their autumnal coverage. This was shaping up into a much nicer hill than I was expecting, and the weather being better than forecast was helping. he heathery slopes were populated with numerous fat, furry fox moth caterpillars, their brown and gold bands decorating most heather clumps and causing us to take care about where our feet fell. We walked along the level back of the hill to reach the summit cairn. From here I'd wondered about continuing down to Beinn a'Chuirn and back along the river, or indeed back over Beinn Donachain but with short days neither looked an ideal option and we simply retraced our steps.
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Beinn a'Chochuill
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Fox moth caterpillar
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Al, on Flickr
Summit ridge of Mhic Monnaidh
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
View back to Loch Awe
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Stats
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Al, on Flickr
Back at the car in just over 6 hours, a grand day out. Drove along to Tyndrum listening to some dark Scottish Death Ballads courtesy of Alasdair Roberts, and stopping off at the Green Welly for a couple bottles of beer. Back at the campsite there were a couple of Americans who were walking The Way and we chatted while we made tea, then retired for another rainy night in the tent. i didn't sleep well and still had a headache - morning found me feeling worse than on the Saturday. I hoped I'd walk off whatever lurgy it was on our choice of hills today - Beinn Udlaidh and Beinn Bhreac-Liath were the target. I'd climbed these on Boxing Day '13 and taken a crazy route up the western side of Bhreac Liath which I remembered as being very very steep
We parked at the start of the forest track, having decided to do them in reverse order - Udlaidh first.
Underfoot the ground was wet, but not as boggy as I remembered from last time. We came out of the trees and passed through the metal gate on the south side of the deer fence. At least the ascent was gentle - I was feeling wretched and nauseated, every step like wading through sludge. I seriously thought abput turning back, but I'm a stubborn sort. We realised we should have cut through the wooden gate a bit higher up, as the fence was heading away from the shoulder of the hill - we wnated to be following the unusual quartzite spine that defines this hill. Oh well - another fence to climb
Over and up to the spine, then onwards to the summit cairn. I wanted to lie down and just stop by this point. We moved down to the bealach between the hills, looking back at the impressive walls of Coire Ghamhnain. The wind had risen significantly, driving the rain across our backs. Seeking shelter we found a dip behind a small knoll - I lay down and tried to get a wee rest whilst Allison had her lunch. "Do you want a coffin?" she seemed to call over to me. I thought it would be easiest for me just to lie out int he open and be pecked by the ravens, already circling overhead - but it turned out she was seeing if I felt up to a caffeinated beverage. After 20 minutes I felt a bit better - I managed a bag of crisps and the nausea at least had gone. Still had no energy.
Boggy start thru the forest
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Al, on Flickr
Bhreac Liath
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Al, on Flickr
quartzite spine
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Al, on Flickr
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Bealach
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Al, on Flickr
Udlaidh/Coire Ghamhnain
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Al, on Flickr
We headed up the west end of Bhreac Liath, the couple of hundred metres passing relatively painlessly. As we got to the cairn the winds were increasing - 50mph, which had grown to over 60mph as we wandered along the flat tongue of Bhreac Liath. Fortunately the wind was across/behind us and didn't interfere too much with progress. We trotted down the north-eastern shoulder of the hill onto the boggy land towards Invergaunan farm and back to the car. I'd recommend doing this circuit anti-clockwise as we did today.
Approaching top of Bhreac Liath
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Flat tongue
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Al, on Flickr
Towards Beinn Dorain
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Al, on Flickr
Loch Tulla
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Al, on Flickr
Quatrzite spine on Udlaidh
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Al, on Flickr
Bhreac Liath/Udlaidh
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
