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Another dreadful forecast - heavy rain from Friday night, gales - another great weekend in store
Allison had managed to get back to work from her sickbed but was still far from fit - this coupled with the weather made me think we'd get her outstanding Corbett - Meall an Fhudair, along with the Graham Beinn Damhain across the valley on the Saturday and maybe another Graham up near Tyndrum on the Sunday. I'd found out that Beinglas campsite would permit us to pitch, although did warn us that the site might well flood if there was any more rain - ha - some hope of that!!
We drove up Lochlomondside on Friday late afternoon as the heavens started to open - and it just didn't stop. Surprisingly
there was nobody else at the campsite and we chose a spot carefully in the upper field near the hobbit houses. Got soaked pitching despite having waterproofs on, huddled round the stove to be warmed by some penne pasta. A long night followed, with the rain drumming on the tent and the rush and swoosh from Ben Glas Burn as it swept by a few dozen metres away. Morning revealed the extent of the flooding - the bottom fields at Beinglas were under water. Just as well we didn't camp there then , or we'd have been sailing away. And still the rain continued to beat on tent, car, clothes. We stumbled into waterproofs and boots and decided to drive the mile or so to the starting point rather than wade through flooded fields.
Campsite
P1110513 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110515 by
Al, on Flickr
The intended route
Meall an Fhudair is accessed from a track across from the buildings at Glen Falloch. Locked lower gate, up over the railway line then along under the skirts of Troisgeach Beag. At a T junction take a right turn and keep on til the road turns a tight corner under the power lines, then climb up the hillside. Looking back we could see the white water gushing down as the GreyMare's Tail, right onto the campsite. Looking ahead, I remembered this section with distaste, as being steep and miserable from the first time I'd climbed it, not to mention losing my camera. I was better prepared to miss the numerous crags today. The ascent to Troisgeach was boggy and wet - hardly surprising given the quantity of rain that had fallen. At least we were shielded from the wind as we slowly rose up to the top of Troisgeach. A quartet of ptarmigan milled around - a week ago they'd have been brilliantly camoflaged against thick snow - today they appeared incongruous against the dun coloured grass and heather. There's a boggy plateau along to Meall na Caora then a dip down and finally up again to reach the summit of Meall an Fhudair. By this time the wind had found us and was blasting the rain against our dripping waterproofs. We touched the cairn then dipped behind the rocks out of the wind and got out the bothybag - something often carried but never used til now. I don't think we've got the knack of putting it up yet
P1110518 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110520 by
Al, on Flickr
Looking back into glen Falloch
P1110522 by
Al, on Flickr
Grey Mare's Tail - with the campsite underneath!
P1110523 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110525 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110526 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110528 by
Al, on Flickr
Summit
P1110531 by
Al, on Flickr
I was surprised to find that it was 2pm already - my stomach normally demands lunch at 12. Allison was not keen on doing the Graham across the glen, which - under the circumstances - I was quite in agreement with. As we turned onto the southern side of the hill, the wind caught us full on, and the rain had turned to hailstones, which was lovely
We descended quite rapidly, making for the river running along the Lairig Arnan. A few slips and spills on wet ground, a few erratics looking like megaliths or Easter Island heads, here and there. The streams were brimming over and fast flowing - I was glad we didn't have the Allt Arnan to cross coming back from Beinn Damhain in this weather. Back onto the track and down to the car, everything oozing wetness. At least a pint of water had collected in the bottom of my rucksack - apparently just come in through the fabric. We steamed up the car windows on the short drive back to the campsite, noting the River Falloch was almost up to the level of the wooden drawbridge that you cross over to the campsite. Fortunately the tent was dry (ish) inside as we changed some clothes - had to keep our wet trousers on overnight as no other pairs with us
Beinn Damhain
P1110533 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110534 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110539 by
Al, on Flickr
The rain continued to fall but I was aware that the forecast for the Sunday had been for a better day. I was uncertain what to do now. I desperately wanted to get the Corbetts done by the end of the year and only Fraochaidh remained to separate me from that ambition. The route in from Glencoe was out - it was too long for this time of year (21km) and involved 2 river crossings - not ideal in the current weather. The route from the west wasn't to my fancy - which left a southern route that I'd pencilled out. Short enough for a day even with short daylight hours (12km) and leaving from Glen Creran. If we went tomorrow we'd have the advantage of little or no snow to deal with - a major uncertainty in my planning. Allison wasn't really fit for it, but there was no guarantee her condition would improve over the next week and if the weather played up and dumped a couple of feet of snow to be negotiated that would make matters worse for her. Oh dammit, we'd just go and get it done.
A long night, with soggy breeks and more rain - though there were a couple of dry spells during the night. We rose early at 7, pleased that the trousers were dry, ate a hearty breakfast of porridge and banana and set off into the wild world. I'd been dreaming about the wooden bridge out of Beinglas being swept away overnight, but actually the waters had gone down this morning. We daundered along by Dalmally and Connell, lots of flooding on the roads. Driving up Glen Creran we stopped at Fasnacloich Lodge where there seemed to be room to park. The bit of the route I was unsure about was a section through woodland up onto the shoulder of Beinn Mhic na Ceisich. We walked up a track to a remote house that's being renovated and set off through some grassland to the start of the woods. There's a short section through the trees that's unpleasantly steep and slippy but quickly passed through. A mesh of bracken follows, but as the cold weather had done for the plants, it was easier to pick a way through than in summer or autumn. Some tussocky ground, splooshing water out of the hollows as the boot steps in. We made for the 391 point and followed a fine fence up Beinn Mhic na Ceisich - steep going in places. Across from us were Sguilard, Fionnlaidh, Sgurr na h-Ulaidh, all white from about 500m up - looks like there was a fair bit of new snow last night.
A better morning - Glen Creran
P1110540 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110541 by
Al, on Flickr
Through the field and up the hillside
P1110542 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110543 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110545 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110546 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110548 by
Al, on Flickr
Beinn Mhic na Ceisich
P1110549 by
Al, on Flickr
Fionnlaidh
P1110550 by
Al, on Flickr
Mhic na Ceisich
P1110552 by
Al, on Flickr
We arrived at the top of Ceisich and caught our first sighting of Fraochaidh - white capped and a disturbingly long way away. Although there was snow on the ground between us and our objective, it wasn't particularly deep and wouldn't unduly delay us. Across to our left were the hills of Ardgour, delicately topped with snow. I could see a band of weather coming in from there - looked like more snow. We paused for lunch midway to our objective. I'd been a bit disorganised in my packing this morning and had forgotten to put in crisps (or, more importantly, my hipflask for a celebratory nip at the final summit
) We set off again, the wind having picked up and the chill factor with it. We had some undulations to endure, following the fencepost line all the way, until we reached the foot of Fraochaidh itself. We could see the fence line stretching right up to the peak, in places crossing rocky outcrops. I was relieved to see that the snow had largely been blown from this side of the hill, with only little patches of deeper stuff - this slope could be quite avalanche prone in deeper snow. Allison led for a bit, til she tired, then I took over and after a short time stopped to take out the ice axes as it became steeper and the holds more marginal. Off in the distance the hills of Glencoe looked superb. A cairn of fenceposts caught my eye. This was it, the final Corbett top.I waited for Allison to catch me up and we smiled, touched the cairn together and I breathed a sigh of relief. "The Schedule" had been completed on time
Fraochaidh
P1110555 by
Al, on Flickr
To Glencoe
P1110556 by
Al, on Flickr
Weather coming in
P1110558 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110559 by
Al, on Flickr
Route to Fraochaidh
P1110560 by
Al, on Flickr
Snowy Aonach Eagach in the distance
P1110561 by
Al, on Flickr
Way to fraochaidh, weather upon us
P1110562 by
Al, on Flickr
Fionnlaidh
P1110567 by
Al, on Flickr
Ardgour
P1110568 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110569 by
Al, on Flickr
Sgurr na h-Ulaidh
P1110570 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110571 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110574 by
Al, on Flickr
Cairn at the summit
P1110577 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110579 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110580 by
Al, on Flickr
First (known) Corbetteer from Gourock!
P1110581 by
Al, on Flickr
And the first (known) from Greenock!
P1110584 by
Al, on Flickr
By this time it was about 1.45. We spent a short while looking out over the views but we both wanted to ensure we were down through that section of woodland in daylight, so we set off, following our footsteps. A few bumslides were undertaken, of course, but we made fairly good time, even up the 125m re-ascent of Beinn Mhic na Ceisich. The sun glowed a glorious golden as we crossed over the flat top of that hill, before steeply descending the shoulder and making our way back through the trees and to the car.
P1110586 by
Al, on Flickr
Big tree at the start of the woods
P1110588 by
Al, on Flickr
P1110589 by
Al, on Flickr
I was in reflective mood on the drive home. This round of Corbetts had taken just over 2 and a half years, with the first year of that spent knocking the odd one off now and then in amongst the Munros. We'd been to new places - like Ardgour Harris and Rum, not to mention old favourite haunts like Knoydart and Torridon. I think I've enjoyed them more than (most) of the Munros but that may be because I have learned to appreciate the mountains more as I get to know them and the land a little better. I suspect I will do some of the Corbetts again, though I doubt a second round is in the offing. But now it's the turn of the Donalds over the winter months - woopee!
