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The last walk I did with Mary ended like this.
Full story here.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=53828That was April 2015 when Mary was recovering from a broken shoulder from a cycling accident. She had just been discharged from physio, was on the point of going back to work and came out with me to climb Ben Tee. But on the way down she slipped in mud to dislocate and break her ankle. It was a nasty break in three places with fracture blisters which delayed surgery and kept her in hospital for 12 days including her 60th birthday.
Now it was October and she was ready for a walk in the hills again. I'd been scanning the weather and in an overall indifferent picture found the best options Lochaber and Kintail. The second consideration was a good track as rough ground wouldn't be the best idea at this stage in her recovery. Where would this be possible as well as giving Rob and me access to a hill we'd not previously done?
My attention fell on Beinn Loinne starting from the Cluanie Inn. This would give Mary the old road to Skye to walk on and a base to return to when she'd done enough. Perfect.
We parked on the side road off the A87 a little to the east of the Cluanie Inn. We'd driven through fog in the glens to get there and it was a misty start to the walk but the sun was already filtering through and I was confident we'd soon be above it. There was a fog bow but I couldn't get a decent shot of it as my camera wouldn't focus on something so vaporous and vague.
Faint fog bow
Winding River Cluanie
Rob and Mary at start of walk
I have to take my hat off to Mary for her positive spirit. To break her ankle just as she was on the point of returning to work after a broken shoulder was beyond unfortunate. But she didn't let it get her down and set about her recovery with such determination, even using her newly acquired bus pass for a trip to Ullapool complete with plaster cast and crutches. You can't keep this woman down...... which is why I knew she'd be up for doing the first part of the walk with us today. The idea was we'd walk together as far as the high point in the road when Rob and I would cross the moor to climb Beinn Loinne while Mary would carry on as far as she felt able for before returning to the Cluanie Inn to wait for us with a book and a pot of tea.
Happy to be in the hills again
Sgurr an Fhuarail and Am Bathach above the mist
Am Bathach was my other pal's first hill after breaking her ankle and on a less benign day than this. On that occasion, after climbing Am Bathach, Moira returned with Chris and Janice to the warmth of the Cluanie Inn while Penny and I went on to climb Ciste Dhubh in a howling gale we could hardly stand up in. A useful haven that inn.
A'Chralaig
The public road network in the west of Scotland wasn't always the way it is today. Until relatively recent times many of the roads were simply upgrades of former drovers' tracks and were narrow, twisting and steep as they crossed high mountain passes. The old "Road to the Isles" which we were walking today was one of these. It had passed over two rivers which were dammed and flooded to form Lochs Loyne and Cluanie in 1957 and a new road, the current A87, was built to skirt round the lochs. Where the original road crossed what is now Loch Loyne, there were two bridges and a small wooded island. The road and bridges still exist but are wholly or almost wholly submerged below the waterline for much of the year.
This was the road I travelled as a child in 1956 when we drove up from Yorkshire to visit relatives in Kyle of Lochalsh. We did the journey in two stages. Yorkshire to Edinburgh where we stayed overnight with my grandparents; then Edinburgh to Kyle which in those days of single track road (and cars that didn't go fast anyway!) was an all day journey. I still remember the excitement of driving through such spectacular scenery, with no inkling that one day many years later I'd climb these hills, the sight of which so overawed me then. It was a historic journey as the following year the river was dammed to create Loch Loyne and this through route for traffic was wiped off the map for ever.
What is it that's so magical about a cloud inversion?
Photogenic tree looking east
Same tree looking west
After 2k the road forks, going left to Cluanie Lodge and right through a gate to continue on the route of the old road. The surface up until this point was good but became much rougher with vegetation breaking through once we passed the gate. I noticed by the side of the road old stone milestones which I remember seeing as a child.
The point we left the road to start our pathless ascent
At first we had to weave our way through bogs - but on a day like this even the bogs were beautiful
We headed as instructed for the rocky knoll at 540m, the views improving all the time. We could also keep an eye on Mary's progress and could see when she sat down at the side of the road for a break. She continued on the road as it dropped down to Loch Loyne, going further than I had imagined she would - doing a round trip of about 7 miles.
The Brothers and Sisters appearing
From the rocky knoll we headed east towards Druim nan Cnamh, the broad NW ridge of Beinn Loinne.
Creag a' Mhaim and the South Shiel ridge stretching away to the west
South west to the hills of Glen Quoich
Reflections in Loch Cluanie
Zoomed to Cluanie Lodge
The maps mark the east summit as the top of Beinn Loinne but helpfully to us the west summit is the highest point. After a few hopeful rises which weren't the actual top the cylindrical trig point came into view and the dogs dutifully posed for their photo. They're both 11 which is old for labradors and at every summit they reach I wonder if this one might be their last. For a while I had stopped taking Jack up hills but his joint supplement has made such a difference he's been back in business for the past year for all but the longer hill days.
Muggins and the canines
View from the top looking west
Looking south I pointed out Ben Tee to Rob. It was the last hill I'd climbed with Mary - and finished on my own after that fateful slip.
South over Loch Loyne to triangular Ben Tee - Ben Nevis is visible too
Rob having lunch and Tess ever hopeful
On the descent I detoured a little to the right to get another shot of Loch Cluanie and all those majestic mountains climbed on previous memorable days. What a blessing to live so near to this place!
The view again with no trace of mist now
We could see the old road winding its way round the base of the hill but we couldn't see Mary
We took a more direct line towards the road, missing out the rocky knoll we came over on the way up. Once back on the road Rob got a text from Mary to say she was at the Cluanie Inn, sitting on a sofa with her leg up and a pot of tea and cake. Reassured she was safe and comfortable we set off at a spanking pace which was easy going on the descent and soon were back at the car. Once debooted we drove the short distance to the inn to collect Mary and were on our way home in good time for tea after a fabulous day on the hill.
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan between Am Bathach and A'Chralaig in the afternoon sun
Mary was stiff for the next couple of days but none the worse for her excursion. Well done to the rescue services, the surgeon, nursing staff at Raigmore, physio folk, Rob for looking after her once she was home and Mary herself for such guts and determination. What a testament to the power of healing and an indomitable human spirit that doesn't give up!
