Led astray on Am Faochagach
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:07 pmHaving done the Beinn Dearg four the previous day and with the four eastern Fannaichs planned for the following day, I thought a shorter walk for the third day of my trip would be sensible.
Arriving at the small car park near Torrandhu Bridge, a chap was thumbing a lift. His car was parked there, but he was hoping for a lift to Inverlael so he could start a traverse of all six Munros on the east side of the A835. I was sorry to disappoint him, since that would have been quite a feat.
A few minutes later, as I was putting my boots on, another car pulled in, whose driver, it transpired, was intent on the four eastern Fannaichs. So once again the hitchhiker was disappointed. In the end he decided to drive to Inverlael and do the Beinn Dearg four. I bade him a good day and set off on my own modest jaunt up Am Faochagach, which along with all the other Munros in the area, was covered in clag.
The big swamp that has to be crossed at the outset was surprisingly amenable, thanks to the dry weather of the last few days. For the same reason the Abhainn a' Gharbhrain, which can be difficult or impossible to cross, presented nothing more than an interesting exercise in stone-hopping.
A proper path emerges along the east bank of the Allt na h-Uidhe and leads pleasantly up to the bealach north of Sron Liath (called Drochaid a' Ghlas Tuill). The clag was down at this point.
I was surprised to find no path on the high point of the bealach, but found a vehicle track just a little over the other side. Good, now I won't have to bother navigating, I thought. So I switched off my brain and slavishly followed the track.
My presumptuous laziness reaped what should have been a predictable result. The track did not lead to the summit, but instead to Meall Gorm.
It was only when I'd reached the shallow col just before Meall Gorm that I sensed I had been led astray by the track, and checked my position. Cursing myself for being such a numpty, I took a bearing for the southern shoulder of Am Faochagach and thence to the summit. 
I sat down at the cairn for a typically long food break, and the mist began to brighten. It looked like it might clear, so I hung around for a while longer. Then the mist darkened again, so I reluctantly headed back down. At about the 850 metre contour I was out of the clag. From there on down the views got better.
It was a shame to have missed the summit views, but it had been a suitably undemanding walk, despite my navigational lacuna. Lesson learned: never blindly follow a vehicle track on the assumption that it will lead where you want to go. 
Arriving at the small car park near Torrandhu Bridge, a chap was thumbing a lift. His car was parked there, but he was hoping for a lift to Inverlael so he could start a traverse of all six Munros on the east side of the A835. I was sorry to disappoint him, since that would have been quite a feat.
A few minutes later, as I was putting my boots on, another car pulled in, whose driver, it transpired, was intent on the four eastern Fannaichs. So once again the hitchhiker was disappointed. In the end he decided to drive to Inverlael and do the Beinn Dearg four. I bade him a good day and set off on my own modest jaunt up Am Faochagach, which along with all the other Munros in the area, was covered in clag.
The big swamp that has to be crossed at the outset was surprisingly amenable, thanks to the dry weather of the last few days. For the same reason the Abhainn a' Gharbhrain, which can be difficult or impossible to cross, presented nothing more than an interesting exercise in stone-hopping.
- Following the Abhainn a' Gharbhainn, having crossed it
A proper path emerges along the east bank of the Allt na h-Uidhe and leads pleasantly up to the bealach north of Sron Liath (called Drochaid a' Ghlas Tuill). The clag was down at this point.
- Loch a' Gharbhrain
I was surprised to find no path on the high point of the bealach, but found a vehicle track just a little over the other side. Good, now I won't have to bother navigating, I thought. So I switched off my brain and slavishly followed the track.
My presumptuous laziness reaped what should have been a predictable result. The track did not lead to the summit, but instead to Meall Gorm.
It was only when I'd reached the shallow col just before Meall Gorm that I sensed I had been led astray by the track, and checked my position. Cursing myself for being such a numpty, I took a bearing for the southern shoulder of Am Faochagach and thence to the summit. - Heading for the clag on the Drochaid a' Ghlas Tuill
I sat down at the cairn for a typically long food break, and the mist began to brighten. It looked like it might clear, so I hung around for a while longer. Then the mist darkened again, so I reluctantly headed back down. At about the 850 metre contour I was out of the clag. From there on down the views got better.
- Summit cairn
- Choire Ghranda (Beinn Dearg)
- View west
- The Fisherfields in distance
- Loch a' Gharbhrain
- Looking back to Am Faochagach - clag starting to lift
- Sron Liath
- Looking down the Allt Glas Toll Mor towards Loch Vaich
- The Fisherfields and An Teallach on horizon, Beinn Dearg on right
- An Teallach
- Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair and Sgurr Ban (I think) in distance
- An Teallach again
- Best point to cross the Abhainn a' Gharbhrain
It was a shame to have missed the summit views, but it had been a suitably undemanding walk, despite my navigational lacuna.
Lesson learned: never blindly follow a vehicle track on the assumption that it will lead where you want to go. 
