free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
As my count down to compleation continues, I thought I would try to write up a report for my last 25 Munros. Its been a busy 2016, having finished 2015 on 200, I reached the end of June with 64 new ones in the bag. My final hill is worked out, Bynack More, so its now become an excercise in logistics and just hoping the weather plays ball lol
With a day of owed hours to add to my weekend, I planned a blitz of some outlying balloons in Kintail and Strathfarrar.
The forecast was not great, in fact, quite bad, but I bit the bullet, packed the car and headed off to Kintail on Thursday as soon as the siren sounded end of work.
John was working the weekend so this was to be a solo camp trip, Gilly no mates. I arrived at Shiel Bridge around 9pm, shop closed so unable to pay up. Tent up on a nice wee secluded corner where we had pitched for the South Shiel Ridge back in May. No midges to speak of and dry...for now. Pitched the tent, gear unpacked and in. I'd stopped in Fort William for a Maccy D's so no need to cook, just open the wine lol
I settled down early enough, with time for one more read through the route and check the map for the morning.
No real darkness so an early morning and headed off to Morvich booted up and ready to walk at 6:40am. Got a new camera recently and this was its first outing,,,lots of arty shots,,(IMHO)
The parking at the National Trust Centre is fairly limited but as it was early, I had no problems, wee donation in the money box, optional. Headed off past the caravan club site and round to the Outdoor centre and beyond. Still dry but grey clouds were stirring all around.
After taking the signed route to "Falls of Glomach and all other walk routes" (in the world, anywhere??) rising above the houses, got my first spit of rain, erred on the side of caution and put on the jacket and rucksack rain cover,,just in time for the rain.............to go off!
still,,kept them on for now.
![1 Bit of the local wildlife.JPG]()
- Bit of the local wildlife
Its a lovely stroll up alongside the river with amazingly green valley walls all around. Passed the open space of the return track and was now able to see the many shoulders coming down from a'Ghlas-beinn, some I'd been warned not to take but all easy enough to follow down to where they would meet the many forest tracks,,should the need arise to come off that way...always thinking Gill, always thinking.
![2 Heading up the track.JPG]()
- Heading up the track
![3 Looking over to the foothills of A'Ghlas-beinn.JPG]()
- Looking over to the foothills of A'Ghlas-beinn
On the subject of thinking,,my mind now turned to the upcoming river crossing of Allt a Choire Chaoil , marked on the WH route as " may be difficult or dangerous in spate" There has been a lot of rain in the area and most of the rivers on the way to Kintail last night were running high and white. What of this one? approaching and being able to pick out the zig zag path on the other side, the river was running below a raised area but, off to the right, I could see it, crashing down Coire an Sgairne to meet Choire Chaoil. At this point, I thought,,if its that bad up there, I might not get over and feeling a little peeved, pushed on to the river anyway. On getting there,,yes,,it was fairly high,,but as the ground had levelled out there was none of the white clouds of water. Got the poles out here, extended to help with the crossing,,,then sat down and watched a wee dipper bird playing around the rocks, fab. Finally broke myself away from that and crossed over with no problems at all.
![5 Dipper....JPG]()
- Dipper on the river
![4 Back down the glen.jpg]()
- Back down the glen
On and up the steepish zig zag section, very easy going underfoot.
![6 Promise of blue skies.JPG]()
- Promise of blue skies?
![7 A lovely wee rainbow.jpg]()
- A lovely wee rainbow
![8 Sun making the green GREEN and the rainbow fade.JPG]()
- Sun coming through and making the green GREENER and the rainbow fade
![9 Arty black and white shot.JPG]()
- Artsy black and white setting on the new camera
The weather got a bit grey here and another very light shower passed over. Shortly after, but before I'd reached the plateau, another longer and heaver shower came on,,hood up, head down and push on up.
![10 Nice big corrie.jpg]()
- Up to the corrie
I had kind of thought that the plateau would have been broader and longer but you are actually still climbing a fair bit and it was with a bit of a surprise that I looked across Coire Toll a'Mhadaidh to see the cylindrical trig only a short distance away. I'd spent a lot of time on the way up with the new camera, playing with settings, zooms, effects etc, so took me longer than I'd anticipated to get here. Arrived at 10:20am.
![11 Summit number 1, Beinn Fhada.JPG]()
- Beinn Fhada summit trig
I had thought of heading off over Meall a' Bhealaich and straight down to the bealach but, it didn't have a clear path, looked a bit rocky, and as I'd already used a lot of time getting to Fhada, I decided just to retrace back to the top of the zig zags and take a right there. As I neared the bottom of this section, I saw 2 peeps and a dog heading up. Stopping at the junction for a minute, I then headed off up to the cairn at the top of the bealach.
![P1010177.JPG]()
- Heading to the bealach
I did see the other two follow me up the same route , but that was the last I saw them.
Its a pleasant wee climb up the bealach, high sided and I was pretty glad I didn't take the alternative route over,,looked like a knee breaker that one lol.
Reached the big cairn, complete with the side stand of a motorbike sitting on top (why???)
![13 Beallach cairn,,complete with motorcycle side stand.JPG]()
- Cairn in the bealach,,complete with motorcycle stand,,what???
The small track to a'Ghlas-bheinn heads off to the left here, taking a turn left then right around some crags. Theres nothing to this but to keep plodding away. Its fairly steep pretty much all the way up to the summit, with only a small respite around half way. I never saw the lochan Loch a Chleirich, think I may have been slightly further east than I should have been. There were some fresh footprints on the track, hadn't seen any on Fhada so think there was someone up for A'GB.
![14 Views over to the East.JPG]()
- Views to the East
![15 Wee derelict hoose.JPG]()
- A wee derelict hoose by the loch, bit of a des res
I reached the fairly insignificant rocky summit at 13:30 by which time, the showers of rain were pretty much constant. Only short breaks in between, more hoods down, than jackets off lol
![16 A misty summit of A'Ghlas-beinn.JPG]()
- The misty summit of A' Ghlas-beinn
![P1010190.JPG]()
- Made it, some dodgy weather now
I had been told about taking the western ridge down, which eventually leads into trees and a bit of hacking through bracken etc. (Cheers Pauline) I made sure I headed a bit further North here, aiming for A'Mhuc. I had half a notion of heading due North and popping out to the Falls of Glomach. But with the rain impeding visibility a bit now, I opted for the North West descent. I could now see the trees of the Doris Day wood, (Dorusduain) and knew where the Glomach path emerged on the map, along side a small bridge. I also saw the mysterious footprint maker down below me. The rain was off for the last drop down to the path,,but my new camera had misted up so I didn't get the pic of the wee bridge I wanted boohoo.
![P1010195.JPG]()
- Heading down to A' Mhuc and the forest
Reached the track in the trees around 14:45, couple of bridges and changes of track here.
![19 Back on the track down.JPG]()
- Back on the track down
On the way up, I'd taken a mental note of the clearing in the trees where the path crosses the river and rejoins the outward track. The WH route wasn't too clear, so I checked the gate into the clearing, then moved on a bit to a footbridge, but that didn't feel right,,heading in the wrong direction, so back to the gate and through to the clearing lol.
Made my way over, getting back close to the river again and passing a HUGE tree with at HUGE rope swing. Shortly after, a very feint path led over to a gate which switched back and down to a wooden footbridge. Spotted some lovely wee rock piles on the river, probably built during the hot spell when the water would have been lower than present. Over and up through the trees, emerging at the return path. Sun out now and a lovely afternoon, so waterproofs all off, wee refuel and off down the track.
![18 One of a few small cairns built in the river.JPG]()
- One of a few small cairns built in the river
![20160701_153825.jpg]()
- Feeling accomplished
Back to the car at 16:10, boots off, wee drink. Managed to get the Shiel Bridge shop open so able to pay for my stay and get some vitals,,,crisps and diluting juice! Got the bag ready for tomorrows outing and settled down for a lovely evening by the tent, sun out, no midges, book in hand and wine in the other.
Really enjoyed the hills today, tough climb up A'Ghlas-bheinn but otherwise nice easy paths, good views on the whole, weather a lot better than I'd been expecting.
Night night
