Main objective - a demoted Corbett!!!! Beinn a' Chumhainn

[Yorjick]

After a second night in McCook's cottage and still no supernatural phenomena, I was up at first light and set off up the hill at around 0730.

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I came across this path repair equipment. I had met the owner, Owen(?) as he was returning to his boat near Benalder Cottage. I was to meet him again at the end of this walk, while eating my evening meal outside the bothy. He is certainly doing a great job of the paths. We could do with a similar job being done on the path heading out south from the bothy!

As the path bore right, I headed up left up the broad north-east ridge of Beinn a' Chumhainnn. Here, the west ridge of Ben Alder is seen rising into the mist.

At around 1000,the day's primary objective was reached. Yes, a demoted Corbett was the day's main target! Just as I climbed everything that had ever been a Munro, I have adopted the same approach to compleating the Corbetts.

I took few photographs after this point due to the hills being enveloped in clagg and the start of some light rain. However, there is the usual summit selfie and a quick check of the altimeter on my watch. The reading is 4 metres higher than the official height of 955m. This was my third ascent of this hill, not that I could remember much about it from the previous trips.

I returned to Carn a' Bhealaich and down the shallow, bouldery gully to the south-east. The boulders were oddly covered in dry grass. The descent down to Lochan Bhealaich was perfectly straightforward. I went around the lochan clockwise to try and reach higher and drier ground, walking due east towards Bac na Craoibhe. I had seen the extent of the peat hag to the south while descending Ben Alder the previous day and I successfully avoided the worst of it as well as ending up in a spot that was ideal for photographing the day's route, just as the peaks were clearing!

As I followed the bank of the Allt Tom a' Chogaigh, I spotted a trout, 20-25cm long. It tried to hide under a rock but I could clearly see its colourful spots. I dipped my hand in and tried to tickle it. I gripped it firmly but is was able to squirm out of my grip. I guess Bear Gryll's job is safe for the moment!

I am told that you should try to flip them out rather than trying to grip them. As long as they are in the water, they have the upper hand!

I returned to the bothy at around 1500. While chatting to Owen, the path maintenance worker, Tom arrived in his sea Kayak.

I still had plenty of coal left and we enjoyed a good fire until it eventually went out at around 2200 - time to retire for the night.

[basscadet]

Looked Braw - you don't mention the peat hags though, and you surely had to pass a few on the way back
Good trout tickling too - I once caught a trout on the walk in to Loch Callater, was a complete fluke!

[Yorjick]

Looked Braw - you don't mention the peat hags though, and you surely had to pass a few on the way back

I missed the worst of the peat hags by keeping to higher ground. Compared to the path from the Ericht dam to the track to Benalder Cottage and then the path from the end of the track to the bothy, contouring round the peat hags was a doddle. That is why my return route arcs round to the north of the bogs.

Each hill we climb, in this case Ben Alder, acts as reconnaissance for future days, so I was able to plan a suitable line of descent.