Munros Seventeen and Eighteen
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:48 pmTuesday, 20th. July, 1976
This was the ninth day of my second trip to the Highlands trekking with a bunch of school mates as a sixteen year old and, having come north from Blair Atholl to Loch Morlich in the previous week, we had headed out to Faindouran Lodge. My trip diary for the Monday recalls "a swish looking Glenmore Lodge" (although I didn't think that, ten years later, I'd be spending weeks there earning my instructor's ticket) and that, once we'd put up our tents, we nearly managed to set fire to the bothy with a badly set up primus. I can, though, still remember going to sleep that night and wondering whether we'd have what it takes to get round two of the remoter Cairngorm giants. Well, luckily most of us had - as my diary entry for the day described:
"The day looked bright and clear from the tent door and the peaks of Creag Mhor and Dagrum to the south west were beautiful in their simplicity. There wasn't much time to admire the view, though, for, after some porridge, we were off quickly and, although we had feared problems in crossing the Avon, it was soon accomplished despite some missing footbridges.
Ben Avon was first on the list and, after climbing to the distinctive rock towers of Clach Bun Rudhtair, we pressed on to Stob Bac an Fhurain (3,533ft.), Mullach Lochan nan Gabhar (3,625ft.) and eventually to Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuide (3,694ft.), the main summit. The distinctive tor on the summit gave some good scrambling but we spent most of the time sheltering from a bitterly cold wind and eating our lunch. We then headed down to the interesting col between Ben Avon and Beinn a' Bhuird in driving rain and hail before the sun came out for a few minutes as we climbed onto the mountain's north top, it's highest at 3,860ft. Unfortunately, the rain returned so it was time to romp down a long spur back to the Avon with many rainbows and constantly changing views until we re-crossed the Avon and arrived back at the bothy for a hot meal cooked by those who had stayed behind."
It had been a grand day out and, the next day, we'd be packing our sacs and heading west to Coire Etchachan and Ben Macdui.
Next report: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=78368&p=367655#p367655.
This was the ninth day of my second trip to the Highlands trekking with a bunch of school mates as a sixteen year old and, having come north from Blair Atholl to Loch Morlich in the previous week, we had headed out to Faindouran Lodge. My trip diary for the Monday recalls "a swish looking Glenmore Lodge" (although I didn't think that, ten years later, I'd be spending weeks there earning my instructor's ticket) and that, once we'd put up our tents, we nearly managed to set fire to the bothy with a badly set up primus. I can, though, still remember going to sleep that night and wondering whether we'd have what it takes to get round two of the remoter Cairngorm giants. Well, luckily most of us had - as my diary entry for the day described:
"The day looked bright and clear from the tent door and the peaks of Creag Mhor and Dagrum to the south west were beautiful in their simplicity. There wasn't much time to admire the view, though, for, after some porridge, we were off quickly and, although we had feared problems in crossing the Avon, it was soon accomplished despite some missing footbridges.
- Chris Tanner heading out from Faindouran Lodge with our tents pitched outside it. (20.07.1976.)
It had been a grand day out and, the next day, we'd be packing our sacs and heading west to Coire Etchachan and Ben Macdui.
- My packed rucksack (with the trip's entrenching tool strapped to it) ready to move out the following morning. (21.07.1976.)
