Sgurr na Ciche and friends.

[Benaden887]

Sgurr na Ciche venture 30km 2460m 12h 08/05/1993

5am and we`re off in Darren`s car. Hopes of doing the Lochnagar group are quashed as we head for the Erskine bridge. Apparently it`s to be better in the west and it was. Fort Bill, the Commando monument to loch Arkaig, park at Strathan. We check his map and 0845 set off up Glendessarry. Weather clear, looking good! Past the old lodge and keepers cottage with infant forest. Everyone seems to be growing trees these days. We reach a broad section before the drop to a lochan, Sourlies bothy and Loch Nevis. A lesser path cuts up the hill to the 600m mark then turns away. Rest here at a small cave, water running from the roof gives a cooling shower to the warmth of the day. Then follow a shelf, up the side of Garbh Chioch Mhor to reach the narrow gully between it and Sgurr na Ciche. Scramble over boulders beside a burn to the col of Feadan na Ciche then turn N thro crags and rough going for the summit ridge and cairn. Great views of the Rough Bounds. Darren looks across to Ben Aden a Corbett. I feel his desire to add this to our day but it`s a step too far for me. A drop back to the col to follow the fence past a wee lochan to a wall for Mhor`s top then. Follow ridge to Chioch Bheag`s twin cairns` - down and up over bealach Coire nan Gall for the broad top of Sgurr nan Coireachan. Ditto to the cairn of An Eag where a fence leads past the steep slabs of Coire nan Uth, to a rocky col and narrow ridge. The step down from Eag to a grass col and twin lochans is joined @ 660m by an upward track from Glen Kingie. A series of well constructed paths leads from here easily over the top of Sgurr Beag to the small summit cairn of Sgurr Mhor. Great views over Loch Quoich and the northern hills. A rest here then on to the low point of the ridge with Sgurr an Fhuarain - drop into Glen Kingie,cross the river to look at Kinbreack bothy. A broad marshy col lies between Fraoch Bheinn and Mhurlagan. We trek the path over this for a wet plod back to Strathan and the car.

4 Munros, so it must have been a good day

Seen noone on the hills fishers on the loch Deer birds and sheep.