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It was Tuesday and the final day of my hill pass to coincide with Ele and Carol's birthday celebrations in Glencoe. After a fairly inclement day on Meall Lighiche on the Saturday and an absolute howler on Beinn Maol Chaluim on the Sunday, the Monday had treated me to a fine day on the round of the Fersit Munros.
As I walked off Chno Dearg back towards Fersit, I mulled over my options. I narrowed things down to two possibilities - a night in the Lairig Leachach Bothy followed by Stob Ban the next day, or camping near the Spey Dam followed by a morning raid on Geal Charn.
I settled on the latter and drove east, crossing the Spey at Laggan and looping back round on the minor road that leads to the Spey Dam. I found a nice wee spot just beyond the gate and the cattle grid on the road out to Sherrabeg and pitched for the night.
The morning brought another mixed weather picture, with some patches of blue sky but also more than just a little hint of rain in the outlook. I got packed up and ready and was off just after 9. I hadn't got too far up the road before a heavy shower came barrelling in from the west and I had only just managed to get my waterproofs on when a landrover came up the track and asked me where I was headed. The two Barbour jacketed, green wellied gents inside informed me that they were going to be carrying out deer stalking in the coire and politely but strongly suggested that I take an alternative route such as from Garva Bridge. In the end we agreed that I would continue up Glen Markie and check in with them by the Piper's Burn before continuing any further. I only got another few hundred yards though before I had a change of heart and decided to avoid the area entirely, returning to the car to consider the options.
I didn't fancy retracing my steps and heading back west to either Stob Ban or the Glen Roy hills, so the options looked like either the Graham of Creag Dubh above Kingussie or the little Sub2K of Creag na Doire Duibhe which I had always meant to stop off and do on one of my many times driving the Dalwhinnie-Laggan road. I again settled on the latter.
After a brief traffic jam caused by a farmer driving his flock along the road from one field to another, I was parked up near the Halfway House and on my way.
I was up and down in just under 2 hours, allowing plenty time to take little detours to get photos of some of the main features of this walk, most notably Loch Caoldair and Loch Glas-choire.
A very nice little bimble indeed on a pleasant autumnal day and a nice finish to a few days stravaiging!
About as close as I was going to get to Geal Charn todayRush hour on the A889The start of the walk by the bridge just north of the Halfway HouseThe track through the forestry fords the stream several times before emerging onto the open moorlandTarget ahead across the heather moorA few boggy sections of track to negotiateLoch Glas-choire and Creag DubhLooking back from the early part of the ascentTowards the Fara and Meall nan EaganCreag na Doire Duibhe Creag Doire na h-Achlaise and The FaraA paradise for hillwalking gate loversCreag DubhLoch Caoldair with The Fara and Meall nan Eagan behindThe other end of Loch Caoldair and across the A9 to some MunrosWest towards the Loch Laggan hills with The Window clearly visible on Creag MeagaidhThe Fara and Meall nan Eagan from the summitStrathspeyCreag MeagaidhLooking a bit rough after my four days!Loch Glas-choire and Creag DubhLoch Glas-choire and Creag Dubh (zoomed)