Five & a half years later............Fisherfield falls

[gammy leg walker]

August 18th 2012 I first made what turned out to be a futile attempt on what was at the time the Big 6 a horseshoe of Munros in the wilderness of the Fisherfield Forest,that weekend I only managed 2 of the 6 from Sheneval Beinn a" Chalaidheimh & Sgurr Ban my walking partners that day continued on and completed the round while I headed back to Sheneval with my friend jonny616 who kindly came back with me,a sickness bug had done for me that day and plans were hatched for a return,in the week that followed,4 days to be more precise Beinn a"Chlaidheimh was demoted to Corbett status, in the intervening years all me walking friends had managed to complete the now big 5,I however for one reason or another had never managed to return.
Fast forward to May 2018 & here I was parked at Incheril with 2 very good friends pollyh who has completed & lady in Ivan,with only 4 Munros left to bag in the round a plan was put together to walk in from the Heights of Kinlochewe and camp at Loch Fadha,bags packed and we were of around 4:00pm and a steady pace was kept up that saw is setting up camp around 7:30pm at Loch Fadha.
An early night was planned as we wanted an early start the next morning........3:30am and the alarm goes off,we have breakfast & break camp at 4:20am and were on our way contouring round Loch Fadha and taking a nice easy rising traverse to the bealach between Beinn Tarsuinn & A"Mhaighdean where we attack the grassy ramp up & onto A"Mhaighdean arguably the remotest Munro in Scotland a nice steady pace see us at the summit for 8:00am and the views are as majestic as we could have imagined,we linger here a while taking in the amazing views and very reluctantly drag ourselves away heading to Ruadh Stac Mor,from afar the slopes look impossible to reach the summit,but a fine path weaves between & around any crags and in just over an hour the 2nd summit is reached,the obligatory pictures are taken before we back track from where we have just came and once down on flatter ground we have a long and very welcome break.
Our next objective is a traverse round the lower slopes of A"Mhaighdean to once again gain the bealach between A"Mhaighdean & Tarsuinn where we attack the steep ascent to gain the ridge of Tarsuinn just before the famous "tennis court" a small descent comes after this before a very easy climb leads to summit no3 Beinn Tarsuinn,another longish break here is required as by now the blistering sun is starting to take its toll on the now 3 weary travellers.This is where we part company for the time being with lady in Ivan(she having already done Tarsuinn & MCMF) and her planter starting to play up she will head back to the tents at Loch Fadha and a well deserved rest.
So 3 has now become 2 and from this point on my thanks must go to pollyh who coaxed,cajouled & generally kicked my butt from here over to the top of Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair,I must confess here & now if I had been on my own I would have bailed once we started the climb up the boulder & scree as by this time I was well & truly burst.We only took the pictures required here before returning back down our ascent route & picking up a fine path that drops you back down to Loch Fadha and our tents where lady in Ivan was waiting for us to return.
Now came decision time do we stay another night at Fadha,the time is now 6:45pm or do we take the long walk back to Kinlochewe,a show of hands is required and we all agree to pack up & head home,we eventually break camp at 7:30pm and begin the 11k trudge back to civilisation and Kinlochewe,surprisingly we knock off the 11 klicks in under 3 hrs & arrive back at the cars at 10:15pm the 3 of us are well and truly knackered but still buzzing from the whole Fisherfield experience.We now part company with lady in Ivan as she has her campervan in the carpark and intends staying the night where as myself & pollyh now have a long long drive back to Stirling where we arrive at 3:45am on Sunday morning, so 23 & a half hours after starting of from Loch Fadha on our Fisherfield adventure I think we can safely say that was AN EPIC.

Time & distance does not include the time sleeping in the tents @ Loch Fahda.

Well what can I say,Fisherfield lived up to everything I expected and so much more.
Am I glad I waited all this time to return,well yes & no,so much has happened at home since my last visit things I would never have imagined,I may be nearly 6 years older,but am I any wiser............I think not.
My thanks must go to my 2 companions on this epic trip.......Paulene Henderson.... pollyh.... & Deborah Anderson... lady in Ivan, hope they dont mind me using there correct names,but it just did not seem fair to call them by their WH names,they deserve so much more than made up names,without them this trip & TR would never have happened,once again from the bottom of my heart thankyou both for everything.

PS.......I hope the pictures taken on my wee point & shoot do Fisherfield justice.

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[gammy leg walker]

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[mrssanta]

Oh brilliant, just magic! We were up Ben Avon the same day and it was fab though more hazy than you had.
That's a brute of a long day!

[Morecambe Monkey]

Top stuff Gammy,chuffed as owt for you. And a clag free day too,whatever will happen to your reputation? And as for that walk back out to Incheril from Lochan Fada,i was literally broken after doing that the other Friday!

[pollyh33]

Absolutely wonderful Willie.

I am so chuffed to have been part of this epic day out - thank you for the invite xxxx

PS bailing on the 4th was never an option!

[pollyh33]

NB Everyone should take Debs on their walks- she makes everything fun!

[mountainsofscotland]

Well done Willie, a great circuit of hills.

[IreneM]

Just fabulous Willie!

[Mal Grey]

Great stuff! What a fabulous place it is, I really need to get back there and finish the set!

[Sick Kid]

Nice one Gammy! The Fisherfields are a place of legend and one to be relished, you were right not to rush it....I’d like to go back and do them at a more leisurely pace

[dawnfoth]

Just superb Willie! Well done! You've probably been dreading these for a while. I know I am! Amazing photos x

[malky_c]

Glad you made it - the great weather makes me think you are losing your reputation! That's a hell of a long day out on day 2

[gammy leg walker]

Oh brilliant, just magic! We were up Ben Avon the same day and it was fab though more hazy than you had.
That's a brute of a long day!

Many thanks for the reply mrssanta

We did think of a 2nd night camping,but we were low on water & only snacks left on the food front,so it made sense to head back to Incherill where we had left food in the car,

[gammy leg walker]

Top stuff Gammy,chuffed as owt for you. And a clag free day too,whatever will happen to your reputation? And as for that walk back out to Incheril from Lochan Fada,i was literally broken after doing that the other Friday!

Cheers MM you may be right my reputation lies in tatters just now with the weather I had in Knoydart two weeks previous and now this.
That walk out on Saturday night was the work of the devil.

[gammy leg walker]

Absolutely wonderful Willie.

I am so chuffed to have been part of this epic day out - thank you for the invite xxxx

PS bailing on the 4th was never an option!

An epic trip it most certainly was,but a memorable one none the less.

As for bailing............I wouldn"t have dared bail,you"d have killed me.