
We drove up to Grudie on Thursday night, leaving a sunny warm Greenock and arriving around 9pm in a light drizzle. We started to walk in and found a suitable spot to camp after a few km to pitch for the night. Needed the light of the headtorch to read for the first time in weeks. A quiet night however, refreshing to get a good sleep after a long drive. We could hear the rain pattering on the tent in the morning - never an incentive to get up early. When we did emerge, clouds were down low and the conditions were very dreich.
Thursday night walk in


Friday morning

Our aim was to climb the Sim Faire nam Fiadh on the ridge leading to An Coileachan then do the circuit of 7 the standard way which is pretty much what happened. It was very wet, to the point where I could barely see anything through my glasses. My newish, surprisingly waterproof (til now) boots did not cope well with water running down my legs (waterproof trousers were not put on initially, but proved not up to the task when they were called upon) - meaning that I had wet feet for the remainder of the trip. We saw nothing in the clag - let's just say it was not one of the more pleasant days out we've had.
The strange chambered cairn on the way to the summit of Meall Gorm; the nice little ridge out to Beinn Liath Mor Fannaich, the big cairn on Sgurr Mor then a boggy section going across to Meall a'Chrasgaidh. Nearing the summit of the latter we heard strange voices in the mist and encountered a couple of ladies who were counting steps down from the summit. We talked for a bit - they hadn't found a cairn nor a path and we were not sure where they were off to (Sgurr Mor or Sgurr nan Clach Geala) but we later heard them on the pathless western slopes of Clach Geala so they hopefully were on track or thereabouts to where they wanted to be.
An Coileachean

Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich

There is a cairn on Meall a'Chrasgaidh!

We had managed to find the path up Clach Geala and enjoyed the clarity of something definite to follow after all the murk. We met a group of 3 guys descending, who'd come in from A'Chailleach and planned the Eastern 4 the next day. We summited Sgurr nan Clach Geala with its dismembered trig point and onwards to Sgurr nan Each, no let up in the clag but the rain became a little lighter. The plan from here was to continue southwards along the ridge to Sgurr a'Chadha Dheirg (Sim) then head west over the final Sim of the day, Sail Mhor, before descending to the Nest of Fannaich. The two Sims proved easy going, although the descent was steep and crags necessitated some zigzagging. Fortunately we dropped below the cloud and had visibility for the first time that day. Loch Fannaich looked severely depleted of water, sandbanks showing right around the western end. We spotted some trees over by two buildings that looked suitable for camping, although as we got closer the ground seemed a bit uneven. We decided to make for the footbridge over the Allt Leac a'Bhealaich where there was some flattish looking land that we hoped would be dry enough. It was, we pitched and enjoyed our noodles sitting outside, the rain having ceased.
Sgurr nan Clach Geala

West end of Loch Fannaich


Dry overnight, but cloud was down to around 600m when we got up. Plan for today was to do the horseshoe circuit of Sgurr Bhreac, A'Chailleach and round to An Sguman around the Nest of Fannaich, but including the Sim of Ceann Garbh Meallan Cuaich, then walk back out to the car. A steady slog up the southern shoulder of Sgurr Bhreac, the mist thinning as we got to the summit cairn and revealing glimpses of Sgurr Mor. On to Toman Coinnich, struggling to find the path at times in the clag then back up to the summit of A'Challeach. Again we were tantalised by snatches of view down to Loch a'Bhraoin and beyond to the Fisherfield hills. We followed the ridgeline south - the Sim was away to the west and involved a detour of 4km and more than 300m re-ascent...if the weather had been as bad as the previous day I'd have passed on it, but was glad to have gone across, not least as it was my 1000th HuMP.

Summit of Sgurr Bhreac - Sgurr Mor just about visible behind

Loch a'Bhraoin

A Chailleach on a'Chailleach


Looking back on a'Chailleach

Ceann Garbh Meall Chuaich - HuMP #1000

Eastern Fisherfields

Looking back to the south ridge of a'Chailleach and An Sguman

Slioch and Torridon backdrop

Back across to the ridge we'd left and onto the little tufty top of An Sguman before descending steeply down into the Nest of Fannaich, following in the steps of a large herd of deer we'd unsettled. Back at the tent around 2pm, packed up dry, much to my relief (a wet tent being heavier). Now it was onto the track, all 12 miles of it back to the car. We passed the burned out shell of the old Nest of Fannaich bothy - such a beautiful location at this end of Loch Fannaich. The byre beside it still has an intact roof, but those seeking shelter should prepare to share their refuge with the rotting corpses of at least 4 deer



Heading up An Sguman

Strathconon hills in distance

You can clearly see why An Sguman ("the tuft") gets its name

Loch Fannaich

Sgurr Bhreac and the eastern wall of the Nest of Fannaich

Ruined Nest of Fannaich bothy

Mighty Slioch


The start of a long walk


The miles were passing by- I was undecided what we should do. We could camp in the same spot as we had on Thursday, leaving 4km to walk out in the morning, but that would mean we'd be short on food (and more to the point, we had no whisky left). On the other hand, I didn't know any particularly good spots to camp near Am Faochagach - being near the A835 was unlikely to be peaceful. We opted for the first option and decided to forego the Scotch. As we pitched the tent the rain threatened, but didn't amount to anything. We had our tea and retreated under covers early, planning to get up at 6 the following morning. Hopes of a quiet night were dashed however, as the wind got up and whistled through the trees, beating against the tent. Around midnight we were also disturbed by what I took to be a huge dog, from the depth of its bark. I imagined that someone from the nearby house was taking it out for a last walk and it was going crazy with our scent. But it seemed to be on one side of us, then the other - I couldn't work out what was going on. I lay still and after 15-20 minutes the hoarse barking stopped. I was rethinking whether my support for the reintroduction of wolves in the Highlands would be such a good idea after all

Back at the car we breakfasted on individual apple pies and custard (bliss) then switched over the rucksacks and drove the few miles to the Torran Dubh bridge to nab Am Faochagach. I had drawn a nice looking route in from Black Bridge, that missed out the river crossing and included a couple of Sims, but that was for another day as it was almost 30km and we needed a shorter hill today. So the standard route it would be. The river crossing was ok, managed to get over with dry feet. Rain was never far behind us - we could see the clag and wet mist over the Fannaichs again, and as we climbed to around 700m we were ourselves enveloped in clag and drizzle. Quite a contrast to the first time we were here, when we were in mist initially and emerged into a lovely inversion around the same height.
Walking in to Am Faochagach


Still looking wet in the Fannaichs

We followed, lost, refound and lost the path that snakes to the summit, a longer way than it seems. At the cairn I allowed myself a small smile - one left! then continued to curse the rain on my glasses. We returned to the bealach with Sron Liath and ate lunch before descending in better weather back to the car. Finished by 1pm and a fine drive back down the road, getting in at a very reasonable hour. Can you guess where we might be headed next weekend?
Summit

One to go

Bit nicer on the way down
