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Only the Saturday/Sunday this weekend as I was celebrating K's birthday on Friday. Also forgot to pack the camera, so no pictures - since it was mostly rain/clag that isn't an enormous loss.
Went for somewhere relatively near at hand since we were leaving on Saturday morning. Farragon Hill and Meall Tairneachan suited the bill, especially with a clutch of Simms thrown in. Arrived at the parking spot around 10am, just after another couple who set off before us. Straight up the track, then a nip up Ciochan a'Chop before the small incline to Meall Tairneachan itself. From here we kept high, going over several subsimms and avoiding the mineworkings altogether. Past the wonderfully alliterative Lochan Lairig Laoigh and up a steeper section which brought us out onto one of the paths for Farragon Hill. Windy at the summit. I took us off in the wrong direction (it was misty) and we had to spend a while avoiding crags and contouring round to the east of the hill to get on course for the remaining two Simms to the west of Lochan a'Chait. A long boggy trek over heather followed to bring us back to the track again, through the mines this time and back at the car for about 4.45, thankfully still quite light. And astonishingly warm - around 9 degrees still when we reached the car.
21.6km 1468m asc, 6h 42 min
A drive along past Kinlochrannoch to a spot we've used several times now for the night. Windy enough outside for the waters of Loch Rannooch to be whipped up into waves - was like being at the sea-side rather than by a loch.
Beinn Mholach was the target for Sunday, along with a wee bonus Graham of Creag a'Mhadaidh. Up the farm track which we'd done twice prreviously in much more wintry conditions. Rain showers, some heavy interspersed with sunshine. Cut off to the south of Gualann Sheileach and encountered the ringed defences of bogs and streams that had to be crossed to reach Mholach. Steep climb, wind - when we encountered it at the summit - was very strong indeed. Took shelter for lunch and a heavy but brief snow shower came on - not a trace of the snow left where it fell. Over to the north of Gualann Sheileach which involved a shallow river crossing and a deer-fence to get back to the track. A diversion up Creag a'Mhadaidh, one of the smallest Grahams and return to the track for a march back to the car.
24.8km, 977m ascent, 7 hours exactly