A Little hill with Big name - & Big views for Birthmas boy!

[Jaxter]

With Malky’s Birthmas falling on a Saturday this year, and despite his work night out being the night before, he was able to celebrate with hills. Even better the sun was shining! We had a typically shambolic start by not getting up early enough and although we were heading for Sail Mhor we realised that not only would we never have time to complete that walk in the daylight now available, but the weather also now looked better further east.

So we stopped driving and opted for the wee Corbett with a big name – Beinn Liath Mhor a’ Ghiubhais Li. Not the most interesting hill to look at but situated in a place that I thought might have some spectacular views. We were not to be disappointed

Birthmas Boy

A taster of what's to come

Initially an easy walk along a forest track, gradually climbing upwards and with a river crossing that wasn’t as bad as it looked
Easy track

Our hill ahead
Sun's coming out...

Looked like we would get some good views of the Fannaichs anyway
Fannies

The track dropped annoyingly downhill for a section but we figured it would be better to stay on it until we had cleared the forest to avoid tramping through more bad ground than we needed to!
Upsettingly downhill

Starting to get some views of the Eastern Fannaichs, hills I hadn’t been near yet
Eastern Fannaichs

We reached the end of the track at a gate. The ground became a bit squishy underfoot but it continued in some form of fairly indistinct path into the heather.
The track deteriorates

An Coileachan

From here we started to climb more steeply although the ground wasn’t too bad for the most part and the views continued to improve
Beinn Dearg & pals

Our target

The gradient eased for a short section; unfortunately we also had a few peat hags to deal with
Out on the open hillside

Sgurr Mor

The final steep section had some snow patches and boulders to make it a bit more interesting….the snow was a bit like wet sugar so we kept falling in
Some sun breaking through

Beinn Dearg hills

Sgurr Mor and central Fannaichs

An Teallach was almost clear – maybe we should have got up earlier and gone further west
An Teallach with a wee bit of fluff

The peat hags we just plodded through

A wee ptarmigan

At last we were on the summit plateau – and it was windy!
Summit ahoy!

Loch Glascarnoch and Ben Wyvis

An Teallach - ooft

Beinn Dearg

Beinn Dearg and Cona Meall

Seana Bhraigh

Some birthmas lights for birthmas boy

Malky the red nosed Reindeer

Malky thinking about the enormous flock of sheep I got him for his birthmas
He's almost smiling!

Summit of the hill with the long name

Cona Meall and Seana Bhraigh

Sgurr Mor

Beinn Dearg, Cona Meall and Seana Bhriagh

Loch Glascarnock and Beinn Wyvis

Carn Cuinneag & Beinn a' Chaisteal

Last one, promise

Am Faochagach

Sunset was approaching so we figured we better get going!
Time to go!

Evening light on the Fannaichs

Sunny snowy glow

Birthmas boy

Evening light on the Deargs

Bit of light hitting An Teallach

Sun setting behind An Coileachan

Fannaichs
Wee bit of fluff hitting the top

Beinn Ghoblach and the tip of Loch Broom b

Last light

Leaving the peat hags behind

We decided to cut off the extra loop as Malky had spied a gate in the fence and what looked like an ATV track. Unlike many of his shortcuts it actually turned out to be a good idea!
Malky leading the way

Sky going wild

The ATV track was pretty boggy but it led us safely through the forestry and back to our outward route, including the river crossing!
Forgot about this!!

A last view of magnificent An Teallach



Back at the car we decided we couldn’t really be bothered with the thought of cooking dinner, so popped into the Allengrange Arms in Munlochy (can highly recommend the burgers) on the way home. I even offered to drive home from there so he could have a birthmas pint

Once home we had the small matter of a sparkler birthday cake (when we were on Skye at Easter we saw someone with a sparkler cake and when Malky sadly told me that he’d never had one I promised to make him one )
Birthmas sparkler cake

Not a bad birthmas afterall
Super Malky!

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