Maoile Lunndaidh - day 3

[mrssanta]

Here we are on the third morning of our four day three night expedition to the Monar hills and the slow leak in my downmat has speeded up. Last night was not so comfortable probably because it was colder and despite having a closed cell foam mat under the groundsheet my sticky-out bones were not comfy. I did get enough sleep though, as we had gone to bed by 9pm or so, and we woke at 7am ready for another adventure. I was not particularly hungry after two heavy hill days but managed some crackers and tea for breakfast while Rudolph enjoyed his muesli with grapefruit juice.
We packed up the camping gear and set off down the hill from Bealach Bhearnais to retrieve our bikes and cycle up the glen over the watershed as far as Glenuaig Lodge. This is where the good track ends, but a grassy track goes down towards the river from next to the bothy/shed and we pushed our bikes down here to find a good soft camping spot and pitched the tent ready for later.

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Striking camp

and all pitched again ready for another night

We stopped here for about an hour and a half, had a brew and some food, and getting everything set up. My milk had curdled so I was onto herbal tea but this time I was prepared with fresh teabags in three different varieties, after memories of being in Fisherfield last spring with nothing but very elderly slightly foosty peppermint tea. I was still not very hungry but the weather was a lot better than yesterday and today's walk would be considerably easier since we could see where we were going.
We left the tent just after noon, crossed the river, which was very low, and set off across the tussocky bog in the general direction of where we thought we would be able to cross an crom-allt. There was no path and it was wet underfoot but since our boots were thoroughly soaked after yesterday it didn't matter.

there's a lot of exposed bog wood hereabouts

on our way - we are aiming for the right of the two gorges you can see in the distance, but first we have a burn to cross.

an crom-allt, there are a few places to cross but it is in its own wee gorge much of the time.

From the crom-allt we headed on a rising traverse aiming for the right hand side of the gorges that came out of Fuar-Tholl. Again we didn't find any path but the occasional boot print was reassuring! I stopped every 10-20 minutes to eat something - mostly Grandma's date squares - but felt quite nauseous and not at all hungry.

a rather magnificent caterpillar

and a nice orchid

getting closer to the gorges now

and very gorgeous it is too - although I think photos of gorges often don't come out well

another picture of the gorge, from above this time

There is a lovely corrie with a waterfall coming out of Fuar-Tholl Mor which we earmarked for a stop on the way back We didn't stop here on the way up but continued up the rough heathery slope out of the corrie - had we been about 20 metres to the left we'd have found a path up the edge of the gorge, but we couldn't see it from where we were.

bonny waterfall coming out of Fuar-Tholl Mor

early glimpse into the corrie of Fuar-Tholl mor

bit of weather coming in, looking the way we came this morning and back to the corrie where we plan a stop on the way back, you can see the two gorges from above

Lochan an Fhuar-thuill

zoomed in, can you see the deer in the corrie?

The slope gradually eases as you climb and our zigzags became less zigzaggy. We stopped once out of the coire for a brew and unfortunately as I sipped my peppermint tea my stomach decided enough was enough with a bit of a retching episode - nothing really came up but after that my nausea was loads better but my throat hurt instead!

Rudolph Chillin' You can see our tent from here, Sgurr nan Ceannachain on the right, Sgurr na Feartaig in the middle, and behind the hills between Strathcarron and Torridon which we have yet to visit.

Looking north, the hills just east of Moruisg, tomorrow's target

From here it didn't take very long to the summit. I was enjoying looking at all the different plants on the summit area as I plodded, but the slope was easy enough that I did not have to keep stopping to take pictures! It had been quite a nice day up to this point, chilly, but clear. Unfortunately a wee cloud blew in as we reached the top, so there were no views to be had to the south, and we didn't stay long at the top as it was cold.

and here we are on the top!

We decided to retrace our steps the way we had come up and it didn't take long till we reached the top of the gorges leading into the lovely corrie, where we discovered the path we had missed on the way up.

ooh look, a path!

We followed this path down to a nice grassy area with some rocks to sit on, where we stopped and made a brew and ate the most delicious instant custard with freeze dried strawberries which was amazingly restorative.
We followed the continuation of the path for a while but it went down the right hand side of the second gorge and we wanted to be on the left. However it was a worthwhile explore as it gave us a view of a beautiful waterfall where the burn out of Fuar-Tholl Mor tumbled into the gorge.

a lovely waterfall from the wrong side of the gorge

We retraced our steps and found that this seems to be a common plan as a path led us over the burn above the waterfall and then disappeared again into the tussocky boggy hillside.
From here it was a straightforward bog-hop back to our tent in good time for tea.

back at camp, looking East

and West

where we went today

and up to the Lodge and the start of the path up tomorrow's hill

[Alteknacker]

Nice to see that you had good weather this time. This is definitely an area I want to walk through, but it'll have to be over a few days, not the one-er I'd originally planned...

[mrssanta]

Nice to see that you had good weather this time. This is definitely an area I want to walk through, but it'll have to be over a few days, not the one-er I'd originally planned...

Definitely saves a lot of walk-ins and walk-outs to do them like this

[gammy leg walker]

Still on my to do list, looks like you found a half decent way onto the summit, by all accounts the standard WH route is not the easiest way

[mrssanta]

Still on my to do list, looks like you found a half decent way onto the summit, by all accounts the standard WH route is not the easiest way

Well it was boggy and tussocky but reasonably direct. It helps if you can see where you are going.
Sad that you had to postpone your walk. Take care x