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Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath


Postby Collaciotach » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:44 pm

Munros included on this walk: Aonach Beag (Alder), Càrn Dearg (Loch Pattack), Geal-chàrn (Alder)

Date walked: 05/02/2012

Time taken: 9.5 hours

Distance: 18 km

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Anns na Laithean nan dh'fhalbh ann Dúthaich Clunaidh, faisg Loch Erieachd ....... The Chief of Clann Chattan, Eoghann Mac-a-Phearson, with the support of his tribe hid from the British for nine years after Cúl Lodair in the Beinn Eallair (Alder) country ,before leaving for France in 1755.

It is often quoted that the british feared the topography of his country as much as its inhabitants, it being given to "fierce blizzards which blew for days on end and spared neither man nor beast".

Well Eoghann is gone now and his country has been bought by absurdly rich foreigners who delight in building vulgar lodges along the Loch Eireachd shoreline to entertain Lizzie and her kept family ...however they is good at maintaining a track which the "cooncil" would envy and it helped speed us quickly past their vulgarity on our bikes toward Culra bothy, a bit more the style for Colla agus an Cú :)

We set off in early Friday afternoon with grand weather !

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Loch Eireachd


With two nights here my hope was to add the Carn Dearg - Beinn Eibhinn druim and Beinn Bheoil to my list.. while basking in Winter sunshine and snow.

Our first trick was the rope one :D

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Drochaid Rópaich


Guiding bikes with 10k bags of coal strapped to the handle bars was no easy however i was not going to see if the ice would take the weight.... although and Cú skitted over he is a wee bit lighter :lol:

We had cráicing views to Beinn Eallair and Geal Charn

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Beinn Eallair


It took us 2.5 hrs to bike in ,i'm no cyclist and it is real hard on the tón, however Culra is 1st class accomodation and we bagged the room with stove and were soon sitting at the fire with a dram and a meal.

An early rise on Saturday saw an absolute cáic day of sleet ,snow ,rain and wind ...... mossach gu dearbh :( ..so we stayed in apart from wee forages to collect bogwood ....maybe Sunday would be better :)

Well no really but no as bad as Di -Sathairne (Saturday) ..............cloudy but dry :?

We left the Bothan about 8.30 and quickly hit the (fresh) snow line heading onto Carn Dearg with poor visibility spindthrift and snow flurries :? soon we were "air a mhullach"

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A'Mhullach Carn Dearg


An Cú was trying desperate to get that sneachd of his muzzle but it was frozen hard :lol:

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An Cú


We had a bearing onto Geal Charn but the visiblity was desperate and we were forming a good coating of ice on the clothing and soon found Doillaid a Charn and the ascent up to Geal Charn with a wee break in the white out conditions and deep snow under foot

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An Streap Suas


Its a nice Druim but needs care in the conditions and by the time we summit the white out is back :? so we spent a bit of time wandering in the white before getting the bearing to the Geal Charn cairn :)

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A'Cárn Geal Charn


Its a bleak plateau up there in that conditions so we did nt hang about ,took a bearing to Aonach Beag when gradually the view cleared :D

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Aonach beag


By the time we were up the Bealach toward Aonach Beag it was really clearing off although it was an "uinneag" with more clouds out to the West

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Bealch eadar Geal Charn is Aonach Beag


So quickly "air a mhullach"

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Aonach Beag


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Beinn Eibhinn


By this stage it was 3.00pm the deep snow and difficult conditions had us deciding to leave Beinn Eibhinn for another day a wise decision as an t-side turnde once again once we were sios a coire :shock:

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Lairig Dubh


By the time we reached the Lairig Dubh it was snowing again ,its a long, long rathad back to Culra to boot and near 6 pm when we arrived back in the dark and murk.

We did well given the mossach weather and i guess a bit ambitious to hope for a clean sweep :) . After a pleasant last night in Culra we woke in the morning to aye you ve guessed it

a lovely sunny Winter day shame i was heading out early...............

ach uill tha sin beatha :)

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An Latha Breagha
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Collaciotach
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby pigeon » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:56 pm

A bold effort in those conditions,3 out of4 ain't bad :lol:
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby kevsbald » Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:08 pm

Aye, it's a great effort for 3 Munros with that inclement weather agus I am sure you feel they are 3 well-deserved hills.

Nice one.
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby SusieThePensioner » Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:39 pm

Thoroughly enjoyed your report, as always, and some great photos :thumbup: Pretty testing conditions though :)
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby LeithySuburbs » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:28 pm

Enjoyed that :D . Love the snow pics especially at the bealach :) .
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby Collaciotach » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:34 pm

kevsbald wrote:Aye, it's a great effort for 3 Munros with that inclement weather agus I am sure you feel they are 3 well-deserved hills.

Nice one.


Gu dearbh :D indeed be a pain going back for Beinn Eibhinn though :lol:
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Collaciotach
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby Dannyboy » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:37 pm

Nice! That certainly looks like proper dusting of snow!
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby quoman » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:10 pm

good effort there cola

some fantastic photo's liked the bealach one the best,the cornice looks huge and the dug looks good tae.
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Re: Three out of four in the Artic Monadh Liath

Postby Collaciotach » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:36 pm

quoman wrote:good effort there cola

some fantastic photo's liked the bealach one the best,the cornice looks huge and the dug looks good tae.



Aye it looks kinda vast kept well away from the edge mind :lol:
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Collaciotach
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