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A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!


Postby bootsandpaddles » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:00 pm

Route description: Fionn Bheinn, Achnasheen

Munros included on this walk: Fionn Bheinn

Date walked: 15/03/2012

Time taken: 4 hours

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Fionn Bheinn tops the list of Munros that I have no desire to do again – ever. :evil: The good weather we had for Slioch couldn’t last but we thought that rather than waste a day we would do Fionn Bheinn. It wouldn’t take long and even if the weather was terrible it didn’t present too many challenges. :crazy:

Parking in what the sign optimistically calls the village centre in Achnasheen we went back to the main road, crossed over and found the start of the footpath alongside the Allt Achadh na Sine. Some farm dogs did try to warn us off but we didn’t listen. The path eventually comes out on an exceptionally boggy plateau. Beyond the plateau we could see very little but clouds and mist. We ploughed up and down peat houghs for a while until we reached firmer ground. Lashed by the rain driven by a strong wind we trudged up the seemingly endless featureless slopes of Fionn Bheinn until we reached the trig point. The conditions were appalling. Could just about make out the trig point. We turned round and stomped back down again, this time into the wind – deep joy. :clap: I was actually quite pleased to find myself back in the bog again :lol: and we stopped for a coffee and a bite to eat before following the river back down to civilisation. Still it was another Munro in the bag I suppose!

The weather perked up in the afternoon so we had a drive to Shieldaig and saw some seals cavorting in the bay – very entertaining.

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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby basscadet » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:15 pm

Aye, a short report for a short walk of a hill :) I thought there were some crags near the top that could of made for some nice views, but a whiteout when I was up there.. I did this in mid shin deep snow in January.. My dad, fell in an icy burn, and the peat hags are less fun in snow, as you cant really see what depth of peat you are getting yourself into.. :) At least its short, and it would be a shame to waste a bonny day on it anyways me thinks :lol:
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby malky_c » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:16 pm

Well it's never going to win the competition of most interesting hill given the other delights in the area, but I quite like it myself, as it has great views. I've been up there 3 times now, and would still consider doing it again.

The weather helps, mind:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16892
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby Graeme D » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:26 pm

Likewise - I loved it. Some you win, some you lose, I guess! :?

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1531
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby foggieclimber » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:27 pm

I thought it was an awful hill the first time I did it. Second time round I quite enjoyed it.
A bit of a rounded, wet lump though compared with others nearby.
Easily combined with the Graham next door for a longer day.
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby Johnny Corbett » Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:44 pm

On one side of the coin i tend to agree with you but on the other i don't like to slag off our beautiful mountains. To get the real feel of the bog factor you have to do the neighbouring Graham like i did. :D
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby mountain thyme » Wed Mar 21, 2012 3:44 pm

I done this one in torrential rain and winds. was soaked ..and the wind blew me back down the hill in 3 hours.. didnt hang about either at the top.. or should say couldnt hang about due to the conditions :)
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby monty » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:26 pm

Heard about this one so gonna same it for a dry day hopefully. :D
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby malky_c » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:30 pm

monty wrote:Heard about this one so gonna same it for a dry day hopefully. :D


The challenge for you is to combine it with another Munro - preferably in the same walk :lol:
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby monty » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:46 pm

Well I suppose your kind of walk malky would be to walk the 18km across country to Slioch from Fionn Bheinn and come back along the track hahaha. Its about 50km :D
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby Johnny Corbett » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:49 pm

monty wrote:Heard about this one so gonna same it for a dry day hopefully. :D


When i did this i saw 2 guys coming up th ridge, not sure where they started but possibly fron Strathban Forest, might be less of a bogfest from there :)
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby snodland » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:19 pm

When I went to do this one 2years ago I had intended following the pony track that goes from the east of the village, then branch off and go up the shoulder with Sail an Tuirm Bhan - not sure what the terrain is like there but I had seen a report of that walk. Unfortunately as I was walking to the start point the gamekeeper pulled up, wound down the window and (very politely) asked if I could go up the path you did as he was taking a party shooting up my rpute. Was about to stand my ground - then I saw the two inbred Tory half-wits in the back seat and realised he was going to put a gun in theor hands so decided to go the horrible peat bog way he was asking. Never saw a thing all day though and all the deer he was stalking were over my side of the mountain if the stags I could hear through the mist were any guide!
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby Mal Grey » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:24 pm

Nice description! In the old days you could at least finish in the pub...long gone now, thanks to a fire.

I used to subscribe to the "don't waste a good day on a rubbish hill" train of thought. Fionn Bheinn changed that for me. Having been to the Torridon and Coulin Forest hills for a number of years, we'd always ignored FB as being one to tick on a rubbish day.

One year, though, there was snow down to the road and EVERY day was sunny! (yes, I know its hard to believe). So for a rest day, we wandered up Fionn Bheinn. From the start, the snow was deep enough to make for hard work, but with blue skies above, why would you want to be anywhere else? We were a jovial group of 4, I think, and stopped often just to take in the magnificent views of the more interesting distant hills.
Steve contrived not to notice the long line of a ditch under the snow, a depression in the snow the give away, and went in the bog up to his waist. Much mirth.
When we reached the top, the views to the Fannichs opened up, snowy white mounds against a pastel blue background.
Steve decided to take a summit shot on his camera timer, so went to set it up. The rest of us hatched a plan. As he pushed the button and ran towards us, we ran in 3 different directions...the result being 3 disappearing blokes on the edge of the shot, with a bemused Steve in the middle, against a backdrop of mountains. Shame this was pre-digital.
On the way down, the poor lad fell in a bog again. It was the SAME ditch, about 10 feet from his previous hole. Again, the rest of us had seen the obvious horizontal line under the snow...
We had a great day.

So now I think of these less interesting half-day hills as places to enjoy in good weather, when you have all day to spend on them with good mates, to stand and gaze at future, rockier summits, with no need to press on or be benighted. Days to take a bit of extra nice lunch, to eat without haste. It doesn't always work out like that, especially when you are limited to one or two trips north a year from the distant south, but boy when it does, these days can be as good as the best hills.

Saying that, I'm very glad we did FB in the snow, if the bogs are as bad as they sounds!
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby bootsandpaddles » Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:34 am

We did think that Fionn Bheinn would be a good hill for a winter day when the bog might be frozen, the ground white and the sky blue.
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Re: A week in Kinlochewe: Fionn Bheinn - never again!

Postby KeithS » Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:50 am

I approached this hill with a cloud level about 300ft above Achnasheen in a really bad mood (work stress etc) and the attitude that I just wanted to climb a hill whatever. I had absolutely no views up or down, it rained continually all the way and I got back to the car completely soaked to the skin and had to strip off completely to dry off. I sat in the car and felt so much better than when I had set off. I think there are some days when you need those sort of conditions to take your mind off things. Thank you Fionn Bheinn.
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