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Beating The Jinx on Friday 13th

Beating The Jinx on Friday 13th


Postby Huff_n_Puff » Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:14 pm

Route description: Sgùrr Breac & A' Chailleach: Western Fannichs

Munros included on this walk: A' Chailleach (Fannichs), Sgùrr Breac

Date walked: 13/07/2012

Time taken: 7.6 hours

Distance: 16 km

Ascent: 1127m

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It might not have seemed like a good date to attempt my first Munros for 3 months (time off for injuries caused by "The Jinx") but the weather looked promising and we've fancied walking in the Fannichs for ages. When we lived further south we even planned a backpacking trip doing the whole ridge in 2 days - but now we've acquired hillwalking dogs I don't fancy sharing our small tent with 2 smelly spaniels :( :( (They probably don't want to share their beds with 2 smelly humans either.) At the top of Sgurr Breac we met someone who was just finishing off the trip we'd planned - but without dogs. (And now I've just read Scoob999's report of doing all 9 Fanniachs in 1 day - he even had his report online the next day :shock: :shock: - we're clearly not trying - get a grip HnP!)

We followed the WH route fairly closely and realised that this summer (2012) is a great time to climb these hills - it's been so dry that the bogs were almost non-existent :D :D so just when we plan to go back and do more walking in the area what happens - the weather systems change and rain returns to the north-west :( :( . The route is a good combination of paths, faint paths and "find your own route down!" which for us all worked very well - older dog thought it gave him the right to roam (at speed) after hare. (For the squeamish that's no problem - the hare out run him every time :lol: :lol: )

At the start of the walk there was a notice dating from 2007 about the re-routed path - done to enable the boathouse and lodge by Loch a Bhraoin to be renovated. While there's a new path and gated entrance the renovation plans seem to have faded - victim of the credit crunch??
WF 01 Boathouse.jpg
Boathouse by Loch a Bhraoin

Once across the bridge the path up Leitir Fhearna provides a wake-up call for the legs
WF 02 Route up Leitir Fhearna.jpg
Route up Leitir Fhearna

and the bridge of the nose provides great photo opps (and a chance to recover from the huffin ... )
WF 05 Looking west.jpg
The wilderness to the north of the Fannaichs

WF 03 The boathouse from Leitir Fhearna.jpg
The ruin again

WF 08 Roger on the bridge of the nose.jpg
Roger resting - just to keep me company you understand

WF 09 Liz spoiling the view.jpg
Can't keep turning my back on this one


From this point on the day was a great walk full of stunning views - of An Teallach, the Torridons, the Fisherfields, some of the Assynt mountains, and the rest of the Fannaichs. (Not to mention the mountains to the south and east that I can't identify!). For me An Teallach in particular dominated the skyline with a very clear challenge.
WF 14 An Teallach from Tomain Coinich.jpg
An Teallach

WF 17 n Teallach.jpg
Different angle on An Teallach

WF 10 Torridon mountains.jpg
The Torridons

WF 26 Looking towards the Fisherfields.jpg
Part of the Fisherfields then out to sea

WF 13 Just checking the route to Sgurr Breac.jpg
Sgurr Breac - Biggles just checking the route

WF 25 Loch Fannaich from Sgurr Breac.jpg
Loch Fannaich from Sgurr Breac


The route itself up Sgurr Breac first followed by a'Chailleach is straightforward in good weather and we had no trouble finding a route off Sron na Gobhre and down towards Loch a' Bhraoin. As we got to the lower ground we picked up a faint quad bike track which was really useful in helping us navigate between the boggier bits. The cloud came down as we did with a couple of brief showers on the route out.
WF 30 Cottage at the end of Loch a Bhraoin.jpg
Cottage at the end of Loch a Bhraoin

Came off the hills feeling very satisfied that I'd defied the jinx, despite the date, and I had no new injuries. In a year when I've broken 3 different bones doing different activities that was the real achievement :crazy: :crazy: (Do need to work on the fitness though!)
Last edited by Huff_n_Puff on Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Huff_n_Puff
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Posts: 1083
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Joined: Apr 13, 2012

Re: Beating The Jinx on Friday 13th

Postby LeithySuburbs » Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:35 pm

Nice report - not seen too many on these two :D .
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LeithySuburbs
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Location: Inverness

Re: Beating The Jinx on Friday 13th

Postby scoob999 » Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:55 pm

Well done :clap:
When i started walking, this would've been a big walk for me.
Considering you have'nt done a Munro for 3 months its quite a steep one to get back into it again :D
Really good pics too

And the only reason i got a report on today was that my fingers were the only part of my body still working after doing the 9 :lol:

P.S there's no such thing as a jinx, positive thinking is the way forward :D
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scoob999
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Location: Birnam/Dunkeld. i think?

Re: Beating The Jinx on Friday 13th

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:46 pm

scoob999 wrote:Well done :clap:
When i started walking, this would've been a big walk for me.
Considering you have'nt done a Munro for 3 months its quite a steep one to get back into it again :D
Really good pics too

P.S there's no such thing as a jinx, positive thinking is the way forward :D


Thanks for the kind words - I'm planning to test the positive thinking with a trip back to the Fannichs tomorrow ... will WH ever hear from me again??
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Huff_n_Puff
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Posts: 1083
Munros:278   Corbetts:20
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Sub 2000:19   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:1   Islands:19
Joined: Apr 13, 2012

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