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Having failed to negotiate an earlier start time, seven assorted WHers finally gathered at Achnasheen station for an undeniably late start at 11.00am.
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- A reflective moment looking east on Loch a Chroisg
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- Equally reflective looking west - it's what you do when you don't start until just before lunchtime
“Well there’s five of us using one bathroom” claimed Keith.
Too much male grooming if you ask me.
![Fionn-Bheinn-03.jpg]()
- Rising above the glacial terraces of Achnasheen
Anyway, footprint signs showed the way up to the open hillside above Achnasheen and after following the course of the Allt Achadh na Sine for a while it was time to stop getting lured too far west towards Meall a Chaorainn.
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- Meall a Chaorainn tempts you left and west
There might have been a path or track somewhere, but we simply struck off to the right – in the general direction of upwards and north. There was no evident need to go over Creagan nan Laogh so the bee-line approach was adopted.
![Fionn-Bheinn-05.jpg]()
- Threatening weather hangs around Beinn Eighe and Liathach
Reaching the edge of the drop into Toll Mor, we skirted round the curve of the corrie below, just before the cornice edge. The rounded dome was topped out in just ninety minutes.
![Fionn-Bheinn-06.jpg]()
- Beinn Liath Mhor from Fionn Bheinn
It’s not a Munro to fight and struggle for. It doesn’t leave you gasping for breath. None the less, for all that, It’s a fine top in good conditions and worth persisting with.
![Fionn-Bheinn-07.jpg]()
- A gloomy Fisherfield to the north
It’s all about position for Fionn Bheinn. The gloomy cloud-clothed Fisherfield lay to the north. Slioch, Beinn Eighe and Liathach command the skyline to the north west. Beinn Liath Mhor and Sgorr Ruadh caught the sun to the west. Countless more spread across the horizon to the south that I couldn’t begin to name.
It was just a time to soak it all in – and be glad that none of the darker clouds were threatening our own patch of clear sky, yet. But that could change.
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- Not much good weather left over the top of Fionn Bheinn
As a chill began to bite it was time to drop below the summit to escape a stiffening breeze and celebrate this minor achievement with food. Then, simply off down broadly the way we had come. Sauntering, snapping, chatting, waiting: it was one of those days when it didn’t really matter how long we took to get off the hill.
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- Snow-banked pools on the descent
Finally, close to the road and the village there was a bit of tidying up to do. The 800m climbed is actually a bit of a cheat I’ll admit. The GPS said 799m, and that just felt a tad untidy. With no stile to skip over I briefly dashed up the banking to the side of the track, and came back to the sound of baying dogs. But that extra metre had been achieved.
The climb won’t stick in the memory for very long, and any sense of achievement at touching the trig point is way down my list of all time bests. However, the position and view is up there.
Company and conversation made the time and effort pass on the way up, and sharing the space on top does sometimes make you stay longer than some of those solo trips.
With perfect timing spots of rain began to fall as we got back to the car park, and within five minutes it was absolutely lashing it down.
So that was why there was a Sunday surprise when the tent flap was pulled back the next morning.
![Fionn-Bheinn-10.jpg]()
- A Sunday morning surprise
Who ordered that?
