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Another quick report from the Nov 2015 WH meet in Torridon.
Rodmeister has already posted from Beinn Damh a couple of days previously, I've just added a splash of extra sunshine, thrown in a few Brocken Spectres and fogbow, an unexpected rendezvous with a WH local, and an invisible eagle. Enjoy.
Beinn Damh will always now have a special place, as I discovered The Joy of Corbetts there, and ensured a first Munro-free trip to Scotland. In truth the trip was always about the chance to meet the great and good of the regular WH community, any walking/staggering was a bonus.
Saturday 7th was an unexpectedly excellent day weather-wise, and Pete Riedel and I set off up Beinn Damh from the youth hostel, adding an unenthralling extra few miles to the journey. Probably just as well for me, as I had replaced considerable amounts of my circulating volume with Talisker the night before, the extra miles helped me normalise
...
Up through the delightful forest ....
Beinn Alligin behind us ...
On the trail of the lonesome pine ...
A good path straight up to the bealach, a tad greasy towards the end, first views over to the south-west to Loch Damh:
Looking back to the north-west from the initial part of the ridge..
The way up to the summit bypassed the other top, and we stayed mainly in the mist. Summit view looking south..
On the summit we bumped into delightful Walk Highlands legend AnnieMacD, hopping about with a massive camera, and insisting on posing Pete and me by the summit cairn for a number of photos
- coming to a catwalk near you soon. Great to meet you Annie. We set off back down, a bit nippy up there and the mist started to drift away:
And then it was meteorological showtime
and fogbow:
Looking back up the bouldery summit ridge, AnnieMacD busy on the skyline with her camera:
Beinn Eighe in the distance ... absolutely swarming with Walk Highlanders
We decided to go over the subsidiary top (or Brian as I now classify these lumps), seemed a bit rude not to:
Looking back to Beinn Damh's knobbly summit
Munros: Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgorr Ruadh and Maol Chearn Dearg. The Corbett An Ruadh-Stac ("Slabby one") on the right:
Loch Torridon, overlooked by Meall Gorm and Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire (more Grahams or Brians , whatever
) ...
Upper Loch Torridon with Beinn Alligin, Beann Dearg and Liathach western flank
The sun beginning to dip down over Loch Damh and Loch Carron
We saw a Golden Eagle soaring about but out of camera range sadly. Then it was back down over a boulder field to join the main route back to the bealach and the way down
One last meteorological fling, a thin veil of rain/moisture passing up the Loch giving us a rainbow lasting for ages. Horns of Alligin as a backdrop ...
And once more through the delightful forest...
Could have done without the bonus two miles on the road back to the hostel, but we bumped into Alan Ross on his way to pick up his prescription, and then more WalkHighland legends, weaselmaster and sick kid, off to collect their car after bagging Grahams, Marilyns, Brians and all sorts.
A grand day out.