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Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan


Postby Jaxter » Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:49 pm

Route description: Fraochaidh, from Ballachulish

Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn a' Chrùlaiste, Fraochaidh

Date walked: 17/06/2018

Time taken: 11.45 hours

Distance: 41.32 km

Ascent: 2575m

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A music tour to Ardnamurchan gave me the opportunity for a wee bit of fun on the way up – the forecast wasn’t overly inspiring so I picked something with some easy navigating :lol:

Saturday 17th June – Fraochaidh
22.3km
1333m ascent
6 hours 20 mins


Fraochaidh.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



I parked up at Ballachulish and set off through the village. Beinn a’Bheithir was looming out of the clag as I made my way up the track past the school
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Schoolhouse ridge
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Sgorr a’ Choise ahead was drifting in and out of the clag too
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It was damp underfoot but on a decent track this wasn’t cause for wet feet just yet :roll:

Looking back to Ballachulish
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Continuing up Gleann an Fhoidh I could see the beginnings of the ridge towards Fraochaidh
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The path got gradually more and more damp underfoot and my choice of summer boots appeared to be unwise :lol: I left the path and headed down towards the River Laroch which I managed to cross without disaster 8)
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Slightly damp Jaxter
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A very boggy path led me directly up the hillside towards the ridge. For some reason I was still attempting to keep dry feet but this soon became a losing battle :lol:
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Sheepy sentry
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Reaching the ridge I was able to start Beinn a’ Bheithir begin to appear – although it was a little damp it wasn’t such a bad day at all 8)
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Looking back down the ridge
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Ribs not entirely healed at this point, I felt a wee twinge as I headed up the ridge. I assumed it would go away if I ignored it and continued :lol:

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Looking down towards Duror
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Mobile signal briefly resumed this seemed like a good point to acknowledge Father’s Day…until I walked behind another lump and cut me off in mid-flow….
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It was brightening up again 8)
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The ridge was an enjoyable walk and the views, particularly backwards, were improving
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Beinn a’ Bheithir
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The final climb to the top of Fraochaidh – it looked fairly imposing from this angle!
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Looking towards Glen Creran
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Towards Duror
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The final assault…
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Looking backwards as I climbed steeply….
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Looking towards the backside of Glen Etive
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The weird cauldron effect
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Ahead
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The summit reached, I was denied the impressive views :roll:
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It began to drizzle so it seemed to be wise to get down, especially as I had places to be :lol:
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It was also a long way back… :lol:
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Reaching the bealach obviously the rain eased and the visibility started to improve :roll:
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In fact Fraochaidh even cleared :lol:
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The option of going over Sgorr a’ Choise was quite appealing, especially as it was visible :lol:
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Beinn a’ Bheithir
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Fraochaidh
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The ridge downwards
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Another pointless gate :lol:
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However I realised that I had places to be so elected to head straight back down and leave the delights of Sgorr a’ Choise for another day!
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During the week (alongside actually doing some work :lol: ) I managed to cycle over 200km to all my locations…the weather was mixed but the scenery wonderful 8)

En route to Mallaig….
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Kinlochleven bound
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And heading for Fort William
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Thursday 21st June – Beinn Resipol
11.20km
602m ascent
3 hours 5 mins


Resipol.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Finishing at about 3 in Strontian I decided I had time for a wee hill before the ferry. The weather was perfect so I drove up the road a couple of miles to Ariundle and changed into my hill gear 8) Just as I was preparing to set off I was spotted by Collaciotach 8) 8)

It was an easy walk along the track, then once it started climbing the views back were stunning 8)
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Garbh Bheinn
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Given the dry conditions I had decided to wear my new trail runners….which halfway up the track turned out to be a terrible idea as they were rubbing my feet :roll: Even more unfortunately, never having had shoes that rubbed before I had no extra socks and no plasters…. :roll:

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Seeing Resipol ahead I decided that it was going to be painful enough to get back from here without going any further :lol: :shock:
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But there did seem to be a nice wee viewpoint off to the right which I could visit on the way down – climbing up towards Beinn a’ Chaorainn it seemed to be less painful going uphill than down. Nothing like prolonging the agony :lol:
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Back to Resipol
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Looking down Loch Sunart to sea
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Now on top of something it had become crazy windy to the extent where I was struggling to stand, leading to some undignified walking :lol:
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Wobbly Jaxter 8)
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I had a ferry to catch, so time to head down, thankfully out of the wind!
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Out of the wind I had a steady enough hand for a panorama :lol:
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On the ferry it was a stunning evening and I was thinking it might be worth finding a spot for sunset….something to think on as I drove…. 8)
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Driving through Glencoe I had an idea….
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I managed to find some sticking plasters in the car and put on my still damp boots from Sunday. Wet but fortunately not uncomfortable :lol:

Beinn a’ Chrulaiste
7.82km
640m ascent
2 hours 15 mins


Chrulaiste.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Setting off at a run I headed up the path towards Beinn a’ Chrulaiste. I reckoned I could make it :thumbup:
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I stopped for a few photos on the way up…
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….but mostly I was concerned with getting high enough for the sunset….
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I reckoned I had time so made a run for the summit – this seemed to do something to upset my camera as the summit photo came out super blurry…. :crazy:

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Heading back to a good vantage point I enjoyed the summer solstice sunset whilst trying to put all my clothes on as it was really cold :lol:
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The sun set, it was time to get going…
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Nearly back at the car, the moon came out and it was a beautiful evening.
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It was about 1am when I got home so I unloaded the car and abandoned everything on the living room floor to deal with in the morning :lol:
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Jaxter
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby Mal Grey » Fri Sep 14, 2018 9:23 pm

Fraochaidh looks like an interesting hill, even if its sounds like something you should say "excuse me" after uttering :lol:

Interested to hear what a "musical tour of Ardnamurchan" entails, there aren't many venues to play in are there!!!? Though if western Loch Shiel counts, I have technically played "a gig" on a beach there. Well, got the guitar out and warbled a bit to my friends...some of them didn't even run off...
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby Graeme D » Fri Sep 14, 2018 10:46 pm

For the love of God woman! Stop doing Corbetts! You are about to overtake me! It's no fair! :evil:
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby Alteknacker » Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:30 pm

Some lovely pics there - far to many to pick out favourites. Both stimulating but also maddening, since I have my arm in a sling after a shoulder op, and won't be able to get into the hills again for a couple of months!

The walk to Fraochaidh is quite a revelation...

I think you need to take your helmet and go-fast specs - especially the specs - on all your expeditions in future, and wear them for your Jaxter pose ... :D
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby past my sell by date » Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:54 pm

Can't help feeling the wonderful cairn on Fraochaidh should be entered for the "Turner Prize". There have been (several) much worse winners :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby Jaxter » Mon Sep 17, 2018 11:12 pm

Mal Grey wrote:Fraochaidh looks like an interesting hill, even if its sounds like something you should say "excuse me" after uttering :lol:

Interested to hear what a "musical tour of Ardnamurchan" entails, there aren't many venues to play in are there!!!? Though if western Loch Shiel counts, I have technically played "a gig" on a beach there. Well, got the guitar out and warbled a bit to my friends...some of them didn't even run off...

I've still not quite worked out how to say Fraochaidh, other than with as much conviction as possible :lol:
There's actually a few venues around there - there's a Loch Shiel Festival in the spring every year. But I was with the Edinburgh schools rock ensemble, we went to some of the schools in the area, they worked toegther and then we performed for them in the afternoon. Load of fun 8)



Graeme D wrote:For the love of God woman! Stop doing Corbetts! You are about to overtake me! It's no fair! :evil:

But corbetts are so much more interesting :lol: :lol:



Alteknacker wrote:Some lovely pics there - far to many to pick out favourites. Both stimulating but also maddening, since I have my arm in a sling after a shoulder op, and won't be able to get into the hills again for a couple of months!

The walk to Fraochaidh is quite a revelation...

I think you need to take your helmet and go-fast specs - especially the specs - on all your expeditions in future, and wear them for your Jaxter pose ... :D

I will have to take the specs with me next time if I remember :lol: :lol:
Hope you're out on the hills again soon! :thumbup:



past my sell by date wrote:Can't help feeling the wonderful cairn on Fraochaidh should be entered for the "Turner Prize". There have been (several) much worse winners :lol: :lol: :lol:

It's quite something isn't it :lol: :lol:
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Re: Working Hard...or Hardly Working - Touring Ardnamurchan

Postby past my sell by date » Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:26 pm

[Quote]But corbetts are so much more interesting :lol: :lol: [Quote]
I agree - most of them don't have huge eroded paths to the summit -yet! and in poor weather finding the summit can sometimes be problematical :lol: :lol:

Mal isn't it pronounced Frooky? or something similar
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