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Another day, another Graham! A relatively decent forecast for Achnasheen - and this hill had a track a good distance up it and what looked like would be fantastic views from the top (the bit about the peat hags I was choosing to forget about for now...)
We were so late starting that we ate our lunch in the car at Achnasheen
This also had the advantage of waiting for an (unforecasted) rain shower to pass... But before long we were heading up the track on the left of the burn
I was tired and my chest felt really tight so we were taking it very slowly. Stopping for a moment we realised that the views across the glen to Sgurr a' Mhuillin were great - this hill looks good from everywhere!
Looking towards Ledgowan we could see that the distance to the top of Strathconon was very short (but also probably very heathery!)
Most of the track was very well graded - a steeper section just before the top looked a little bit like the yellow brick road
Sgurr a' Mhuillin
At the top of the track we reached the burn. We didn't need to cross it as we weren't including Fionn Bheinn in our walk today
The next section was where it all went wrong... We had looked at a photo from above and had picked what we thought would be the best route across the hags. To be fair, it could have been worse, but I was feeling really tired and it also started spotting with rain...
A glimpse of what was to come persuaded me to continue...
Meall a' Choarainn ahead
Malky loves peat hags
Our chosen route actually wasn't too bad, given what it looked like. There was a larger lochan to skirt around but the rest (other than a stream that demanded a wild leap) were small and easily bypassed
Once across the hags the ground became very steep but much easier to walk on, and we dragged ourselves uphill without too many issues (other than the fact that it was uphill...
)
Looking back
Now up the steeper section it was a short walk across easy terrain to the summit.
As the hill was a big grassy plateau, we wandered a wee bit further on to get the best views across to Lochan Fhada and the Fisherfield hills
An Teallach
The whole Fisherfield - from Slioch to An Teallach (and all the yummy bits in the middle)
Sun hitting the ridge below A' Mhaighean
Sun on Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair
Amazing Torridon - Liathach, Beinn Eighe & Meall a' Ghiubhais
Although we could just make out the Western Isles, it turned out that my camera wouldn't quite pick it up, without the big lens.
We shared a flask of tea and a few snacks while taking in the view. Despite being a bit overcast it was magnificent
Eventually we got going - it was a bit chilly. We wandered around to get the view down to the loch...
Sgorr Ruadh & Beinn Liath Mor
Strathconon hills with Monar hills behind
Bit of sun on Liathach
We approached the steep down - and took another look at what we had to cross...ughh....
until we spotted a sort of bank that was raised above the hags. It led to the edge, so we could end up having to off-piste back to the track but at least it would get us past the hags...
Sgurr a' Mhuillin looked even better now the sun was out
Malky looking forward to peat hags
Once we had dropped onto the wee bank we discovered there was actually something of an ATV track along it, so other than a few annoyances we followed it easily across the hags to the edge of the plateau.
Strathfarrar hills in the sunshine
Even better, we then noticed that the track continued and dumped us onto the track we'd come up at the start! It was a bit mushy but so much better than the way we'd gone up - so highly recommended!
Sunlight hitting the edge of Beinn Liath Mor
Now back on the track we plodded down back towards the car - very tired but glad to be free of the hags at last