A Fantastic Fannichs Five
Munros: A' Chailleach (Fannichs), Meall a' Chrasgaidh, Sgùrr Breac, Sgùrr nan Clach Geala, Sgùrr nan Each
Date walked: 04/03/2024
Time taken: 11.5 hours
Distance: 22km
This walk was preceded by 'Fiona offers a great view'
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=123079
Seeking a title for this, I looked up 'fabulous' five, and discovered this refers to a book series for preteen girls, so maybe not the most fitting choice. 'Fantastic' has to be it, not so much because of the superhero connotations, but the classic March conditions and good visibility I encountered, which enabled me to achieve a major bagging success but also enjoy it for the most part (must not forget to do that!). This was day 3 of my 4-day excursion, and such sizeable travelling demanded I achieve some Munros, so far having only one to show for the trip. I saw that 3 could be linked, and should not be too much of a problem even in snow. If time and energy permitted once I reached the top of the pass (marked + on my map, it pleases me to do that), then I might even go for five. There would be catharsis in that, since those last two had scared me off as a walk two days ago, in the low cloud and snowfall, when I chose to 'enjoy' Am Faochagach instead. So, off I set, bright and early at 6.45 a.m., to give myself a chance of, in effect, combining two routes into one.
Still I'm holding to the ideal of being a toppist as well as Munroist. Happily, there was only one such on this route, and not such an onerous diversion. Early little problems, as is becoming customary these days, was getting across the burn to ascend Meall a' Chrasgaith. Maybe I missed an earlier fording point, but my fears of finding myself all the way up at the pass (thus messing up my 5-Munro dream) were unfounded, and I found some suitable big rocks that I could avoid skidding off. The sun rose above the horizon as I approached the summit, and up there on the plateau was quite a bit of spindrift which leant a great feeling of wildness and 'danger' as a solo wanderer, although really there wasn't any, not yet anyway. It was onward to Sgurr nan Clach Geala, the high point of the range and with form to suit its status. It's satisfying that it's above 3,500 feet, but it's the ridge that makes the experience. This did look a bit scary, but once on it was straight-forward enough. It was the only section all day that I felt I needed the crampons for reassurance, and had an exhilirating feel of the last section of ridge to Everest summit (not that I've done that or ever will, but I'm thinking of pictures I've seen).
Emerging onto the summit of Sgurr nan Clach Geala, did I hear voices? The first people I had encountered so far on 3 walks? I was astonished to meet at the summit a black spaniel, closely followed by a female human. Clearly both knew very well what they were doing, but I couldn't quite get over how much energy the animal had for one with such short legs in all that snow. It would shoot to the edge of the precipices for a 'look', seeming to have an instinct for cornice-strength. Its owner did later admit (we met again on Sgurr nan Each) the mutt was making her a bit nervous with its 'confidence'. I can report I last saw them both descending safely to the pass. The only other person I saw all day was a young guy, who looked the part, resembling the Jake Gyllenhaal character from the Everest movie (but hopefully met a better fate). We shared a bit of crampon and 3-summitting talk before moving on. This section had treated me to some superb passing cloud experiences, then was down to the pass for myself and a decision to make on how tired I wanted to make myself.
Down at the pass, I found my legs did the talking in a good way. I sort of just kept moving, without giving myself chance to talk myself out of it. Well, the ascent was straightforward up the south ridge of Sgurr Breac, and plodding back down the glen from here would not be fatigue-free anyway, so why not get the pair in? The only issue was an alarmingly strong wind getting up now, or maybe it was localised to these two mountains; whatever, it got strong enough to almost blow me over. There were two basic options for descent off the last; backtrack to the Munro top, Toman Coinich, or continue off the north fork of A' Chailleach. The former was the safer, but I hated to backtrack, and the presence of footprints encouraged me even further to take the latter choice. I struggled off the summit of A' Chailleach walking at a tilt, like those APT trains of the 80s, and in my haste to get off there I didn't find quite the best line. I'd removed my crampons long ago, and maybe should have made the effort to put them back on, but I can happily say the axe came into its own. I hit a bit of hardened snow at one point, and the slope got disturbingly steep for a bit, and I really had to hack the thing in to make sure I clung to it and avoided descending the 'superfast' way.
'Warning: Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly' - there you go. Good stuff.
After the lochan below A' Chailleach, it was safe ground but needless to say a mushy plod, especially on legs that are already wearied. I did not enjoy the trek beside Loch a' Bhraoin as much as it deserved, under the setting sun. However, I would be enjoying a return journey of great contentment having got 6 Munros to show for my trip, not forgetting a darling Fiona. Decisions had been good, mostly, and useful lessons reinforced. I treated myself to a day off, where I gifted myself the Harvey's complete book of maps (and also ordered the updated 'Graham's and Donalds' book, meaning 'Fionas' of course) from Ullapool bookshop. Oh, and An Teallach has a way of teasing you, doesn't it?
This walk was followed by a long satisfying drive home.
Click to mark this as a great report. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Comments: 7
Fiona offers a great view
Fionas: Beinn Bhreac (Meall Dubh)Date walked: 03/03/2024
Distance: 15km
Ascent: 667m
Views: 244
My First Whiteout Walk
Munros: Am FaochagachDate walked: 02/03/2024
Distance: 13km
Ascent: 687m
Comments: 2
Views: 470
Mission Mull Day 3: My Fiftieth (Munro, that is)
Munros: Ben More (Mull)Fionas: Beinn Fhada, Corra-bheinn, Cruach Choireadail
Date walked: 08/08/2023
Distance: 22km
Ascent: 2513m
Comments: 2
Views: 799
Mission Mull Day 2: Almost Three Corbetts
Corbetts: Dùn da GhaoitheFionas: Beinn Talaidh, Sgùrr Dearg
Date walked: 07/08/2023
Distance: 15km
Ascent: 1795m
Comments: 1
Views: 448
Mission Mull Day 1
Fionas: Ben Buie, Creach BeinnDate walked: 06/08/2023
Distance: 11.5km
Ascent: 1302m
Views: 302
Unpleasant little Fiona destroyed my phone
Fionas: Meall TairbhDate walked: 25/06/2023
Distance: 12km
Ascent: 504m
Comments: 1
Views: 350
12 Hours Around the Bridge of Orchy Munros
Munros: Beinn a' Chreachain, Beinn Achaladair, Beinn an Dòthaidh, Beinn Dòrain, Beinn MhanachDate walked: 25/06/2023
Distance: 32km
Ascent: 2536m
Comments: 8
Views: 1206
Cairnsmore of Carsphairn is as good as it sounds
Corbetts: Cairnsmore of CarsphairnFionas: Windy Standard
Donalds: Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, Moorbrock Hill, Windy Standard
Date walked: 26/03/2023
Distance: 23.5km
Ascent: 1106m
Views: 1104
Drab Damp Dirge of Donalds
Fionas: Blackcraig HillDonalds: Alhang, Blackcraig Hill, Blacklorg Hill
Date walked: 25/03/2023
Distance: 19km
Ascent: 1103m
Comments: 2
Views: 1127
-
The English Alpinist
- Location: Lancashire England.
- Occupation: Food delivery driver.
- Interests: Mountaineering, music, movies, writing.
- Activity: Mountain Walker
- Pub: Loch Lomond Arms
- Mountain: Ben Nevis.
- Place: Strathmore, Sutherland.
- Gear: DMM cirque mountain axe.
- Camera: Digital camcorder.
- Ideal day out: An epic ridge-walk such as CMD Arete, or a horsehoe such as Helvellyn.
- Ambition: All the British mountains
- Munros: 56
- Tops: 28
- Corbetts: 11
- Fionas: 22
- Donalds: 18+10
- Wainwrights: 214
- Hewitts: 136
- Sub 2000: 1
- Filter reports
- Trips: 3
- Distance: 50 km
- Ascent: 1354m
- Munros: 6
- Fionas: 1
- Trips: 10
- Distance: 164.5 km
- Ascent: 14026m
- Munros: 11
- Corbetts: 2
- Fionas: 10
- Donalds: 6
- Trips: 20
- Distance: 411.7 km
- Ascent: 25325m
- Munros: 29
- Corbetts: 6
- Fionas: 5
- Donalds: 12
- Trips: 10
- Distance: 238.27 km
- Ascent: 12968m
- Munros: 8
- Corbetts: 3
- Fionas: 7
- Sub2000s: 1
- Hewitts: 6
- Trips: 1
- Distance: 19 km
- Munros: 2
- Trips: 33
- Distance: 1336.64 km
- Ascent: 86703m
- Hewitts: 70
- Wainwrights 133
- Trips: 13
- Distance: 274.6 km
- Ascent: 17762m
- Hewitts: 43
- Wainwrights 84
- Joined: Oct 27, 2015
- Last visited: Apr 17, 2024
- Total posts: 313 | Search posts