Bagging around Cannich
Corbetts: Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard, Sgòrr na Diollaid
Fionas: Beinn a'Mheadhoin, Càrn Gorm
Date walked: 17/03/2024
Distance: 40km
Ascent: 2695m
It's getting to that point where I am now looking to see what summits I've got left and what the most efficient way of doing them would be. Can get a bit tiresome, but - in pursuit of the greater goal, needs done. I knew there were 4 hills up near Cannich which would suit a not-very-exertive weekend- just the long drive up there to get them. Two Corbetts: Beinn a'Bha'ach Ard and Sgurr na Diollaid; two Grahams, Beinn a'Mheadhoin in Affric and Càrn Gorm just beside Cannich. They all ended up being done was single hills, although I had come up with a route to link three of them in what might have been a nice jaunt in better weather.
Possible route...
Anyway, we had a trouble free drive up on Thursday night, having to delay our tea until we reached the shores of Loch Lochy as we had to be through the roadworks at Onich before they shut the road at the unreasonably early time of 7pm. I couldn't really decide what order to do the hills in and in the end chose Diollaid first, meaning that we drove along Glen Cannich and found a spot to pitch, in the dark and in the light rain, near the bridge at Dalriach. A lot of the ground near the bridge is flat but very stony underneath, but we were fortunate to find a suitable spot. Only one car went by all night, quiet but for the splashings of the river and the constant patter of rain.
IMG_1132 by Al, on Flickr
The forecast had predicted heavy rain til 8am, so there was no point in getting up early. When we did look out the tent we saw that much of last night's rain was now snow on the hills...down to maybe 450m. As we were packing away the tent we saw a guy drive up to the start of the walk, get out and get organised very quickly and set off up the hill with his two collies. Although his footprints were useful , we didn't catch up with him and he came back over some of the bumps to the west. When we got going ourselves, the first thing we noticed is that there's now a path to follow most of the way up Diollaid - don't remember that being the case previously and speaks of the increasing popularity of Corbetts.
We had a path to follow, then when it came time to reach the snow, we had footprints - human and canine - to follow. Can't get easier than that. As we neared the summit, the snow was quite thick - sticky new stuff that was just perfect for making snowballs. And sticking to your poles. We arrived at the rocky summit tor - yes the true summit is the central tor, not the grassy knoll over to the west (although I went to them both, as you do) You could just see down to Loch Beannacharan through the clag - pity the views weren't better as it's an excellent central point to see the wonders of the surrounding mountainscape. We followed our prints back to the car, slipping rather frequently on the wet snow, Allison banging her hip on a boulder during one trip.
IMG_1134 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1135 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1137 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1138 by Al, on Flickr
There was time enough to get another hill done - the nice quick Graham down Glen Affric. That would also mean that we could camp down there afterwards. Sun was shining as we drove the windy roads down the glen, listening to The Frenz Experiment by The Fall and reckoning that "Dog Falls" sounded like a typical Fall song title as we drove past. Parked in the large Forestry Commission parking area, clocked the no overnight parking/no camping sign and set off through the woods on a way marked track which joins with the main track going "To The Hills". There's a large cairn just after the end of the tree line and an ATV track that goes most of the way up a'Mheadhoin. Again, this is new from the last time we were up this way. The Mullardoch hills looked as if they still had a proper amount of snow on them, unlike our little hill which had none. We only had a short bit of trackless ground up the final section of the hill, on short grass/heather, so an easy Graham becomes even easier.
IMG_1141 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1142 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1143 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1144 by Al, on Flickr
Beinn a'Mheadhoin
IMG_1145 by Al, on Flickr
We took the same route down, as you do, and reached the car. Decided to drive a little bit west to a very nice camp spot, which was fortunately vacant. Quite a few cars and campers around in the car parks, though didn't see anyone else camping. The forecast was for a cold night, down to -2 at sea level. We went for a little wander around the headland after our meal, then headed into the tent when our fingers started to get too cold. A cold night it was - both the inside and outside of the tent was frozen by morning, However, a bright and warm sun soon had the ice in retreat. I'd been lying awake wondering if we should ditch our plans and go and do Tom & Toll in good looking winter conditions, just for the thrill of it, but sense prevailed. We packed our gear away and drove back up to Cannich, with Carn Gorm our next port of call. Did see the rescue copter heading low along Glen Affric...
IMG_1146 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1147 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1148 by Al, on Flickr
Morning view
IMG_1150 by Al, on Flickr
If Id been paying attention I'd have done this hill from another start point - like Struy - but as it was we just went up the same way as we'd done twice previously. Allison wasn't feeling well, and wasn't able to enjoy to the full the rather pleasant sunshine, sunny enough for us both to have donned our sunglasses. The route follows a clear ATV track until that disappears, then follows your nose up to the summit. Great views of the southern Mullardochs, especially Beinn Fhionnlaidh, and of Diollaid. The east wind caught us at the summit, where it was still very chilly, but we had our lunch there and enjoyed the view. We took more or less the same route back down, arriving at the car at something to 3pm
IMG_1152 by Al, on Flickr
Loch Mullardoch
IMG_1154 by Al, on Flickr
Diollaid
IMG_1156 by Al, on Flickr
Carn Gorm summit
IMG_1157 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1159 by Al, on Flickr
Beinn a'bha'ach Ard
IMG_1161 by Al, on Flickr
Time to head up to Strathfarrar for our last hill, Beinn na Bha'ach Ard. We didn't have time to climb it today, but I thought we could walk in a bit and camp. I had considered doing the WH loop and seeing if there was anywhere to camp near Loch na Beiste - the option of high camping along the plateau rather scuppered by the snow there. In the end I decided we'd walk in to Culligran power station and hopefully find something on our way up there, leave the tent up in the morning and just head up and back by the same route. We came to a spot just by the 155m spot height that suited us well (although the other spot I'd eyeballed from the map a bit further to the west where there's a 160m ring contour by the river would have been fine too). There were a number of anthills about, but we hoped that the ants were still in winter hibernation mode and wouldn't seek to invade the tent. Sat outside having our Huel and turned in fairly early.
IMG_1162 by Al, on Flickr
The night was quiet (apart from the very distant hum of the power station and some blood curdling cries of something being eaten by something bigger, that I missed). Having gone to sleep early I was annoyed to wake up at ten past 8 (still Saturday evening) - I was sure it would be midnight at least. But it wasn't and sleep didn't come back making it a very long night. My neck was playing up, giving me a headache and I even had a dream in which I had a sore neck, so there was no escaping it. One miserable night! I wasn't feeling very well either in the morning, with nausea, headache and sore neck. Never being one to catastrophes, I reckoned viral meningitis, though the relative absence of photophobia did make this unlikely. We left most of the kit in situ and set off along a stalker's track, aiming to join the WH route in a wee bit. I managed to take the wrong branch of the track (assuming the one going west actually exists) and we found ourselves going up into Coire na Muic. Lots of pigs around this part of the country, at least in the past. Decided we should just press on rather than have the irritation of turning back, and I'd suggest this is quite a good way up the hill. For one thing, the ATV track goes on further than it's marked on the map, and the terrain up Coire an Fheadain is better than that on the west side of the hill. We found that most of Friday's snow had melted, leaving us with no snowy obstacles. Clag was in place as we went up the last couple of hundred metres, but for once it cleared as we sat at the top having an early lunch. We spent a long time up there trying to identify as many peaks as we could - there are just so many. Slioch and Fionn Bheinn form two good reference points.
IMG_1176 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1177 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1178 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1182 by Al, on Flickr
Walking down from the summit
IMG_1183 by Al, on Flickr
It had been very cold in the wind at the summit, but as we came down hill towards the track it was a beautiful spring day. A gang of frogs were hopping across the track - when we drew level with them they flattened themselves against the road surface, as if that made them any harder to see. Hairy caterpillars patrolled up and down the track. We returned to the tent, packed everything up and set back off to the car. As we passed Culligran cottages the air was alive with a squadron of chaffinches who flew to the trees on either side of the track and tweeted so loudly as we went by that it was amazing to think that such small birds could produce such a volume of sound.
Possible route...
Anyway, we had a trouble free drive up on Thursday night, having to delay our tea until we reached the shores of Loch Lochy as we had to be through the roadworks at Onich before they shut the road at the unreasonably early time of 7pm. I couldn't really decide what order to do the hills in and in the end chose Diollaid first, meaning that we drove along Glen Cannich and found a spot to pitch, in the dark and in the light rain, near the bridge at Dalriach. A lot of the ground near the bridge is flat but very stony underneath, but we were fortunate to find a suitable spot. Only one car went by all night, quiet but for the splashings of the river and the constant patter of rain.
IMG_1132 by Al, on Flickr
The forecast had predicted heavy rain til 8am, so there was no point in getting up early. When we did look out the tent we saw that much of last night's rain was now snow on the hills...down to maybe 450m. As we were packing away the tent we saw a guy drive up to the start of the walk, get out and get organised very quickly and set off up the hill with his two collies. Although his footprints were useful , we didn't catch up with him and he came back over some of the bumps to the west. When we got going ourselves, the first thing we noticed is that there's now a path to follow most of the way up Diollaid - don't remember that being the case previously and speaks of the increasing popularity of Corbetts.
We had a path to follow, then when it came time to reach the snow, we had footprints - human and canine - to follow. Can't get easier than that. As we neared the summit, the snow was quite thick - sticky new stuff that was just perfect for making snowballs. And sticking to your poles. We arrived at the rocky summit tor - yes the true summit is the central tor, not the grassy knoll over to the west (although I went to them both, as you do) You could just see down to Loch Beannacharan through the clag - pity the views weren't better as it's an excellent central point to see the wonders of the surrounding mountainscape. We followed our prints back to the car, slipping rather frequently on the wet snow, Allison banging her hip on a boulder during one trip.
IMG_1134 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1135 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1137 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1138 by Al, on Flickr
There was time enough to get another hill done - the nice quick Graham down Glen Affric. That would also mean that we could camp down there afterwards. Sun was shining as we drove the windy roads down the glen, listening to The Frenz Experiment by The Fall and reckoning that "Dog Falls" sounded like a typical Fall song title as we drove past. Parked in the large Forestry Commission parking area, clocked the no overnight parking/no camping sign and set off through the woods on a way marked track which joins with the main track going "To The Hills". There's a large cairn just after the end of the tree line and an ATV track that goes most of the way up a'Mheadhoin. Again, this is new from the last time we were up this way. The Mullardoch hills looked as if they still had a proper amount of snow on them, unlike our little hill which had none. We only had a short bit of trackless ground up the final section of the hill, on short grass/heather, so an easy Graham becomes even easier.
IMG_1141 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1142 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1143 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1144 by Al, on Flickr
Beinn a'Mheadhoin
IMG_1145 by Al, on Flickr
We took the same route down, as you do, and reached the car. Decided to drive a little bit west to a very nice camp spot, which was fortunately vacant. Quite a few cars and campers around in the car parks, though didn't see anyone else camping. The forecast was for a cold night, down to -2 at sea level. We went for a little wander around the headland after our meal, then headed into the tent when our fingers started to get too cold. A cold night it was - both the inside and outside of the tent was frozen by morning, However, a bright and warm sun soon had the ice in retreat. I'd been lying awake wondering if we should ditch our plans and go and do Tom & Toll in good looking winter conditions, just for the thrill of it, but sense prevailed. We packed our gear away and drove back up to Cannich, with Carn Gorm our next port of call. Did see the rescue copter heading low along Glen Affric...
IMG_1146 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1147 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1148 by Al, on Flickr
Morning view
IMG_1150 by Al, on Flickr
If Id been paying attention I'd have done this hill from another start point - like Struy - but as it was we just went up the same way as we'd done twice previously. Allison wasn't feeling well, and wasn't able to enjoy to the full the rather pleasant sunshine, sunny enough for us both to have donned our sunglasses. The route follows a clear ATV track until that disappears, then follows your nose up to the summit. Great views of the southern Mullardochs, especially Beinn Fhionnlaidh, and of Diollaid. The east wind caught us at the summit, where it was still very chilly, but we had our lunch there and enjoyed the view. We took more or less the same route back down, arriving at the car at something to 3pm
IMG_1152 by Al, on Flickr
Loch Mullardoch
IMG_1154 by Al, on Flickr
Diollaid
IMG_1156 by Al, on Flickr
Carn Gorm summit
IMG_1157 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1159 by Al, on Flickr
Beinn a'bha'ach Ard
IMG_1161 by Al, on Flickr
Time to head up to Strathfarrar for our last hill, Beinn na Bha'ach Ard. We didn't have time to climb it today, but I thought we could walk in a bit and camp. I had considered doing the WH loop and seeing if there was anywhere to camp near Loch na Beiste - the option of high camping along the plateau rather scuppered by the snow there. In the end I decided we'd walk in to Culligran power station and hopefully find something on our way up there, leave the tent up in the morning and just head up and back by the same route. We came to a spot just by the 155m spot height that suited us well (although the other spot I'd eyeballed from the map a bit further to the west where there's a 160m ring contour by the river would have been fine too). There were a number of anthills about, but we hoped that the ants were still in winter hibernation mode and wouldn't seek to invade the tent. Sat outside having our Huel and turned in fairly early.
IMG_1162 by Al, on Flickr
The night was quiet (apart from the very distant hum of the power station and some blood curdling cries of something being eaten by something bigger, that I missed). Having gone to sleep early I was annoyed to wake up at ten past 8 (still Saturday evening) - I was sure it would be midnight at least. But it wasn't and sleep didn't come back making it a very long night. My neck was playing up, giving me a headache and I even had a dream in which I had a sore neck, so there was no escaping it. One miserable night! I wasn't feeling very well either in the morning, with nausea, headache and sore neck. Never being one to catastrophes, I reckoned viral meningitis, though the relative absence of photophobia did make this unlikely. We left most of the kit in situ and set off along a stalker's track, aiming to join the WH route in a wee bit. I managed to take the wrong branch of the track (assuming the one going west actually exists) and we found ourselves going up into Coire na Muic. Lots of pigs around this part of the country, at least in the past. Decided we should just press on rather than have the irritation of turning back, and I'd suggest this is quite a good way up the hill. For one thing, the ATV track goes on further than it's marked on the map, and the terrain up Coire an Fheadain is better than that on the west side of the hill. We found that most of Friday's snow had melted, leaving us with no snowy obstacles. Clag was in place as we went up the last couple of hundred metres, but for once it cleared as we sat at the top having an early lunch. We spent a long time up there trying to identify as many peaks as we could - there are just so many. Slioch and Fionn Bheinn form two good reference points.
IMG_1176 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1177 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1178 by Al, on Flickr
IMG_1182 by Al, on Flickr
Walking down from the summit
IMG_1183 by Al, on Flickr
It had been very cold in the wind at the summit, but as we came down hill towards the track it was a beautiful spring day. A gang of frogs were hopping across the track - when we drew level with them they flattened themselves against the road surface, as if that made them any harder to see. Hairy caterpillars patrolled up and down the track. We returned to the tent, packed everything up and set back off to the car. As we passed Culligran cottages the air was alive with a squadron of chaffinches who flew to the trees on either side of the track and tweeted so loudly as we went by that it was amazing to think that such small birds could produce such a volume of sound.
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).
Ice Cold on Vurich
Corbetts: Beinn Pharlagain, Ben VuirichFionas: Creag a'Mhadaidh
Date walked: 10/03/2024
Distance: 61km
Ascent: 1950m
Views: 293
Out of Puff in Ardgour
Corbetts: Druim TarsuinnFionas: Glas Bheinn (Kinlocheil), Meall nan Damh, Stob Mhic Bheathain
Date walked: 03/03/2024
Distance: 38km
Ascent: 2240m
Views: 334
Skye Mountain Magic
Fionas: Beinn a' ChapuillSub 2000s: Sgùrr na Strì
Date walked: 25/02/2024
Distance: 47km
Ascent: 2275m
Comments: 4
Views: 604
Remote Grahams, Bothy Nights
Fionas: An Stac, Meith BheinnDate walked: 18/02/2024
Distance: 44km
Ascent: 2000m
Comments: 6
Views: 849
Over the Corran Ferry
Corbetts: Beinn Resipol, Creach Bheinn (Morvern), Fuar BheinnFionas: Beinn Mheadhoin (Morvern), Beinn na Cille
Date walked: 11/02/2024
Distance: 42km
Ascent: 3150m
Views: 482
Blown About in the Borders
Fionas: Dun RigDonalds: Birkscairn Hill, Drumelzier Law, Dun Rig, Glenrath Heights, Hudderstone, Middle Hill, Pykestone Hill, Stob Law
Date walked: 04/02/2024
Distance: 57km
Ascent: 2437m
Views: 471
I Fought The Law (and The Law Won)
Fionas: Green Lowther, QueensberryDonalds: Dun Law, Earncraig Hill, East Mount Lowther, Gana Hill, Green Lowther, Lousie Wood Law, Lowther Hill, Queensberry, Wedder Law
Date walked: 14/01/2024
Distance: 57km
Ascent: 2633m
Comments: 1
Views: 1011
Feeble Earthbound Creatures
Fionas: Blackcraig Hill, Windy StandardDonalds: Alhang, Blackcraig Hill, Blacklorg Hill, Cairnsgarroch, Coran of Portmark, Meaul, Moorbrock Hill, Windy Standard
Date walked: 07/01/2024
Distance: 55km
Ascent: 2600m
Views: 514
A Drowned World
Fionas: Cairnsmore of Fleet, Craignaw, Lamachan Hill, Millfore, MullwharcharDonalds: Cairnsmore of Fleet, Craignaw, Curleywee, Dungeon Hill, Lamachan Hill, Larg Hill, Millfore, Mullwharchar
Date walked: 02/01/2024
Distance: 72km
Ascent: 3740m
Comments: 5
Views: 2000
-
weaselmaster
- Location: Greenock
- Occupation: Idle and old
- Interests: Searching for meaning
- Activity: Hill Bagger
- Mountain: Foinaven
- Place: Assynt and beyond
- Gear: Satmap Active 12
- Member: MCofS MBA JMT RHB
- Camera: iPhone 13 / Sony RX100
- Ideal day out: One that lasts at least 72 hours...
- Munro rounds: 2
- Corbett rounds: 2
- Fiona rounds: 2
- Donald rounds: 2
- Munros: 277
- Tops: 221
- Corbetts: 216
- Fionas: 178
- Donalds: 73+30
- Wainwrights: 15
- Hewitts: 33
- Sub 2000: 391
- Islands: 28
- Long Distance routes: West Highland Way Cape Wrath Trail
- Filter reports
- Trips: 10
- Distance: 513 km
- Ascent: 25720m
- Corbetts: 8
- Fionas: 21
- Donalds: 33
- Sub2000s: 1
- Trips: 51
- Distance: 3123.8 km
- Ascent: 151785m
- Munros: 12
- Corbetts: 54
- Fionas: 163
- Donalds: 19
- Sub2000s: 9
- Hewitts: 2
- Trips: 53
- Distance: 3136.5 km
- Ascent: 155385m
- Munros: 59
- Corbetts: 65
- Fionas: 92
- Donalds: 8
- Sub2000s: 2
- Trips: 43
- Distance: 2399 km
- Ascent: 129611m
- Munros: 135
- Corbetts: 62
- Fionas: 25
- Sub2000s: 8
- Trips: 60
- Distance: 1982.7 km
- Ascent: 85039m
- Munros: 13
- Corbetts: 2
- Fionas: 8
- Donalds: 2
- Sub2000s: 190
- Trips: 57
- Distance: 2933 km
- Ascent: 180392m
- Munros: 11
- Corbetts: 193
- Fionas: 34
- Donalds: 1
- Sub2000s: 27
- Trips: 61
- Distance: 3090.77 km
- Ascent: 206176m
- Munros: 271
- Corbetts: 16
- Fionas: 10
- Donalds: 9
- Sub2000s: 32
- Trips: 76
- Distance: 2994.86 km
- Ascent: 175243m
- Munros: 67
- Corbetts: 12
- Fionas: 72
- Donalds: 81
- Sub2000s: 97
- Hewitts: 13
- Wainwrights 12
- Trips: 78
- Distance: 2035.42 km
- Ascent: 124390m
- Munros: 18
- Corbetts: 5
- Fionas: 142
- Donalds: 71
- Sub2000s: 24
- Hewitts: 15
- Trips: 68
- Distance: 2453.94 km
- Ascent: 164961m
- Munros: 77
- Corbetts: 126
- Fionas: 17
- Donalds: 8
- Sub2000s: 2
- Trips: 64
- Distance: 2406.7 km
- Ascent: 166291m
- Munros: 109
- Corbetts: 112
- Fionas: 16
- Donalds: 10
- Trips: 64
- Distance: 1894.46 km
- Ascent: 127277m
- Munros: 219
- Corbetts: 17
- Fionas: 4
- Donalds: 3
- Sub2000s: 1
- Trips: 24
- Distance: 254.33 km
- Ascent: 16304m
- Munros: 26
- Corbetts: 5
- Trips: 1
- Corbetts: 1
- Donalds: 1
- Joined: Aug 22, 2012
- Last visited: Mar 18, 2024
- Total posts: 2423 | Search posts