Sgurr a'Bhealaich Dheirg

Our starting point was as yesterday, but today we followed the Allt Coire Tholl Bhruach intending to join the ridge at the bealach between Aonach Meadhoin and Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg. However once in the corrie we opted to take the steep slopes which would see us emerge a few hundred metres west of Aonach Meadhoin.

High on this slope I stopped to add a layer of clothing and noticed that there was no Satmap in the rucksack. It was probably in the motorvan but there was also the possibility that I'd left it lying on the ground outside the van when I'd picked up the sack. This was unlikely (I told myself) and pushed on, soon arriving at the well-worn path.

The ridge now dropped away to the bealach and it was a delight to follow it, pausing occasionally to savour the fantastic views west. Being a Bank Holiday the place was becoming busy. Some (mainly young) seemed to be taking their Munro bagging very seriously, grim- faced and barely able to say 'hello'. A job of work it appeared. Shame. Don't they know this is fun?! The final slopes quickly lead to the large cairn and with photographs taken, we made our retreat to make room for the approaching crowds.

Retracing our steps to the bealach we met two ladies, one a fellow Munroist and on her second round, the other with eight to go. We chatted for ages exchanging experiences on hills the length and breadth of the Highlands. Kindred spirits indeed and what a difference between these seasoned hill-goers and the others we'd passed who had been so reluctant to even acknowledge our presence.
From here we took the grassy slopes to pt 806 and so down to the Tholl Bhruach and back to the van. The Satmap wasn't on the ground but on a seat under a fleece. To be honest I'd forgotten all about it, such had been the quality of the day.

Mark - hope your back problem is resolved soon so that you can enjoy your backpacking trip.

Alan R - yes, I'm fine now and if it weren't for the fine scenery and weather, I'd be pretty depressed about cancelling our walk. I note that you are getting back to full fitness yourself which is good to hear.

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Greetings from Sgurr an Fhuarail (1)

Snow showers with some sun. We've come from Aonach Meadhoin (Lynne in pic) where it was, quite frankly, b****y freezing. The hills of Torridon seem to have acquired a fair covering of snow overnight. Settled downfor lunch in a sheltered spot overlooking Coire nan Eun.

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Friday 4 May - Glean Lichd

Light snow showers were sweeping across the hills this morning and a cold north wind was blowing, so we opted for a lower level excursion. A wander down Gleann Lichd to the E.U.M.C Hut and then the pass to Glen Affric. Maybe. A plaque on the door informs that the hut was opened in 1956 in memory of two climbers killed in a storm on Ben Nevis in May 1955.

We had no ambitions today other than to walk, look and listen. Some soft hail fell as we left Glenlicht House but the day was improving quickly and all the burns were low, so even without the bridges the two we had to cross would have posed no difficulty. I reminded Lynne of one of our previous, always wet, trips here when the first was impassable and we turned back: she had no recollection of it, so it must have been a dream. Who am I to contradict!

Our peaceful lunch spot at the summit of the pass gave fine views south to Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg and to the east, Mullach Fraoch-choire. The track eventually drops to Camban, an open bothy in Fionngleann, and continues on to Glen Affric.

Reluctantly we began our descent pausing to photograph the rather lovely waterfall created as the Allt Grannda emerges from a small gorge. Summits and lofty ridges are great places to be, but you can miss much of interest by neglecting old ways through the hills I think.

That said, it's the tops again for us tomorrow!

Distance - 20km and about 500m ascent.

Martin - Thanks. My back muscle has recovered much more quickly than expected. It took 6 weeks last time. Tonight would have been our first wild camp of the trip.....

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Wednesday 2 May - Beinn Fhada, Meall an Fhuarain Mhoir, Sgurr a' Dubh Doire

It was a beautiful May morning and a cool breeze and cuckoo kept us company as we made our way up Glean Choinneachain, the finest in Kintail in W H Murray's view. I could find no reason to disagree with the great man. The path makes for easy going all the way to the Bealach an Sgairne, although today we weren't passing through 'The Gates of Affric' but taking the stalker's path into Coire an Sgairne and onto the Plaide Mhor.

A check of records shows 30 May 1983 for Beinn Fhada but unlike today the two Tops were not part of the plan, Meall an Fhuarain Mhor (954m) and Sgurr a' Dubh Doire (962m) being inconveniently situated west and east of the Munro. 'Always leave something to come back for' a friend once said. How wise.

The crags of Sgurr a' Choire Ghairbh held our eyes as we climbed out of Coire an Sgairne (winter climbs here surely, and if not there should be) onto the summit plateau and over the gently rising, grassy slopes to the cairn on Meall an Fhuarain Mhor. The view from here was breathtaking: Skye, the Applecross hills, Torridon, the Five Sisters, distant Ben Nevis and the Cairngorms.

It was time for a break and some food and tea - and lots of photography. Before heading for our second objective of the day we had a look at an alternative route to this summit by Beinn Bhuidhe and Sgurr a' Choire Ghairbh which involves a rocky sramble into and out of The Hunter's Pass, clearly seen from our vantage point. Another time no doubt.

Sgurr a' Dubh Doire gave fine views of the Affric Hills and of Loch a' Bhealaich in Glean Gaorsaic. In fact if we'd thought about it earlier and visited Bheinn Fhada on our way to this Top, we could have descended to Glean Gniomhaidh and returned to Morvich via 'The Gates'. A backpacking trip for the future perhaps. As it was, our way home lay back over the Munro and by the time we arrived at the trig point the few other walkers we'd seen from afar had gone.

After the ritual photography we descended to Coire an Sgairne and so to the path in Gleann Choinneachain. It was unmistakably May in the Highlands with a freshness not found later in summer.

Tom Weir once wrote that you couldn't have too many months of May in a lifetime. Let's hope this is one to remember.

Distance: 27km
Ascent: 1420m

Andrew W - have arranged for good weather to last for The Challenge. Send cash.

Mark - hope your miserable weather has improved, but don't send any of it up here please.

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Comments

It's easier to reply to any comments in the body of a post so that's what I'll do in future (assuming there is anyone who thinks there is something worth commenting upon in the first place of course)

So, David L - "the fine piece of stone" is indeed local, very local now, and is captioned on the blog. Cheers David.

Martin - yes, postponed is more accurate but it will be next May before it's revived. I will enjoy Skye when I finally get there thanks.

Alan R - very true and I am enjoying!

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I am giving myself one more day of lazing around before hitting the hills again, so we've pulled into the Caravan Club site at Morvich. Beinn Fada is the objective for tomorrow, or more accurately' its two 'tops' are and then the following day, Skye at last.

There's not much snow on the Glen Shiel hills so any Challenger starting from here should have no worries on that count. Likewise the Drumochter lot (though a bit more) and there was no sign of 'Beauly to Denny' activity to cause access difficulties either.

The hills are looking their fabulous best, it's warm and there isn't a cloud in sight. Heaven. Time for a beer.

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Skye

With 'the walk' cancelled we are off to the NW and Skye. I can, I think, carry a light sack and maybe even do a one night backpack - my torn back muscle is recovering at last.

We're in Glen Nevis at present and, with its fine summit snow field, Sgurr a' Mhaim is a grand sight this evening.

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Local

Having a local walk without a rucksack to see how my torn back muscle feels. Fine it seems, except for slight dull pain. Maybe it will, after all, be OK for our planned West to East in a week's time, but then again there's a big difference between a stroll across fields and carrying a pack across Scotland, crawling in and out a tent etc.

And maybe I risk losing the rest of the summer by worsening the injury.

It will be a mad rush to deliver parcels if we do decide to go.

Problems, problems

Last Wednesday we set off in the motorvan for a short break and to deliver food parcels for our forthcoming backpacking trip, but it wasn't long before it was obvious that there was a problem: the engine simply wasn't functioning as it should. It's a VW 5 cylinder 2.5TDI and the 'T' bit just wasn't working. We eventually got off the motorway and home to our local excellent garage who noted that there was very little exhaust gas coming from the tail pipe: it was being vented into the engine compartment. Maybe a collapsed catalytic converter they thought, but in any event they are fitting it in at lunch time today for a more thorough investigation. If it can't be fixed this afternoon there is a possibility that our backpacking trip will have to be cancelled, since I'll need to take any date they can give if we are to have the motorvan for the rest of the summer.

Yesterday as we wandered the hills we pondered what we could do instead of our planned walk. Perhaps various short backpacking trips could be fitted in before the van was due at the garage for repair? Knoydart or a trip to Rum, maybe. We could salvage something!

However, for no apparent reason, this morning I have pulled a muscle in my back. I say 'for no apparent reason' but in fact it's the reappearance of an old injury. So, I'm sitting here feeling rather pessimistic about things because, even if the motorvan were fixed today, I couldn't risk a long backpacking trip which is now less than two weeks away - at the moment I can hardly move without pain let alone carry a rucksack. It doesn't feel quite as bad as the initial injury did back in 2009 so maybe I'll recover more quickly, but with a B&B to cancel and no parcels delivered a decision will have to be made in the next few days.

Fortunately the Fuizion food has a 'use by' date of 2014 so that won't go to waste but that's about the only positive thing I can think of saying to finish this dreary posting.

Snow in the 'west'

After several days of buying bits and pieces of gear for our forthcoming coast-coast to walk, plus organising a week's holiday before then, we needed a recuperative walk in the local hills. It's a month  before Challengers depart (less for us) but some might be interested to see the quantity of snow on, for example, Ben More and Stob Binnein. Unfortunatley the vile Burnfoot windfarm has ruined this lovely view.

Snow and 'my' blackbird

It's snowing heavily this morning and the birds are hungry.

He waits patiently

then

Follows me into the garage while I get his food

Quite a contrast to Saturday when we checked out the Nallo