Finishing off the Fannaichs

Those who read carefully will have noticed that the last posting was labelled as "part 1", and mentioned 13 Munros in its title - but only two Munros were mentioned.  So, here goes for part 2 ....  a concentrated week in the Fannaichs.


Back in 2004, I had climbed the western Fannaichs, Sgurr Breac and A' Chailleach.  That left 8 Fannaich Munros, plus nearby Am Faochagach.  It would need a good week to achieve all that.


20th July   An Coileachan, Meall Gorm, Sgurr Mor and Beinn Liath Mhor

Lovely weather made a major outing irresistible, despite having climbed on the two previous days.


So, on my own, I set off from a layby on the A835 at Loch Glascarnoch at 10.45am.  The first 3km was easy going on a forestry track, then a rough tramp over heather moors and peat hags to Loch Gorm.  Using some nimble footwork, I managed to work my way round the east side of the loch on boulders  round the shore.

For the south end of the loch, a steep climb on heathery slopes, then boulders, to reach the flattish top of An Coileachan at 14.00. (M 204)  From here, the extended high level walk could be seen (photo above).  


The going was easy over the SE top of Meall Gorm (rounded green hump above), then on along remarkable flat slabs over Meall Gorm itself (M 205) where a 15 minute rest was called for.  

One more easy top (Meall nan Peithirean), then hard work on tired legs up steep slopes, stepped by solifluxion, to the summit of Sgurr Mor Fannaich (M 206) at 16.30 (above).  


Views in all directions superb, but only time for a very brief stop (left), before heading off down the NE ridge, along the rim of the coire, and joining a good stalkers' path half way down.  

From the bealach, the path slanted up the west face of the final Munro of the day, Beinn Liath Mhor.  No obvious path to the summit, so I struck up to the right on bouldery slopes, and emerged onto the top at 17.30.   


With hindsight, a better descent would probably have been north from this summit, reaching the A835 a mile or two to the west of the starting point.  However, I chose to head east on easy broad ridges over Creag Dubh, then descended on a path towards the moorland below.  


The final mile over trackless heathery rough moorland was hard going - the heather tripping me and sending me headlong at one point!   Eventually, I was back at the stream crossing (with view north toward the Beinn Dearg group, above) and one final climb up to the forest track back to the A835 and the welcome sight of the car.


9 hours out, covering 24km and a climb of 1300m.  Four hard-won Munros!


22nd July   Am Faochagach

Another day - another hill!  After one (weather-enforced) rest day, it was time to tackle Am Faochagach (left).  This one just a single easy flat-topped lump.  Anne wasn't keen, so another lone climb.


Anne and I drove up to the same car park as yesterday on the A835. Cloud base was at around 800m, so set off in hope of it rising.  Start was a boggy tramp across the valley to reach the Abhainn a' Gharbhrain. 


According to the guide books, this can be tricky to cross, so I took a pair of old trainers.  However, it looked crossable, so I set off teetering across the boulders - and half-way across lost my footing, and put a boot under water!  Ah well, the path up the hill was so boggy that it didn't make much difference!  


The mist remained steadfast on the ridge, so the views were nil - quite eery sitting with my back to a cairn in the middle of a misty deserted boulder field (right).  


Still, that makes Munro 208 - and I've seen a view from most of those.  Needed a compass bearing to make sure I headed off in the right direction, and soon found my way back down and across the river to Anne, waiting patiently in the car.

23rd July   Meall a'Chrasgaidh, Sgurr nan Clach Geala and Sgurr nan Each

Another reasonable day weather-wise, and still feeling fit enough to keep climbing!  

Today, we parked at the big bend on the A832, a couple of miles south of Braemore Junction.  At 10.45 we set off down the track to Loch a' Bhraoin, and followed  the path a short way up the valley of the Allt Breabaig, until we could cross to the east side, to make a steep and tiring ascent of Meall A' Chrasgaidh (M209).  Like yesterday, there was mist hanging around at 900m or so, so the top was just in cloud when we arrived there at 1.30pm. (left)

We continued down and up to Carn na Criche (really a subsidiary top of Sgurr Mor Fannaich - see 20th July), where we sat and ate our lunch at 2.30pm, with tantalising glimpses of hills appearing and disappearing in front of us.  

Back down to the bealach, then up the lovely, curving ridge around the coire to the summit of Sgurr nan Clach Geala (M210).  Suddenly, the cloud started to disperse (right), giving excellent views all around.  

After 30 mins on the summit enjoying the prospect, we continued down to the col, and up the S-shaped ridge of Sgurr nan Each (left) (M211).  

It was then a long trek back to the car (2hrs 40mins);  down steep grassy slopes to the col between Sgurr nan Clach Geala and Sgurr Breac, then a good path all the way down the valley, with a trick river crossing en route.

And so the Fannaichs completed - apart from Fionn Bheinn, across Loch Fannich to the south.