3 of the Fannichs walk - part 1 Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgurr Mor and Meall Gorm

  3 of the Fannichs walk - part 1

Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgurr Mor and Meall Gorm

6/11/12

Sunday 6/11/12 :-  stupid o'clock in the morning, me and my cunning plans!

The plan was to arrive at the start of the walk at first light 7am - only problem it's a 3 hour drive to the start of the walk at the end of Loch Glascarnoch. The daft things you do to bag a few Munros.

On my lonesome on this walk as my walking buddies had other things on.

3.30am :- yes stupid o'clock I got up, nipped upstairs and put the eggs on to boil, I had made most of my piece the night before. I had a plan to take my stove and the kettle with me to boil up when I arrived at the start of the walk but I also filled a flask with hot water so I could have my cup of tea as the kettle was boiling. Smart move as it turns out tell you why in a bit. Quick shower and back up and got the car packed up. 

4am :- A bit frosty, I set off north from Alford over the Suie hill for Huntly and the A96 north to Inverness. Funny thing there's no traffic at stupid o'clock in the morning.

5am :- arrived at Keith and stopped at the Shell filling station for fuel. A single Wiseman's milk lorry  passed just as I was leaving, going north something to follow, nope he turned off to the A95 Mulben road and I carried on up the A96 arriving at Inverness around 5.45am. On to the A9 and over the bridge heading north. Just as I was coming down to the roundabout at Conon Bridge I see a Wiseman's milk lorry, how he got up here faster than me I don't know. Different lorry probably only the second motor I had seen on the trip. Passed the Tarvie services which were shut - no bacon rolls this morning, darn. Stopped at the toilets at Black water and the lights were on phew. Would have been fun using the bog while trying to hold a torch. NH 401 640 map ref for toilets - handy to know where all the toilets are up here. As I came out of the car park I could see a set of car headlights coming my way in the distance.
 Off I went now with a car behind me for company. Just as we got to the south end of Loch Glascarnoch there were really big stags crossing the road with a few still on the left hand side. Slowed down after that. Had to slam on the brakes not far along the road an owl flew across level with my windscreen, managed to miss it and then saw more stags at the side of the road. Would not like to hit one of those big stags it would make a right mess of the car. Going slower now I made my way along the side of the loch and stopped to look at a sign that I thought was  the car park. The car that was still behind me also slowed right down here but it was just the start of a path. The car behind passed me and pulled in just up ahead. "That's were the car park is." Drove into the car park and found a space as there were 4 cars here already with several walkers getting kitted up. Still dark just before 7am.  

  Got the kettle on and had breakfast and a cup of tea with the water from my flask. You should really check how much gas is in your stove before taking it to the hills shouldn't you? lol. I ran out of gas before the damn kettle boiled. Oh the joys.

Cunning plan No 2, mix what was left in flask with the hot water that was in the kettle and refill flask and hope for the best.

Sunrise   

                                                     6.55am :-  sunrise just begining.

Walk info:-

Sinking Dino60 factor 6 out of 6

A real bog trot this one.

Sore foot factor 3-6

Scare factor 3-6

Usual banter with fellow walkers to see where every one was going while I was eating my breakfast. Got kitted up and set off east to follow the river crossing up and over the big hydro pipe.

7.18am :- and just a glimmer of daylight coming in. You can just see the Hydro pipe on the right.

After you're over the pipe there is a path following the river the Abhainn an Torrain Duibh which I think roughly translates to the large black river, could be wrong there. The path follows the north side of the river

Abhainn an Torrain Duibh

Looking back to the car park the path on the left of shot.

 The first bit of a walk I always seem to have too much kit on so I have a few stops to adjust what I am wearing till I get the body temperature right for a walk. Kit adjusted I carried on along the path. As the path climbed up away from the river about 10 feet up I heard a clunk as my water bottle fell out of the side of my rucksack. Had to climbed down and rescue it replacing it in the pouch on the left hand side of my rucksack where it had fallen out of. Climbed back up onto the path and carried on along following the river. Nice straight bit now with small waterfalls on the river.

Not quite full light yet :- 7.36 am

 The path not too boggy yet and I was making good progress till I discovered that the damn water bottle had fallen out yet again. Thinking I would not have enough water for the day if I did not retrieve it I set off back along the track to find it. After 200m or so I was going to give up when I came on it lying on the path. Put it back in the right hand side pocket on my rucksack which is difficult for me as my right wrist has been welded with Titanium plates and will not bend. However I managed to get the bottle in with a bit of a struggle and there it stayed for the rest of the trip without falling out. A few wee burns to cross as you make your way along the path.

7.40am :- Still following the Abhainn an Torrain Duibh, Beinn Liath Mhor, Munro No1 for today, just visible over Beinn Liath Beag in the distance. This is going to be a long walk.

Beinn Liath Mhor just visible on the left. Not far along from here I came to my first big river crossing (my favourite)

Some kind soul had built a bridge big enough for mice to run across, managed to jump this one.    

Just about here the sun started to hit the hill tops in front of me and behind.

The path ahead with Meall Gorm and An Coileachan 2 of the Munros I was aiming to bag on this trip at sunrise in the distance. Behind me the sun was hitting Ben Dearg and the surrounding Munros.

If you want to see the sunrise here in November you will have to get up at stupid o'clock as well. Worth it though for views like this. By the way this path is not marked on the OS maps or memory map.

Beinn Liath Mhor came into view with the sun hitting the top of it at 7.59am

Beinn Liath Mhor in the middle.

8.07am :- and I reached the meeting point of the Abhainn an Torrain Duibh and the Allt an Loch sgeirich and it's make your mind up time. Should I go straight ahead crossing over the Allt an Loch segirich or follow the path north alongside the Allt an Loch segirich. Path beginning to get fainter now. Decided to head north and not cross the river as I just love river crossings (Not) but I would get plenty practice on this walk.

The two rivers meeting.

The faint path to the north along the side of the Allt an Loch segirich. Beinn Liath Mhor in the distance on left of photo.

Don't think this is a tourist path, Munro baggers and deer stalkers only come along here by the look of it. The up is about to start but not too bad really, a steady climb along the riverside.

 Path very faint now with Creag Dubh Fannich  in the front and Beinn Liath Mhor behind.

Started up the wee hill trying to decide if I should cross over the river and climb up Creag Dubh Fannich or carry on straight up the hill. Marched on up the path still not sure what I was doing - nothing new there then. A few little water falls on the river as you climb up.

 One of the 2 or 3 trees around here. That hill don't seem to be getting any closer. Nothing for it but to push on along  the boggy path. Still thinking about will I, won't I ? cross and climb up Creag Dubh Fannich, till I saw the length of the heather over there and decided I would be better off on the path.

8.28am :- and the sun came up onto the path.

Creag Dubh Fannich  on the left with Beinn Liath Mhor straight ahead, the river getting narrower now. That will be easy to cross then further up?? (right). Nice path here but not for long you play hunt the path after this and then bog city to cross.
8.56am :- and I found out I have to cross the river, now remember that nice wee burn in the last photo well some so and so made it a good bit wider further up.

Thought about crossing here but decided against it and played bog trot alongside the burn for a while. No path to be found up here just make your own way through the bog.
9.48am :- got my first real view of Beinn Liath Mhor in the sunlight.

Beinn Liath Mhor

Route one time as straight a line as I could make towards Beinn Liath Mhor. Damn river still to cross. It's just in that dip ahead in the photo where the green is.

Around NH 244 727 I crossed the river faint signs that other people had come this way. Good stepping stones here to get across, and I didn't fall in. Getting better at these river crossings, probably going to regret saying that next time I have a river to cross, lol. Tougher ground on the other side of the river with long heather and bog to make your way through. Doesn't last too long and as you get higher the heather shortens and the walking gets easier. As you come over the rise  Beinn Liath Mhor is there in front of you.

See the vapour trail in the sky? It was such a clear sky I got a reasonable photo of the plane as it flew over me. 15 times zoom but it's digital and not as sharp as optical would be.

The plane was heading south, Trans-Atlantic probably.

Just over the rise Loch Sgeireach came into view .

Loch Sgeireach

Now just after this was taken a path appeared heading up into the coll below Creag Dubh Fannich and Beinn Liath Mhor, it just started out of nowhere.



Not much of a path but something has been walking up here. Followed the path for a bit. Sometimes it's not the best idea to blindly follow a path as it can lead you astray sometimes.
9.42am :- and Beinn Liath Mhor is right in front of me in the sunshine. I left the path by the way  as I did not like where it was going.

Beinn Liath Mhor east end.

Thinking about which way I would climb up here. Thought about going over to the far side and climbing up but as I got closer to the near side saw there was a big dip down to get to it. Route one then straight ahead.Weather beginning to change a bit now with more cloud coming in, "Hope it stays clear to the summit". Could see Ullapool away off in the distance to the north.

Loch Broom and Ullapool away in the distance.

See the big dip just in the foreground of the photo to get to the north side.
9.52am :- and I have started up the east side of Beinn Liath Mhor with up being the word, pretty rocky as you make your way up. Zig-zagging  as I went to take some of the steepness out.

The only way is up.

7.6km to here with about 1km to go to the summit. At 711m, 954m at the top.

The view back down to where I had come up to here.

Loch Sgeirech in the foreground and Loch Glascarnoch in the distance. That's where the car is parked.
Ground gets grassy now with boulder fields ahead as you make your way up. A wee bit slippy on the grass.

Easy walking up through here, the boulder field is not bad either.

Not far to the top now. The wind was picking up about here pretty strong too. Put my jacket back on for the walk to the summit just up over the ridge.

Saw this and wonder if it was the summit or not. It is exciting ain't it? Wind speed about 50mph + here. Didn't see that in the forecast.

10.30am :- on  the summit of Beinn Liath Mhor,  Munro No147 for me.
Hunkered down on the lee of the cairn for a cup of warm coffee and some nosh.  Too windy to stand and take photos so I took this scary photo by holding the camera at arms length from me on the summit.

Print this and you could use it to scare mice out of your house, lol.

See that cloud bank in the background that's Munro No2 I will be heading to, Sgurr Mor 1110m.

Got the camera down on the rock and used the self timer for the next scary photo.

It's cold here. A couple of other walkers with a collie dog came up the north side as I was sitting here, an older bloke with his daughter I think. He was chatty but the daughter didn't say much. Dog was fun as it tried to get something to eat from me as it got bawled at.
Now the next bit is important so pay attention - when you leave the summit heading straight for Sgurr Mor as in the next photo.

Don't take route one or you will land in a pickle as I and the 2 with the dog did.

You will end up coming down this steep slope with wet slippy rocks.

Head to the west where you should find a nice path somewhere over there.

Nice path on the west side. Didn't feel too bad as the other 2 did exactly the same as I did and came route one too.

The next challenge Sgurr Mor 1110m in the mist.

Sgurr Morr.

Well this is a two parter so you will have to wait for the next instalment. In the new year prob.
Part 2 Sgurr Mor and Meall Gorm and will I make it back to the car before dark at 5pm?
And the stushie (altercation) in the chip shop!

Dino60