3 of the Fannichs walk - part 2
Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgurr Mor and Meall Gorm
Well were where we? I had just come down the wrong way off Beinn Liath Mhor and was heading for Sgurr Mor which had it's head in the clag.
Sgurr Mor summit on the right of photo.
Around 10 am now and good view to the north west
An Teallach in the distance with Loch a Mhadaidh in the foreground.
Not so windy down in the bealach between the two mountains. Started up Sgurr Mor and decided to stop for a snack . Put on the water proof trousers as the weather ahead was not so good and rain on the way. Easy going for a start till you hit 900m and then it gets steeper, but a good path zigzags up round the south side. Came on a mountain shelter at NH 20763 71622 more or less on the 950m contour on the OS map.
Now what I did not tell you in part one was when I was chatting to the guys at the start of the walk, one had mentioned that a car had been parked there for a couple of days and wondered if he should contact the police about it. It was frosted over when I arrived at the car park.
I took a look in the shelter and something was in there "Shit" is there a dead guy in here? was going through my mind and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. Good job I had put my water proof trousers on. It was dark in there so I got the camera out and took photos through the door with the flash to see what it was. The other two walkers just catching me up as I was taking the photos.
My first photo - what's that?
"Phew". Just an old survival blanket blowing in the wind. Panic over onward and up ward and I don't think I was getting a phone signal at this point, so I am not too sure what I would have done if someone had been potted heid in there. "PANIC", a bit and then what the hell do I do now.
What would you have done?
Kind of reassuring to have a few fellow walkers about in situations like that.
Excitement over I followed the other two and the dog now on it's lead as there were cliffs beside the path up the steeps bit to the summit.
Heading up Sgurr Mor at 1044m.
You can just see the climb to the top going off to the right of shot. Good path up here to follow in the mist.
I reached the top just after 12pm with the other two just getting there before me. Windy and wet up here so I got in behind the cairn and hunkered down for a spot of lunch and warm coffee. The other two just touched the top and set off back down the hill.
Me hiding out of the wind on the summit of Sgurr Mor.
Now what will I do - go back the way I came as I have 5 hours of light left or go on to the other two hills? Decisions , Decisions, Decisions. Right I am going to follow the path back the way I came, but I'll set the old compass just in case. Set compass to due south. So off I went back down the nice path I thought I had come up. You should not blindly follow paths should you? As in the past I have ended up the wrong drill so speak. Well I came up from the south on a nice path and I am going south on a nice path in the clag. Came out of the clag heading straight for Meal nam Peithirean.
This didn't look familiar so GPS time to get exact point of where I am.
Up the wrong drill heading for Meal nam Peithirean.
I think I actually wanted to come this way so I could bag 2 more Munros really.
Forgot about the left turn down the hill and I was on a nice path lol.
Not bad going across here so made good time for me as I hit the climb up Meal nam Peithirean the sun was shining on Loch Fannich off to the south with a bit of clag on the summit ahead.
Loch Fannich in the distance.
On the way down the other side I came on a few Ptarmigan or Snow Chickens, which to my surprise did not leg it very far. Not many people can come this way then.
You wouldn't think I was heading down hill in this photo but the mist can be deceiving. It makes up look like down and down look up sometimes.
The summit of Meall Gorm with Munro No 4 An Coileachan the second hill top in the distance.
That blue puddle in the distance is where the car is parked. 10km walk from here.
Me on the summit and the self timer worked for a change.
Now what it's 12.30pm, dark at 5pm and it's 10km back to the car or 3km to the top of the next hill and then 10km back to the car last bit probably in the dark through unfamiliar territory most of it serious bog. Hmm!!
Time to call it a day and head for the car then. Now how the ? do I get down from here, studied the map and decided to carry on ahead walking near to the edge to see what I could see. Well the first bit is a one way ticket straight down a very steep wet grassy slope. No way I am I going down there. Carried on along for 10 min or so getting a wee bit panicky as I could not find a way down. Extreme studying of the map at this point gave me a possible way down to the north. I was at NH22874 69582 and wanted to get down into the glen below as the river would lead me back to the car if it did get dark. 866m up and the river was at 465m so a fair old drop down. As I headed down I could see what looked like an old path just around 823m I came on it and headed south round a bend and it started to climb up the damned hill again.
About turn and head back in what seemed like the wrong direction on this faint path.
Well I have never been so happy when I found a recent foot print in the mud woo hoo it really cheered me up and I knew I wasn't such an old idiot to come down here.
757m and heading down, very happy at this point as I was on a manmade path it was pretty overgrown but still a path in the wilderness heading in the right direction.
The path down looking back up, not much of a path but it's there at this point.
Loch Li with Beinn Liath Mhor, in the back ground right and Sgurr Mor on the left where I had been and the path just visible down on the right.
Well not much of a path through here but I was down from the tops and heading for the car hopefully before it got dark.
Looking back up to where I had come from.
You can just see a bit of a path centre of shot where I came down.
Still about 7 1/2 km back to the car through a bog to go. It's going to be a relentless slog from here on.
Came on this. Is it Tree beard's moustache?
Just kept following the river as best as I could, did cut off a bit at one point. What a slog this bit is through the bog jumping from dry bit to dry bit trying to avoid the deep bog.
River crossing at NH 25324 71267 maybe handy to know for when I return to the last hill next year.
Well there are bits of path after this but most of it is find your own way, glad it wasn't dark.
The way back to the car.
Tell you what I am glad I came in November as this would be midge hell in the summer. 2.14pm 5km to go to car. 1 hour on a good road but not on this stuff though.
3.30 plodding on and the sun is setting over Ben Dearg and it's surrounding Munros.
Ben Dearg in the sunlight.
The main path from the road would bring you to here I think.
Last big river to cross and onto familiar ground.
Well I was sure there was a path from here on, nope it came and went a bit so still a bit of a bog trot.
3.45 2km to go to car sun going down now with it just hitting the hill tops ahead.
Last of the sunshine.
Walked down past the waterfalls again about the same amount of light as this morning.
Plodding on got about 1/2km from car and text messages start coming again. All the ones in the phone server came at once, "shut up phone". Answered a few to let people know I was alright. Just got to the car as dark was falling, 4.40pm . 25.5km from the start and I was back at the car.
That car that was frosted over in the morning was still here but no one else. Should I phone the cops? Had someone already done it?.
By the way a tip don't put your water proof trousers over your gaiters which have a strap round your boots. What a sod to get off. Could not get waterproof trousers off over boots and the gaiters had to come off first and they were under waterproofs.
Had a good fight with them and in the end managed to get them off.
Changed into clean kit I had in car with me and set off for home only about 130 miles and 3 hours away.
Set off home a bit tired but not too bad. Not much traffic on the road and got to Inverness in an hour or there-abouts. A96 home I think from here and a stop for chips at Fochabers chipper. Into the chipper on a budget this trip so what's cheap? black pudding supper it is then. Now as I was standing waiting for my order to be cooked a racket got up from the sitdown bit behind me. I heard " You're some piece of work". then several people flew out the door and continued to argue along the street with a young boy holding on to the door wondering what to do. When he left I looked round to see a table with 4 suppers 1/2 eaten still on the table. £20 worth still on the table with the staff of the chip shop bemused by this. As I was waiting for my order one of the staff went to clean up the table to find fish thrown at the windows and chips all over the place.
The old joke there was a fight in the chip shop and a fish got battered. Actually took place here. Lol. Sat in the car and ate my chips before driving back to Keith petrol station where I had stopped in the early morning stuck in £20 not quite enough to cover the trip but there would be some fuel left when I got home for the rest of the week.
Got home around 8pm and emptied the car and put the kit away. Only one thing left to do "SLEEP".
Well I hope you like my tales they're what actually happens on my trips as near as I can recall. I try to tell it as it is so to speak and not sugar coat it. So if you do take up walking the Scottish hills you will know its not always a piece of cake.
My GPS plot from walk and the bottom flag is the hill I did not climb.
Dino60
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