30 SECONDS OF FAME

THE BROTHERS, GLEN SHEIL

   I had planned a wee walking holiday in April 2011, a trip to Glen Sheil and a stay in the Cluanie Inn. We had driven past the Inn many times and always fancied staying there. I asked Brian and his wife if they fancied going and after checking with his wife he was all for it. Graham couldn't manage this trip. So there would be the 4 of us Brian and his wife and me and my wife. I called the hotel and booked their two best rooms, a wee bit more expensive but what the heck, it was to be a holiday and I like melting the credit card now and again. Lol.

  I arranged all the rooms for us and we were booked to stay the night of 11th April. I should have learned my lesson about booking rooms in April after our Inn Pin trip to Skye. More later.  It was arranged that Brian would drive up to Glen Sheil in his ever faithful Passatt but did he not go and buy a new Passatt a couple of days before, so he did not want to clock up too many miles on the old car. It was decided I would take my car but it would be a slower journey in my trusty diesel Fiesta. 0-60 eventually -especially with 4 adults and luggage on board.

We would leave in the afternoon as we wanted to arrive in the evening and its about a 3 to 3-1/2 hour drive.

   The day came and I picked up Brian and his wife and we all set off. As you know I am a bit of a skinflint sometimes so I had planned to take the A96 north to Inverness as the diesel was 3p a litre cheaper at Keith at the Shell filling station. Well I had that expensive room to pay for and I'd save about 60p on fuel. We got to Keith in about an hour, the A96 can be a busy road and single carriage way so there are few places to over take. I filled up at the Shell station and planned to take the A95 to miss out Fochabers as they were building a by-pass at the time. Damn road was closed so we had to go to Fochabers.  We got through the roadworks in not bad time, bit when they had the traffic lights on the roadworks it was taking forever to get through.  Onward to Elgin, now before you come to Elgin there is Lhanbryde and it has a by-pass. Now there was a big tractor a few cars in front of us holding up traffic so the wee light bulb turned on in my head and decided that if we actually went through Lhanbryde I would come out in front of the tractor, great laid plans of mice and men as they say. So at the roundabout it was straight ahead for the by-pass and right to go through  Lhanbryde.  As I turned right on the roundabout and  having right of way a 45 tonne artic tried to pull up to give way to me. When he finally stopped  we were level with the middle off his 40foot trailer. I had stopped half way round the roundabout as he came out in front of me.  A rather rattled looking driver looked back at me and waved before he pulled off out of our path, with qiute a few comments coming from our car. So I drove through Lhanbryde a bit quieter than the A96  without any more incidents, and when we got to the roundabout at the other end of the by-pass the tractor had long gone through and we were about 10 cars behind it now.  

   It took about 2 and a 1/2 hour to get to Inverness and a pitstop at Tiso's  for the cafe and loos. It pays to know where all the loos are, and it was nice to sit down and have a cup of tea. It's not the cheapest cafe and I don't think Tiso's run it but it's in an easy place to get to and has a car park only problem being you have to go west to go east to get to it and east to go west when you leave - all to do with where the roundabouts are.   Refreshed from our pitstop at Tiso we set off east to go west  and back to the A82 south onto the Fort William road, down the shore of Loch Ness, no sign of Nessie that day. We had managed to miss the rush hour in Inverness but there were a few tourists about on the A82. One in particular was giving me a headache just before  Drumnadrochit going 30mph looking at the loch and waving about all over the road. Best thing that happened was when he spotted Urquhart Castle and he had to pull over to have a look. Big mistake there as he mounted a big kerb with a bang, probably had a square wheel and flat tyre after that, anyway he was out of our road and I could now get up to a blistering 40mph-ish.  We followed the road to Invermoriston and took the A877 west heading for Glen Sheil. Takes about 40  minutes to one hour to get to the hotel and had the road more or less to ourselves all the way to the hotel. The hotel is surrounded by Munros and there was lovely fresh west coast mountain air when we got out of the car.

 The Cluanie Inn

Brian's photo

  It was evening now and we went in to the hotel to check in. We had taken the room with a 4 poster bed and a jacuzzi  in the bathroom, Brian and his wife had a separate sauna and jacuzzi in their bathroom. Brian's room had a wall mirror behind the bed and I kidded him on it was the honeymoon suite.

Our room

 Brian's photo of their room.

We got settled into our nice rooms and met up in the bar for tea and a few pints of course. We all enjoyed our meals with some nice Guinness for me to wash it down. After tea as it was getting late we retired to our respective rooms.

  Now you probably will not believe this I have been plumbing on and off since I started as a apprentice in 1976  but have never been in a Jacuzzi up till now. Fitted plenty of them just never got into one. Quite enjoyed the Jacuzzi but wouldn't rave about it. Usual stuff in the room t.v, coffee and tea with a few biscuits which we scoffed.  Our room was stuck out from the south of the hotel and we had views to the south and west where as Brian's only had a view to the west. After dark we had happened to look out the window and there was a herd of deer grazing just outside the window, tried to get a few photos but none came out that well. The four poster was very comfortable and we slept well through the night. In the morning when we looked out the tops of the mountains were white with snow, great! That's what I meant about booking a hotel in April earlier - you just never know what the weather will be like.

The morning view to the west.

Nothing for it but to go for breakfast.

  We got in for breakfast between 7 - 7.30 am. Full Scottish breakfast of course as you do when you're away in a hotel, you could have whatever kind of eggs you liked with your breakfast. Well I like poached eggs and was first to order, this started a trend as Brian and a woman sitting at the next table to him decided to order poached eggs after hearing what I had ordered.  Chef must have been really happy. There also were a couple of road workers up here filling in all the potholes after the winter staying at the hotel so they were in for breakfast as well.

  After breakfast I went down to the car and got the winter gear on for our climb. Brian and I would be going up while the ladies were off exploring around Loch Duich and Plockton for the day ( where Hamish Macbeth was filmed ).

   Brian and I got our photo taken outside the hotel all kitted up ready to go on the hills for the day.

 Brian's photo

Full waterproof gear for this one and we would need it later on.

We said goodbye to the ladies as they were going to settle the bill and pack up the car a bit later.

The Brothers + 1 lay ahead, 4 Munros was the plan for the day 1 out on it's own and then 3 on a ridge.

Brian and I headed across the road and started up the track on An Caorann Beag. The weather at the moment was good, a nice clear day with the sun shining down on us.

Brian at the start of An Caorann Beag looking back to the Cluanie Inn and the south Glen Sheil ridge in the back ground.

  There was a good Landrover track at the start of the glen leading up to where they seemed to be putting in a couple of giant water tanks, I assume for the hotel.

An Caorann Beag

It was a steady climb up through here and we made quite good time but after the Landrover track finished it was mostly bog trot along the path. Just after we got on the path we found near enough every time you put you foot down something would shoot off from around it. It turned out to be voles, because of the heavy snow through the winter it was ideal breeding conditions for them as the snow acted as an insulator and boy had they bred.  It was something like if there were normally 1,000,000 of them there were 15,000,000 this year.  They were absolutely everywhere. Saw Brian jump a couple of times when he put his foot down and something scampered off.

  The path follows the burn, the Allt a' Chaorainn Bhig  more or less up to a col and is  pretty boggy in places.

Brian with our first Munro for the day Ciste Dhubh 979m covered in snow behind him. You will see what looks like a wall at the end of the glen just below the snow line a good bit steeper of a climb up there.

Me in the same place sun shining and quite warm.

Brian and I forged ahead to the col and climbed up on to a small plateau which was really boggy. The weather had changed now and snow showers were starting to blow through.

Brian on the small plateau checking the map with the first steep ascent of Ciste Dhubh in the distance.

It was quite slippy on the snow covered grass as we made our way up the south face which you see in the photo above.

Levels off a bit after you're over the top with a couple of spot heights till you reach the summit.

Brian checking the map with the 877m top in the distance, more snow now as we climbed higher.

The view looking back down to Glen Sheil and Am Bathach 732m in the centre of the shot.

Brian off to the right taking photos. You can see the small plateau we had to cross in the foreground.

Just after this Brian had to answer a call of nature and of course I had the camera out at the time can't remember his exact words when he realised I had the camera on the go. (but it was very head teacher-ish!)

Brian with  Sgurr an Fhuarail 987m where we would be going up in the background. We tackled the 877m top next but after you get to the top you have to drop down a gully at about 850m before the steep climb onto the 929m top.

Brian with the gully and the 929m top in the distance. We dropped down into the gully and up a ridge heading for the steep climb onto the 929m top of  Ciste Dhubh and it was covered in snow. Brian lead the way up the narrow ridge.

It's about 200m to the top from here, along a bit of a ridge which was covered in snow just to make it more interesting of course. Brian reached the top first and I was not long behind him. We had covered about 5.1/2km since leaving the hotel to the top of Ciste Dhubh 979m  and had taken around 3 hours to get here.

Munro No1

Me on top of Ciste Dhubh.

Brian on top Ciste Dhubh  with the Brothers behind him - where we were heading for next.

Stopped and had a coffee and a snack and took the usual photos. The weather was not too bad at the moment but we had a sideways snow shower as we crossed the small plateau on the way up. Got the rucksacks packed up and set off down the way we had come up but by-passing the 877m top as there was a bit of a path to the side there. When we got down to 628m we struck out south-west in the direction of our next ascent only thing is you have to go down from 979m at the top of Ciste Dhubh to about 600m and then climb all the way back up to Sgurr an Fhuarail at 987m.

  It's quite a steep descent down the south-west face with wet grass and an eroded path making it tricky in places. We stopped near the bottom of the descent for a coffee with a view of floating dead voles around us in the puddles.

The descent down Ciste Dhubh  to the small plateau with a bog trot till you climb up Sgurr an Fhuarail.

We crossed the bog and started up Sgurr an Fharail, going up the north-east flank.

  Ciste Dhubh  and the bog trot in the foreground. Quite steep at first with the burns disappearing as you get higher up. Brian powered up as usual with the old Dinosaur chugging along behind, and what's worse is he a few months old than me lol - that's what happens when you go walking with a fit gym teacher. Anyway I usually get there in the end.  We got up the 300m climb and onto a ridge leading to the summit of Sgurr an Fhuarail.

Brian heading for Sgurr an Fhuarail.

We had some fantastic views between the snow showers all around with Glen Affric to the north and the ridge along Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan  topped with snow - still to climb that one.

Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan  in the distance.

Had to drop back down onto the Brothers ridge now to 914m before the climb to Aonach Meadhoin at 1001m and our second Munro of the day. The weather had come in and we were getting pelted by hail stones so after we took photos Brian and I had to duck down behind the cairn with our backs to the north wind for shelter till they passed.

Brian at the top of Aonach Meadhoin being pelted by hail.

Me at the top of Aonach Meadhoin also being pelted by hail.

There's not much of a cairn to hide behind!  It's about 2km to the next  top dropping down to around 830m in just under a 1km and a bit of a slog up and then the fun starts. Brown trousers may be required to get to the next cairn.

Sgurr a Bhealaich Dherg  cairn and the path to it.

It's a big drop off down both sides, I will say I took it canny along here. Brian was there first of course with me timidly following behind. It wouldn't have be a problem if there was no snow or ice to slip on.

 Well did Brian not climb up on top of the cairn as you will see in the shot below!

Yes it is that narrow to get along to the cairn.

Needless to say I did not venture up on top of the cairn. Settled for kissing the top and a nice safe seat in front of it.

Me at the top of Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg  Munro No 3 for the day.

I am holding Brian's gloves down with my pole to stop them blowing away.

On the way down from Aonach Meadhoin we saw a couple of guys coming down from Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg  heading towards us but they turned off and headed out over the 806m spot height as there seemed to be a path up from the road there.

 After Brian's high jinks we headed on for Saileag about 2.7km further along the ridge.

Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg  where we descended heading for Saileag. The ridge gets narrow along here and a wee bit of scrambling is involved as you make your way along the ridge
  

Looking back to Criste Dhubh with the snow showers over it now. A wee bit to scramble round here.

You drop down to around 840m between the two and a steady climb onto Saileag.

Me on Saileag  with the 5 Sisters behind well tired and fallen in a heap with a steep descent back down to the road ahead of us.

Now this blog is called 30 seconds of fame and it's all to do with this photo above which Brian took with my camera. I will explain at the end of the blog.

Brian on the summit of Saileag at 4.01pm and just under 14km from the start at the hotel. Munro No 4 and our last for the day.

The south Glen Sheil ridge taken from the summit of Saileag below.

7 Munros in one day if you went along here. It's all down hill from here, well at least till the road.

We headed west onto Bealach an Lapain where we found a path heading down the really steep south side.

Around NH 009 145. This would be fun getting down to the road.

Brian's photo of me in the distance on the way down and the 5 sisters in the back ground.

I think this is a stunning shot of the five sisters.

Glen Sheil on the way down to the road, Brian's photo.

The path is very eroded and the wet grass was extra slippy. I saw Brian taking off at one point down at high speed when he lost grip but he soon managed to get stopped. Took it very careful after that. Around 1.4km from the Bealach to the road most of it really steep till you get down to 380m and head west round a small forest crossing a few burns and down onto the road around NH008 136.

Now I had explained to the ladies where we would be coming down onto the road. No sign of them when we got to the road but I had seen a layby off to the west as we came down. As I was done in Brian said he would go and see if they were there.

  I parked myself on a large rock and waited, about 15 minutes later the ladies arrived coming from the east, they had not quite understood where we would be coming down but luck would have it decided to drive back down just in case they had missed us. By the way there are very few places you get a phone signal along the ridge and no signal at all down at the road.

While sitting hanging out of the driver's seat I had to change all my clothes as I was wet through under the waterproofs.

 Dry clothes and comfy shoes are great after a hard days walk. After I got changed I drove down the road and retrieved Brian smiling as usual as we pulled in to pick him up.

   As it was early evening now we all decided just to go back to the hotel for a meal before we set off home.

  The meals were good but I did not enjoy it quite as much as I did the night before as I was well knackered and the thought of sitting in that Jacuzzi was now going through my brain - it would be great after a hard days walk. But it was a welcome rest to sit in the bar with a drink and eat something. While we were in the bar a couple of older local gents came in, I think to sample a few whiskies as by the time they left they were a wee bit wobbly.

       We still had the 3-1/2 hour drive to Alford to go after this as well. (Just in case you're interested the whole walk and the drive back to the hotel was 24.7km ) After our meal and a couple of pints for Brian we set off for home east to Inver Moriston, it's a good road apart from a couple of miles about the middle where you cross the river on a narrow bridge.

  It did not take us long to get to Inver Moriston and the road to Inverness, the Inverness road was quiet in the evening. We stopped at the chip shop at Drumnadrochit so I could get a cold can and I kidded the others on I was stopping for a fish supper, only to find there is a co-op next door which I am sure would be half the price for the cans.

On to Inverness and decided to follow the sat nav for a change, it took us through Inverness and up by the hospital on to the A9 and south heading home. Normally I would get a run at the big hill out of Inverness but we came out half way up. The little engine that could as I like to call my car could only manage about 45mph with the 4 of us in it up the hill. You climb for about 18 miles all told as you head south from Inverness on the A9 with a high spot at  Sloch summit at just over 410m with the railway line off to your right as you head south. I was getting tired now and Brian and I decided we would take a detour round by his favourite watering hole The Boat Inn at Boat of Garten, anyway the sat nav was pointed in the right direction for it.  We turned off the A9 for Carrbridge and a short cut to the Boat as we call it. Walking was difficult when I got out of the car after the hills today and the long drive to the Boat.  Managed to get to the bar though. I had a 1/2pint  Brian had a pint and the ladies had tea and coffee. That came to more that £12 - ouch tea and coffee are pricey in here and it was my round!

We got the sofas next to the fire and it was nice to sit and relax before the last leg home over the Lecht.

 Brian and Fiona in the Boat.

It was getting on to around 10.30 when we left and around 1hour drive home. I was glad of the pit stop before the drive home. We got to Tomintoul and turned down to take the Lecht road but when we turned on to the Lecht road it said snow gates closed and the road was closed, we were surprised about there being enough snow to close the road. A guy appeared at my window out of the dark to confirm the road was closed but we could see activity further along the road. As there were no diversion signs I had to think for a minute as where to go to get home. Nothing for it but to go to Dufftown and over the Cabrach. It's a twisty road all the way and in the dark I had to take my time, by the time we got to Alford it was after midnight. It didn't take me long to get to sleep that night. In the morning we learned why the road had been closed.

Back to why I called this blog 30 seconds of fame and the photo of me on top of Saileag.

I some times read Trail magazine and in one issue there was a competition to win a pair of  Zamberlan boots. They wanted you to send in photos of yourself knackered on a hill somewhere, I  remembered the Saileag photo of me in a heap and dug it out so I could send it in. I didn;t hear anything for ages and then an email came from Trail asking for permission to use the photo in the magazine - but I hadn't won the boots! Well as you do I gave permission for them to use the photo and I told them about this blog which the production editor then read some of.

After a few emails and a couple of months later check out the next photo.

I had got a two page spread on page 4 and 5 because Trail liked the photo so much and Brian got credited with taking the photo too.

Trail photo reproduced with permission of the production editor, trail magazine.

They say that everybody gets 15 minutes of fame in their lifetime but I reckon most people would only spend 30 seconds or so on this page so that's why it's called 30 seconds of fame.

To see the rest of Brians photos go here http://www.flickr.com/photos/44907198@N00/sets/72157626364301033/
To see the rest of my photos go here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dino60/sets/72157626364217579/

Dino60

And the answer to the hill quiz from last month is Derry Cairngorm if you haven't already worked it out.