The Five Sisters Of Kintail

Up at 4am- I must be nuts, but the weather report was for sun, sun and more sun - looks like it could be a hard day.
So heading off to climb the 5 sisters went to pick Graham up as planned at 5 a.m.. A few texts from Graham the night before about the early departure and ok if I must was the sum of it, when the 5am bit was announced. collected Graham and headed to Inverness up the A96 about 1hour 40min ish at this time of the day. Into Tesco as usual for the conveniences but it was before 7am on a Sunday and the café was still shut. They were milling about behind the counter in prep for it opening but not sure what time that would be. Nothing for it but to get diesel and head down Loch Ness and turn right at Invermorison.  Heading out west the fog came down on the road so had to take it easy. I had hatched a cunning plan the night before about breakfast and we had taken the camp stoves.  We pulled in at Clunnie Dam in the big lay-by still with the fog down, a few bikers and some others had been wild camping at the far end of the lay-by. There were a few midge about but not too bad. The bikers had their midge nets on, must have been tastier than us. A coating of Smidge and that stopped them.
  Into the boot and got the stoves out the essential supplies were stored in the cool box - bacon and buns. Graham got his stove going and popped the kettle on to it.  I got the frying pan out and got the bacon going on my stove. It may be small but it chucks out a load of heat. So I'm frying up the bacon with the stove on a wee bit of a slope on a tarred lay-by and yep the damn frying pan took off, the bacon landed on the tar half cooked and I tried to grab it only to burn my finger on the metal of the stove. "Ouch" Anyway rescued the frying pan and scrapped the bits of road off the bacon and back in to the pan and I held onto it this time. Graham took over as I sorted out the rolls. When the bacon was done took the pan off the stove which was still burning and sat it down. Now just about this time the kettle started boiling and Graham went to turn it off, unfortunately he put the back of his hand over my little stove to do this not realising it was still on. Who needs waxing made a good job of removing the hair from the back of his arm. So with matching burns we tucked into Tesco's finest bacon in a roll with a cup of tea for me and supper strong coffee for Graham - just the way he likes it.
Damn fine. We did not think we would have got bacon of this quality at the Tesco café and certainly not with bits of tar on it! Emptied the water out from the flask into the kettle to re-boil, I had boiled the water before we left to save time. Refilled the old flask with boiling water from the kettle as at this point as we were not that far from the start of the walk.
   A stop at The Cluanie Inn for the loos and the sun was shining. Then a first for me the zip off legs were removed from my trousers. Got the boots and suntan lotion on and of course the smidge anti midge repellent. Graham came back and we headed off west. Now the start of the walk is where Brian and I came down from the Brothers, so I knew it was on a corner. But that was 2 years before and with the trees cut down made it fun to find. a bit of to-ing and frowing and we pulled into the little car park at 00923 135522. Graham switched on the GPS and the start was 20m away. Looked different from last time and damn steep.
   

Graham at the start of the walk. The path up or down is just past a big rock about the third cheveron to the left of Graham.  It was now around 9am and getting hotter by the minute.
  Graham led the way following the GPS for a start till we got onto the path, the start of the walk is around 127m above sea level.The only way is up and a damn steep up it is too, good thing you gain height quickly.
The path cut over to the east behind what's left of the trees before climbing up steeply again, there are a few cairns dotted about.  Graham or Mr Fit led the way with Captain Slow coming along behind.
By 9.50 we were at 164m just up from the trees in picture below and it was getting hotter by the minute.

Graham's photo - Glen Sheil gaining height.
 

Graham on the way up step path to the bealach.

 The South Glen Sheil ridge and 7 Munros
 

As the heat intensified it was a good idea to stay hydrated. Big problem is how much water to take 1 litre = 1 KG. I had plumped for 3ltr and a flask of tea. Prompted Graham to drink on the way up
to the bealach.
Graham reached Bealach an Lapain first about 5min before I got there. Then it was time for a bite to eat and a cupper.
 Me just reaching the bealach. Graham's photo
.

The cairn where the path is Belach an Lapin.  Graham's photo.

  Well it was hot now, prob over 30deg in the sun. Had a surprise from Graham, when we started I put a 2ltr of frozen water in my pack so it had started to melt by now, a nice ice cold drink of water to cool us down. We both kept our hats on to help prevent sun stroke. From Belach an Lapain  we could see some of the hills we would have to go up off to the west, but our first challenge was the Spaniard or Sgurr nan Spainteach. Well Graham had been eating a banana or rocket fuel as I found out, he took off up the  hill like a Whippet, with me just plodding on. The Spaniard has a surprise for you as you get to the top of the first climb you see the real top in the distance.



As I came over the first top I could see Graham on the second top already. Nothing for it but to plod on. Reaching the second top 10min later and stopped for a bit. Graham had had the same reaction as I did as he rounded the first to only to see the top in the distance.
 

Graham tackles a rocky out crop on the way along the ridge.
 

Caught up with Graham on top of Sgurr nan Spainteach. Took me a bit longer to get there than Graham with his banana power. After a short break at the summit we set off towards our first Munro - Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe. there was a wee bit of a scramble down from the summit. Graham leading the way with me following. Just around where Graham is in the photo below he decided to throw his walking poles down to the ridge ahead, I thing there was a arggggggggggg as the poles took off down the side heading for a huge drop and then a sigh relief when they came to a stop on the rocks. I took a slightly  different route down to the left of the photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chimpaction/9345916054/in/set-72157634749929141/
Follow this link to Graham,s photo of me on the ridge.

Looking back at the scramble we just came down.

Me climbing down from the Spaniard.
 

Graham's photo
 

 Graham and I set off along the ridge heading for Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe our first Munro of the day. You drop down to 927m on the ridge and then 100m back up to the summit of  Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe about 750m from the summit of the Spaniard.

Graham's photo looking back along the ridge to the east.

 
The little black dot on the top is Graham.
The three Munros Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe ,Sgurr na Carnach and Sgurr Fhuaran a long way off.
 Not too bad a climb up to Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe  but it was very hot now 30 deg + and no shade.
Graham got to the top first - that's unusual - not! with me arriving a wee while later.






Graham on Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe - king of the cairn.

 On top of Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe - a rare sight of me in shorts .1027m

Boy was it hot now. So I hatched a cunning plan to get some shade while we had a cupper. Stuck my walking poles through the sleeves of my jacket and propped it up behind me, go me out of the sun for a while.
After a wee break and the usual photos Graham and I set off west and right a bit for Sgurr nan Carnach our second Munro of the day. I spied a short cut to cut out a bit on the north face just off the summit of Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe and we got in a bit of shade behind the rocks for a short while.

 

Rocky path ahead.

 

Graham taking 5 before the climb up to Sgurr nan Carnach  ahead.



Looking back at the descent and the short cut to the left of the first hill.




The only way is up, Graham takes the lead up Sgurr nan Carnach but it didn't not take too long to get to the top even with a good bit of stop/start on the way up for me.



Made it - on top of Munro 2 Sgurr na Carnach

Graham on Sgurr na Carnach with Munro 3 in the back ground - Sgurr Fhuaran.
Pity about the big drop in the middle.



So we're a bit puggled by this time with the heat and the climb, I had hit a wall so to speak so we had a good break here.
While we were on a break this guy comes along the ridge looking super fit and we start chatting as you do. He had left his car at the west end of Glen Lichd and ran the glen and bounded up the north face to Blaclach an Lapin and more or less ran the ridge. Wearing what looked like rough ground trainers. After our chat he took off down the mounting like a goat on steroids and hit the bealach before we could blink. Don't you hate people that fit??? LOL
 

A fun descent off of Sgurr na Carnach. This is the bit just down from the top.
Graham leading on the ridge path. By the time we got here the fit bloke was on top of Sgurr na Fhuaran and that's the last time we saw him. Graham and I plodded on for Munro 3
Well I plodded Graham had slowed a bit by this time but not that much though.




Graham on the path to Sgurr na Fhuaran.

It took me a while to get up here with the old quick, quick, slow and stop a minute.



Not far to the Munro No 3, just up there.

Woo Hoo Munro No3 and it's all down hill from here - well almost.
 

Me on the summit of Sgurr na Fhuaran.

Graham on the Summit of Sgurr na Fhuaran.



We came off the summit and tried to find a bit of shade down a bit. By this time I was finding it hard to eat but to get energy you have to eat. So I nibbled away at a biscuit or two.
The frozen water had thawed out by this time, pity that would have been nice.
Graham sitting thinking about a pint in the photo below.



Well do you see the hill on the far right that's the fifth sister and no way were we going to get up it
but it's not a Munro anyway, though some climbers bag it on the way past.Had the last of my tea here but it wasn't that warm now.
You will see the blue loch in the distance and that's where the car would be, only about 8km down to there. Hmmmm. Well at least it was down.



The way down.
For a change I was in the lead for a while down here as Graham was heading for the proverbial wall soon, with the heat and the climb taking it's toll. We went down between the two far off hills you see into Coire na Criche and soft wet ground for a change, a bit of a relief on the now burst blisters.



Look grass and water.  Not much of a path down here.
That loch still looking far away. As we got further down a burn ran under the ground with big holes every now and again, Graham hit that wall and fell in a few of the holes.
We made our way down to the Allt a Chruinn  (burn)  coming down Beinn Bhudie.
The last bit down to the river was quite slippy on the grass. Reaching the burn I took off my boots and stuck my feet into the water expecting it to be cold. Graham drenched himself sitting on a rock in the middle of the burn.
 After a good break I got the boots on again and headed after Graham who had got into go home mode and was off again. A proper man made path greeted us as we climbed a short distance up from the burn on the north side.

Graham got his second wind and took off down the track.



There is a steeper bit to go down just along a bit from where Graham is in the photo.
But it's all down from here and I started getting texts around here - the usual none for ages and then heaps come at once.
The last bit down to the road with still a good bit to go, no sign of Graham in the distance.



Well tired now it was put one foot in front of the other on automatic plod.
 When I got down a bit I saw the car pulling in off the main road but it would take me another 20 min or so to get there. Stiff, sore and knackered I arrived at the houses on to a lockblock road, that was hard on the tired feet. Down through the village and I could smell cooking coming from the pub, I was hungry but would not have been able to eat at this point. My mouth was very dry and I found it difficult to drink also on the last bit down the path. A trick I do is it take a mouth full of water in and keep it in my mouth for as long a possible, some will go down slowly and it helps get rid of the dryness in my mouth.
Graham had been at the car a good while but was looking just as knackered as I was. I had a surprise for him tucked in the cool box in the boot were two cold cans of coke.
That cheered him up when I produced them, I had to sip mine as I was finding it hard to drink at that time.  Boots off and a change of clothes then we headed for the Clunie Inn, Glen Sheil for a meal.
According to Graham's track log we finished the walk at 19.40 so it was a long walk.
Into the pub - Guinness here we come. A wee bit of a struggle to drink a pint but I forced it down !
Food ordered a couple of their burgers which were damn fine.
Then only a 3-4 hour drive home - lol.
I asked Graham if he would like to drive to Inverness and he jumped at the chance, good I could sleep a bit on the way, nodded off a few times on the way to Inverness. Stopped at Tesco again for the loos and some drinks,  I drove the rest of the way running out of brain power somewhere between Huntly and Alford with the fog on the top of the Suie making it even worse. 
 Got to Alford and turned onto Graham's road only to keep going right into a dead end. I think past it would be a good definition about now. Sorted it out and took Graham home think he was glad to get out of the car by this time as he's not the best at being a passenger.
Home 10 minutes later done in completely, don't think I will walk the sisters again but you never know. Can't remember what time we got home 1 pm maybe?  It was a long hot day in Kintail.
Track log from Graham's GPS 14.5km and 9.45hours

The End :-)