April/ May 1988

1988
April/May

30th April 1988
Mal.  Ian
Four Munros (Whitbread Wilderness)
Beinn a Chlaidheimh.  Sgurr Ban.  Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair
Beinn Tarsuinn.
7.20am saw us with full camping packs leaving the A832 near Corrie Hallie just south of Dundonnell.  We had a good, long, track past Lochan Dubh, and we continued on this track until it doubled back to Achnegie.  Here we crossed the Abhainn Loch an Nid, not without problems as the river was in flood.  We hoped that there would be no further rain before tomorrow night as we would need to recross further down. 


We slowly hauled our heavy packs up the long flank of Beinn a Chlaidhaimh to arrive there at 12 noon.  Views were extensive, right around the horseshoe. There was a breeze, but not too strong.  The ridge seemed to stretch away endlessly.  By 1.20pm we were on Sgurr Ban.  Its summit is at the north east end of a plateau, and we encountered snow on the ridge from here to Mhic Fhearchair, arriving at 2.25pm.  A descent and reascent took us to the fourth Munro of the day, Tarsuinn, for 4pm.  From here we dropped steeply north north west to a stream which we followed downwards, northeast, for a short way, looking for a likely camping site.  They were few and far between, but eventually we found a spot, at around 1600ft, and tents were on there way up by 5pm.  After numerous drinks, and a hooch we were in bed for 7pm, pooped.
13 miles.  6150ft.  9 hours 40 mins.

1st May 1988
Ian.  Mal
Two Munros (Whitbread Wilderness)
A Mhaighdean.  Ruadh Stac Mor.
Awaking at 8am we were fed and watered and packed by 9.30am, quite quick in camping terms.  We had a long, steady, ascent up A Mhaigdean.  There was deep snow, a high wind, and no visibility.  We discovered the top around 11am.  The route to Ruadh Stac Mor was deceptive, and did not appear to correspond with the map.  We seemed to drop into a deep, wide, basin.  Compass errors occur around here.  The ascent of Ruadh Stac Mor is steep but no problem if care is taken.  The slope is heavily heather clad.  Plenty to pull upon.  We stayed on top, despite the lack of a view, from 12 noon to 12.30pm and met walkers on a 'Feet across Scotland' sponsored walk.  The aim was to try to have someone on every Munro at exactly the same time.  (The objective was not attained.)  After the initial steep scramble down to Fuar Loch Mor we followed a very easily graded path which looped eventually into the Gleanna Muice Beag.  This then joined the Abhainn Gleann na Muice  which we eventually waded across as the bridge was unsafe.  From the ruin at Larachantivore we headed directly for Shenevall Bothy, with another deep wade across the Abhainn Strath na Sealga.  After looking in at Shenevall we took the contouring track east then northeast to rejoin the main track from Corrie Hallie.  We were back at the road at 6.10pm
16 1/2 miles.  4050ft.  8 hours 40 mins

2nd May 1988
Ian.  Mal.
Two Munros and 1 top (Affric/Cluanie)
An Socach.  Mullach na Dheiragain
With full packs we turned our backs on Loch Cluanie and the lure of the hotel and set off up the long valley of An Caorann Mor.  We came across aircraft remains shortly before crossing the River Affric by a good bridge to Alltbeithe Hostel.  Continuing northwards we had a steady track into Coire na Cloiche.  At the source of the Allt na Faing we were in cloud and on the main Ceathreamhnam ridge.  We dropped packs and took a short detour to An Socach (3pm)..  Then we dropped steeply north then west.  The Coire below was an incredible sight.  The whole basin was an arctic wasteland.  Snow covered everything.  Even though we were at a height of around 2500ft we hadn't expected this.  The previous two days had seen little snow on much higher ground.  It hadn't snowed for weeks, and we WERE in MAY.  We rounded the small Lochan looking for a blade of grass, to no avail, so resorted to shovelling snow away to clear a site for our tents.  We decided not to leave the tents where we were in case we couldn’t find them later, so we continued with packs to the ridge from Ceathreamhnan to Dheiragain.  Here, at 4.45pm, we found a good spot for our packs, to enable us to continue light over a top and out to the northern Munro.  Visibility was very poor throughout and although there was patchy snow it was nothing like the density or coverage of the Coire below.  At 5.45pm we reached our northernmost point, Munro no 2 of the day Mullach na Dheiragain.  It was around 2 miles back to our packs, and with the lateness of the day, the poor visibility, and the remoteness of our situation, we were pleased to be reunited.  We pitched camp as agreed near to the Lochan in the snowy wilderness.
14 1/2 miles.  4100ft.

3rd May 1988
Ian.  Mal.
One Munro and 1 top.
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan (Affric/Cluanie)
By 9.15am we had dined and packed canvas.  Our first ascent was a repeat of last night, to the ridge to our west.  It was only ½ mile to our Munro from this point, but it was quite steep and it was necessary to kick steps in the snow to ensure safe footholds as we climber higher.  Naturally, being May, and carrying a load of camping gear, we were without axes and crampons.  When we had set of from Cluanie there wasn’t a patch of snow worth talking of.  We continued to take care after the summit as we knife edged eastwards.  Unfortunately the day yielded no views again. At one point voles had created a maze of runways under the snow, and as the snow had melted so the elaborate system of corridors was revealed.  We descended the Coire na Cloiche back to Alltbeithe for 12.30pm, and slowly worked our way, over rough heather and peat at first, along the long valley back to Loch Cluanie.
11 1/2 miles.  1700ft.