November 1986

Ian.  Malcolm.

November 2nd 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm
One Munroe and 1 top.
Gulvain (Loch Eil)
The A830 road to Mallaig was our target.  Setting off on a glorious mild Autumn day from the bridge over the  Fionn Lighe at the junction with the A 861 at the west end of Loch Eil, as the watch showed 10am. A landrover track was followed for 3 miles and then a stalkers path.  After 5 miles we had still only risen from sea level to 300ft.  We marched along in shirt sleeves, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the shelter of the valley. When the valley forked either side of our mountain we headed straight up, gaining height rapidly.  As we gained height, so the weather started to deteriorate.  The sun disappeared and first a breeze, then a wind, and finally a full blown hooly succeeded each other.  By 1.30pm, at the trig point at the south top we were in full weather gear, and it had changed from mild autumn to raw winter.  We pushed on for the high point another half mile or so along, and in the wild conditions this seemed to take a long time coming.  At 2pm victory was ours.  4 hours up took 3 hours down.  Feet up, we drove to the Aultguish.
14 miles.  3800ft.

November 3rd 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm.
One Munroe.
Seanna Bhraigh (Ullapool)
As we were heading for one of the most remote Munroes we took, for us, an early start, parking up at Inverlael at the south end of Loch Broom for 8.45am.  We took the fast forestry road to Glensquaib and the good track up Druim na Squaib.  Two miles of fairly level terrain followed and after a brew stop around Coire an Lochain Sreirich the way led us through a gap in the hills and into a flat area of knolls and pools for the next 3 miles.  Visibility was mixed, and compass work was required.  At 1.15pm the summit was ours, and the glimpses afforded to us were of quite stunning cliff faces around the northeast corrie.  Creag an Duine looked particularly fierce.  Our route out was the same as the route in, and the weather remained mixed visibility.  Although a long walk in, the way was easy and the terrain firm.
By 5pm we were back at Loch Broom.
18 miles.  4000ft.  8 hours 15 mins.


3rd November 1986
Ian.  Malcolm
One Munroe.
Am Faochagach (Aultguish)
Todays mountain was the one we had failed to find the summit of on a wild day almost exactly a year ago.  We decided on a different attack point, from the northwest end of Loch Glascarnoch.  This route had a crossing of the Abhainn Gharbhrain which by all accounts could be difficult when wet.  It had been wet.  Prepared for the eventuality Ian had brought along an inflatable dinghy, and this was manhandled over boggy pathless lochside to the small bay where the burn entered Loch Glascarnoch. 
We definitely needed the light craft as the water appeared around 6ft deep.  Ian and Malcolm set off first, as two plus rucksacks was seriously overloaded.

After a brief panic when the wind appeared about to push them the length of the long loch, they invented a technique with the oars (not rowing) which eventually enabled them to land safely across the bay.  Then it was my turn.  Once over this obstacle the way lay firmly and easily ahead as we angled up to the ridge and followed the gently undulating crest northwards.  A very fresh wind blew up and in the ensuing cloud we almost accepted the first top, incorrectly, as the summit.  To have missed the summit twice would not have been good news.  At the real top, merely a pile of stones on a flat expanse, we found a questionnaire.
Returning to our floating plastic tub we crossed safely back over the deep burn exit channel.  Here Ian decided that carrying the heavy, now wet, boat over the squelchy heather and bog was a pain, so he opted to row it solo to hit the road at a parking spot a kilometre down the road from our parked car.  We carried his rucksack to save him the weight, and it was just as well for the breeze soon carries these plastic childrens boats, and he was again in danger of a very long ride.  By the time we reached the car, and moved it, Ian was ready to be piped ashore.  The whole exercise had taken just 6 hours.
9 miles.  2100ft.

November 5th 1986.
One Munroe and 2 tops.
Ian.  Malcolm
Slioch (Kinlochewe)
Incheril by Kinlochewe is as near as a car gets to todays destined mountain.  The walk in by Kinlochewe River to the end of Loch Maree is pleasant, and there was much evidence of recent flooding.  We headed northeast up Gleann Bianasdail before climbing northwest passing just north of the knoll Meall Each.  From here we were in a broad corrie in which we loosely followed the burn almost to the top of Slioch itself.  Ian reached the top first and enjoyed extensive, if brief, views.  Three minutes later Malcolm and I arrived to find nil visibility.  We could see that the north face fell away alarmingly.  On this hill, as in one or two others, the trig point is not at the highest point.  Hoping for a break in the clouds we kept our height by circling round eastwards onto the lower top of Sgurr an Tuill Bhain before dropping back into the corrie.  As we descended we soon came out of the cloud s, which were at around 3000ft.  Despite the lack of summit views we had had a great day.  It was also Ian's 200th.
13 miles.  3300ft.
The evening was spent at Bloody Beryls at Achnasheen, and as it was again Bonfire night we again joined in the festivities.
Our bed for the night was at Gerrys Independent Hostel at Craig.

November 6th 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm
Two Munroes
Sgurr Choinnich.  Sgurr a Chaorachain . (Gerrys)
We parked up at the same spot as exactly a year ago, at the end of the forest road leading to the Bealach Bhearnais.  It was a 10am start.  The landrover road followed by the fast ascent on a good stalkers path of Bealach Behearnais soon had us at the Bealach.  From here a steady pull had us on our first Munroe, and the second one was not so far and only just topped 500ft of reascent.  We had considered pushing on for the "Once Was" of Bidean an Eoin Deirg, but stalking was apparently in progress so we left it. (For another day ?).  After being out only 5hours 30mins we regained our starting position.  Unfortunately we had no visibility from the tops.
9 miles.  3300ft.

November 7th 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm.
No Munroes.
We sped of for pastures new, passing Shiel Bridge and crossing the Mam Ratagan Pass, to reach Glenelg.  It was a dismal, wet, day.  We continued on to the shores of Loch Hourn, trying to decide whether to ignore the weather and get a real good soaking.  To give time for improvement we motored as far as the road end at Corran just past Arnisdale.  Returning the same way we stopped the car and tried to devise a secret ballot that would enable an anonymous vote without anyone knowing who had voted to walk, and who had voted to do nothing.  With three people this is difficult.  Eventually we gave up the day as lost, and called in the pub/hotel at Glenelg.  Over a pint we asked the bar staff if there was any bunk accommodation or holiday chalets or caravans in the area.  There was a caravan apparently some way down the road.  We stayed for a second and third pint.  By this time the landlord, (who had the habit of breaking up the chairs for firewood), was trying to persuade us to stay at the hotel.  It transpired that he was in the course of creating a bunk room and if we wished we could use this, even though it was not finished.  We could also have the use of the hotel bath facilities.  We still remained non committal.  It transpired that two American Chefs were staying as Staff for a week, something to do with an exchange deal between America and a top London Hotel.  As our landlord had connections, he had offered the two Chefs a free weeks holiday provided that they cooked any restaurant meals ordered during their stay.  Their visit was nearly over and no one had ordered a restaurant meal all week.  A new deal was formulated.  We could have the bunkroom, breakfast and a restaurant meal at bargain basement prices.  This was definitely to our liking.  Half an hour later we were presented with a choice of menu, and a photo album the chefs had compiled of meals they had made.  They were heavily into Nouveau Cuisine, it looked pretty but there wasn’t much of it.  We chose a variety, which included skate knobs, freshly caught by the boys that day.  The local community had chosen today for its Bonfire, so we were at the fireworks again.  The two chefs had to leave the fire early to prepare our meal.  A good time was had by all.  When we had turned into bed we were visited by a number of locals.  Apparently the room we were in was used to show late night blue movies.
I remember that the sink had no plug.  Not a place to empty out your flask, (or bladder!!).

November 8th 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm
One Munroe
Beinn Sgritheall  (Loch Hourn)
Parking up short of Arnisdale at Creag Ruadh at 10.10am we tackled the very steep ascent of An Sgriodhal hitting the west shoulder at around 500m then turning due East and continuing to ascend steeply to the Munro's Trig Point at 974m.  It was 12.30pm and the day was bright, sunny and breezy but with extensive views.  There was around 2" of snow along the summit crest and the situation was airy and could possibly have held difficulties in icy conditions.  Ladhar Bheinn and the whole of Knoydart looked impressive as dark black storm clouds began to gather in that direction.
By 1.45pm we were down to the Bealach Arnasdail and 2.30pm saw us back on the road after what was voted an excellent round.  Half an hours road walk along the coast road brought us back to the car.
5 1/2 miles.  3300ft.  4 hours 20 mins.

We probably stayed somewhere around Arrochar for the night.  The Cobbler Hotel was a favourite around this time, inexpensive and often with a coachload enjoying a Scottish Dance.

Sgritheall


November 9th 1986.
Ian.  Malcolm
One Munro. (Since demoted).
Beinn an Lochain (Rest and be Thankful.  Arrochar).
This Munro was in the 1974 edition of the tables to which I was working. In the 1980 edition it had been demoted as resurveying now put it at 2999ft.  A pity really as its an impressive looking hill from the road.
Our start point was at around 205063 at around500ft in Gleann Mor, heading up the valley to the west of the hill.  We followed the river for half a mile or so then angled upwards and right towards the mountain.  It was a foul day, raining heavily with high winds increasing to a full gale on the top.  We crept then crawled along the last few yards as cliffs run up close to the summit from the east.  We seemed to have been out an eternity but the diary only records around 3 miles and 2700ft of ascent.