24 February to 3 March 1990 - A Week in Kinlochewe - Part 6

 

Friday 2 March (Martin)

Lie in until 8 am. Get up to find Dave engrossed in a 'game'. I thought the deadline was yesterday, but apparently it's postponed until today's morning post. (Yesterday's package apparently related to another 'game'.)

Fairly mild outside, cloudy and not too windy. Snow already melting.

Dave eventually meets his 9:30 deadline. Washing up is abandoned and we set off to attempt Sgorr Ruadh, from Achnasheen, one of my missing Munros (I copped out in 1984). Unfortunately both map owners of sheet 25 have gone, so we had to rely on Donald Bennett's SMC guidebook.

The road was still snowy, but a convenient spot was found to park near Achnashellach station. The guidebook was soon out and successfully directed us up a good, if very wet with melting snow, stalkers path. It's a pretty walk through woods by the River Lair, with Fuar Tholl's precipices dominating the view.

 

 

It's a long climb up to the plateau at 370 metres. We try to keep on high ground, avoiding deep snow. I start to employ a crawling technique on really deep bits, thus not sinking so far. Dave finds these 'crawls' rather harder to follow than the usual footprints!

 

 

Occasional snow showers. Cross the river without much trouble (except Dave, who hesitates and falls. We continue onwards, approximately along the stalkers path below Fuar Tholl, keeping to high ground as far as possible to avoid deep drifts. Slog on up, stopping for a sandwich.

 

 

 

Views of fearsome cliffs, and Fuar Tholl's summit high above. Eventually reach another plateau, high above the ice covered Loch Coire Lair. Traverse across to the foot of the south east spur of Sgorr Ruadh. This involves ups and downs and exhausting wading through snow drifts.

Enter the blizzard. A violent storm halts progress. The mountain clearly won't become clear, we have no map, visibility ahead is dubious, and there is more steep wading to come.

 

 

 

Dave has had enough. I concur. We descend, retracing steps made minutes earlier, some of which have been obliterated by the blizzard, which passes.

 

 

Welcome coffee and butty stop before steady stroll back to the car by 4 pm. A 5 hour walk. Quite enjoyable descent, with the deep snow not such a problem going down.

 

 

  Here's our route - 13 km with 750 metres ascent.

 

Scenic drive back via Lochcarron, Kishorn, and Shieldaig. Sunny, but only Beinn Damh's summit is visible.

Washing up, postcards, diary writing, lethargy (Dave), reading, packing, etc, conclude the holiday.

A final substantial meal. Plans for 6 am departure tomorrow as both of us wish to get home as early as possible. Decide on alternative route via Beauly and Drumnadrochit, as the Radio 4 road report claims a landslide has blocked our road at Attadale (the same slide as blocked John's train). More reading of Stephen Venables' Everest book; asleep by midnight.

 

Saturday 3 March (Martin)

Early rise. Tea from Dave at 5:45. Up and away at 6:03. Intended to breakfast / buy presents, etc at Fort Bill, but got there too early. Had to queue at Tyndrum's Little Chef (9.20). Left at 10:00 after a good breakfast. Had a swift trip back but got in an M63 traffic jam at 2:30 (330 miles later). Home soon after 3 pm. No disasters.

 

Index

Part 5