24 February to 3 March 1990 - A Week in Kinlochewe - Index

 

Here I am, finishing off all the food for our final Friday night meal.

 

A map showing our various excursions is shown below, and the individual days are recorded as follows:

 

Part 1 - Beinn Alligin

Part 2 - Poolewe

Part 3 - Slioch

Part 4 - Fionn Bhein

Part 5 - Around Kinlochewe

Part 6 - (not) Sgorr Ruadh

 

 

It's rather sobering to know that I was older, on this trip thirty years ago, than our cross-country skiing companion, Shane, who collapsed and died a few days ago. Our thoughts are with his partner and family. He was a lovely man, and very helpful to Sue when she was ill on our Polish trip in 2018.

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

24 February to 3 March 1990 - A Week in Kinlochewe - Part 5

 

Thursday 1 March (Dave)

Superb views when I woke up, were quickly obscured by snowstorm.

As John needs to rest anyway (due to High Peak Marathon on Friday and Saturday), we decide to go for a local walk and set out at about 11:00.

 

 

We walked from the chalet down the road to the east and took the path on other side of the river. We were all dressed in full waterproofs, which began to come off in the good weather. There were good views of Beinn Eighe. Much photographed. Even John took a photo.

 

 

We carried along the path into the forest, where the weather turned worse and cags were put back on.

 

 

Path shown as going through forest (very thin dotted line on 1:25,000 map) Eventually found path - a sort of tunnel in the forest. Necessitated hoods up. Hard work. Occasional cairns and a few open clearings with tracks down them. Finally make it to the edge of the forest. Carry on to the far end and then down (west) to the river and along to a bridge where we stop to eat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post bus going over the bridge dislodges snow down Dave's neck.

Walk back to chalet along road in swirling snow for most of the way. Back for a cup of tea and early meal.

 

 

 

  

 Here's our route, if I remember correctly - 12 km with 200 metres ascent.

 

Leave at 5:30 for Achnasheen station, for John's 6:18 train. John has a punishing schedule - overnight to Edinburgh, then to Darlington for food, wash, sleep. Then public transport to Edale for 11 pm for the start of the overnight High Peak Marathon (42 miles). His train was delayed by a landslide and arrived at 8:15. We were therefore forced to have several pints at the hotel. Men manning gritting lorries were also in the bar. Including an Englishman who has settled here. Martin and Dave eventually return to chalet following the tracks of the gritter lorry, in almost zero visibility at the high point - not very pleasant. Decide to abandon 1000 piece jigsaw which we started just before tea. There's no chance of completing it.

Early to bed.

Index
Part 4
Part 6

24 February to 3 March 1990 - A Week in Kinlochewe - Part 4

 

Wednesday 28 February (Martin)

Early rise to deposit Laurie at Achnasheen Station at 8 am. Return through snow storm for leisurely breakfast. John becomes reticent about beans. But they have their effect. Wind has died down - a warmish, dullish day.

Found out last night that their are more tiles off the roof at home, and the garden fence has blown down.

Radio 4 has a soporific effect.

Eventually decide to go up John's last Fannaich hill, a grassy lump according to him. Any 'weather' won't cause problems.

Usual breakfast, leisurely start. Renew acquaintance with Achnasheen Hotel at 11:00. Get out to an icy blast. Not so dull either. Quickly don gear then fumble for a while deciding which way to ascend.

Commence plod up Allt Achadh na Sine, eastern bank, per guidebook. Meet a man in yellow waterproofs carrying only a brush. Snow is not too deep, so it's a steady ascent without problems. Meet a skier who set off up at 10 am. He has been quick! Apparently the snow higher up is superb for skiing. He tells of being at Kingshouse in Glencoe yesterday, when the body which reportedly fell 3000 feet in Glen Etive was brought down. Apparently three separate parties were benighted. All are ok except the poor unfortunate who descended through a cornice.

 

 

On up the exposed windswept slope. Any sheep here would be eating their own wool. John and Martin rest briefly and wait for Dave, who announces that he can't continue without a drink. Coffee and half of lunch (jam butties and spindrift) follow whilst we all cool down. John decides overtrousers are needed (others had them on from the start).

 

 

Carry on up the gentle slope and reach the summit of Fionn Bheinn (933 metres) in about the 2½ hours standard time.

 

 

Soon we are on our way down. Head east and then make a basic error, taking the north east spur instead of Toll Beag, to the east. The view, when it appears after some abortive efforts at glissading, is clearly wrong. Debate whether to continue down and round. Decide to go back up. Steady plod up again. Axes out briefly to traverse the top of the coire, and then down to the wall on Toll Beag referred to in the Munro guidebook.

 

 

There was deeper snow here, and some streams which we all have adventures with. We head down to the west of the path, meeting the plantation at an apparent opening. Go left to pick up a path through the plantation - an interesting stroll through the trees. Out onto the road. Soon back at Achnasheen Hotel (3:30) where a happy hour is spent.

 

 

 Here's an approximation of our route - 14 km with 1000 metres ascent.

 

Back to chalet. Lots of toast and tea, and Z's from those who had most at the boozer. Lots of birds in the Achnasheen vicinity, and a large herd of deer just above the village.

Snow showers. Radio 4 - sleet and snow everywhere - there is even rain in the West Indies that is delaying an unusual English test match victory!

Index
Part 3
Part 5

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

 

Tuesday 27 February (John)

Had breakfast, and decided to go up Slioch. Weather windy and showey. Loch Maree has a lot of water in it. Eilean na Craoibhe is under water - only some bushes are visible.

 

 

We take the track into Gleann Bianasdale and then up a cairned track. Laurie diverges at this point.

 

 

 

Higher up we are joined by Laurie, who is annoyed that we didn't follow him earlier.

 

 

In Coire na Sleaghaich it's very windy and cold. Plod on through drifts.

 

 

 

Stop in the shelter of a boulder for something to eat.

 

Camera must have been stashed here.

Then up to the plateau of Slioch. It's very windy with a lot of spindrift. At the trig point there are views but not to the north, as it's in cloud - and to look north means facing into the wind. Hurry down, back into the coire, find another boulder for shelter and something to eat. Trudge back down to Loch Maree and then back along the Loch to Kinlochewe.

 Our route - 21 km with 1100 metres ascent.

 

Put the kettle on, brew tea, and vegetate generally. Have dinner then go to the really exciting Public Bar, where beer is expensive, service is slow, and it's cold. Other holidaying types are there, probably bored with lack of newspapers, television, etc. Stay an hour, then go to bed.

Index
Part 2
Part 4

24 February to 3 March 1990 - A Week in Kinlochewe - Part 2

 

Monday 26 February (Dave)

Dave up at 6 for 'Homework'.

Fowl day - heavy wind - it was also blowing outside.

Late tea (7:15). Great indecision. Beinn Eighe obviously out. Lots of tea, trips to shop, and cogitation. Decide on coastal walk. Go to Poolewe for our circuit just like last time. (Not sure which trip this refers to - the diary may come to light in due course). Intermittent rain and hail and sun. Difficulties in crossing a stream. Laurie gets separated. Start walk at 12:00, finish at 3:00.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this was our route - 11 km with 150 metres ascent. 

 

Snow on the way home. We skid on slippery road. (I remember that - 'spin' would be a more accurate description!) Back for tea, reading and getting on each other's nerves. Chops for tea, and belated fruit and custard. (Dave was the 'fruit and custard' chef, when he felt like getting round to it.) Jigsaw completed.

 

 

Electricity runs out while Martin poses for photos in his trendy gear. Laurie resigns from work. (I don't think he ever worked again.) Dave conquers the Galaxy. (No doubt aided by all those phone calls.) John reads yet another page in his book. Martin won canasta with a final spurt.

 

 

Index

Part 1

Part 3