Glen Affric and Strathfarrar: Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais (60) [and Carn nan Ghobhar (153) and Sgurr na Ruaidhe (151)]

Walk date: 11/7/14

My Munro #'s: 257

Pronunciations - translations - heights:
Skoor a chor a ghlash - peak of the greenish-grey corrie - 1083m

Statistics:
Duration - 11:10 - 17:05

Distance -  17.5 km
Total ascent -  1337m
Weather - Hot day but breezy on top and a little cloudy for a while.
Team - with Paul P

Other hikers: 6 others (1 topless!)

Day 7 - Friday


Today was our furthest trip away from our base as we travelled north to Strathfarrar, a glen I had already been in twice, once two years ago on a day that Paul sat out due to injury, and once the year before with Paul, but in each case in awful weather and with grateful, beaten retreats.

Today was different, today was simply gorgeous!  Sun, minimal wind, clear views.  This was sublime hiking.  However, due to my problematic toes, I only targeted the Munro I hadn't visited, Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais, but I had given Paul the choice of continuing on to Carn nan Ghobhar and Sgurr na Ruaidhe which were the ones he had missed on his sit-out day as I battled with thick snow and gales!  

Due to the great weather today, I decided to stay in my Merrells and see how they faired.  They faired amazing!  The pain was suddenly minimal as feet my were cushioned in a flexing shell, and I sprang along on the soft ground.  Such was the improvement that after summiting on Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais and looking lazily over at the rest of the circuit in superb clarity I declared to Paul that I was sticking with him on the full tour.

Onwards we strode up onto the rocky plain of Carn nan Ghobhar which had been horrible to struggle over in ice, but today the worst it could throw at us was a topless (male) hiker.  From there Sgurr na Ruaidhe  came pretty easy, and then even the descent couldn't dent my enthusiasm.  Marvellous stuff, especially the pint and burger at the Struy Inn afterwards - I just wish I had tried the Merrells earlier!

The start of the day.  Glorious, glorious, sun:

Coming up on Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais:

On top of Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais:

Views from the two additional hills!

Glen Affric and Strathfarrar: Sgurr na Ruaidhe (151) and Carn nan Ghobhar (153)

Walk date: 30/04/12

My Munro #'s: 221 and 222

Pronunciations - translations - heights:
Skoor na rooy - peak of redness - 993m

Kaarn nan gower - hill of the goats - 992m

Statistics:

Duration - 10:00 - 16:15

Distance - 21.7 km
Total ascent - 1200m
Weather - damp and misty, windy with hail and snow at height
Team - solo
Other hikers: none

Paul P and George 'Daddy Team' Hiking Trip 2012

Day 2 - MondayThe second of our big days was wisely chopped down to size, in fact for Paul it didn't happen at all as he opted to sit today out to ensure his various niggles from the terrible Loch Mullardoch experience the day before didn't end up finishing his entire week early for him.  For me, despite a battered ankle I decided to press on, although I prepared myself for abandoning the full plan if problems did indeed arise.There was almost one to start with as the turn for Strathfarrar is completely unmarked, however I did make it for the gate opening at 09:00 and drove up the private track to the power station marked.  After the glorious weather the day before, this was a dull day with a heavy sky, as if the weather had changed to match the mood and fitness levels!  I could have parked closer to the walk and wished that I had, as the short patch of road on a bashed ankle was extremely unforgiving.  Nonetheless, I was soon on the track and gaining height, and in my hobbling way I progressed steadily.Unfortunately the cloud seemed to hang just below the snow line and so I was soon faced with the disorientation of white sky and white ground and for good lengths of time I made my way over icy slabs with no definition whatsoever.  As the height increased so did the wind and I was soon blasted with horizontal hail and snow.  With my GPS and compass firmly gripped I finally made it onto Sgurr na Ruaidhe and moved off immediately toward Carn nan Gobhar.  After this hill I dropped a little too quickly and had to traverse soft snow for some distance.  I was very glad to hit the crest again.  Although the weather was being fierce my progress was actually good, and I was toying with myself of going for the three or even the four instead of just the first two as I'd been telling myself on the way up.  However, this internal debate came to a head as I tried to make my way across to Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais; I came to a point where my way on was a convex slope of pure white with some distant black jagged rocks.  The slope disappeared out of sight and the scale could not be made out.  This situation like a switch hit my personal safety alarm and the decision was made; I was turning south and escaping off An Socach for home.  There is always another day.

One of the only photos, I carried the weight of the camera for nothing on this day!