NORHWEST LOCH MONAR
Sgurr Choinnich from Chaorachain. Eddie went down ridge to left instead of straight towards camera. Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich is the distinctive peak above this ridge. Photo Colin Matheson
13.6 miles 1800 metres
Start Monday 22.52
Sgurr Choinnich 23.15
Sgurr a' Chaorachain Tuesday 00.12
Maoile Lunndaidh 01.42
*Sgurr nan Ceannaichean 03.23
Moruisg 03.52
Finish 04.14
* Munro deleted since 1990
Squares: yellow - changeover, red - finish. Circles summits: green this leg. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 5.00 Actual 5.22
Setting off into the cloud at nearly eleven o'clock, all my anger at the previous day's fracas re-emerged. Feeling that I should have got off this first ridge before dark, I ran too hard and too carelessly. I was also trying to get up fast because I wanted to clock up the fastest time to a first summit on a leg. I'd not really taken in that there was well over a thousand feet to go, and I was thoroughly fed up by the time I made it in light that was rapidly becoming harder to run in.
There was no way I could read the map without getting my torch out, but I remembered the curve on the ridge, and duly branched right as it came. I was thoroughly enjoying plunging down a grassy ridge thinking what a long way it seemed in the dark when at last the saddle came. Much too soon I came to the next summit, so I expected the ridge to start rising again soon. Instead, I came out of the cloud to see water stretching in both directions. I had to get the torch out now, and it was obvious that it could only be Loch Monar. It still took me a considerable time to convince myself that I had come down completely the wrong ridge. The bend I remembered was after the next Munro!
Idiotically, after reascending an arbitrary amount, I decided to save 300m of climb by contouring round to the proper saddle. This predictably consisted of alternately steep grass and boulderfields with numerous vertical crags, and by now I needed my torch to cross them. I was not even sure that I had enough battery power to last a long night.
Eventually, what would have been one of the shortest 'between Munros' took fifty seven minutes. I was now thoroughly demoralised, tired and thirsty, (Ian's arrival had deprived me of my cup of tea). Still, the next bit was interesting enough – I knew exactly where I was all the way, and went straight to the top of the gully I'd intended to descend. A huge snow cornice ruled that out, but the next rib proved an excellent route.
As I started down, it suddenly became like dawn even though just after midnight. The northern sky was completely clear and cast a light by which you could have read a book. The atmosphere was wonderful, but I was suffering badly from dehydration. A detour down to a stream proved invaluable as I picked up and romped up to the Maoile Lunndaidh plateau feeling on top of the World in the glowing light.
Crossing the plateau was magical. The two deep corries were both mist filled, and strands of this blew across in very thin veils. A most amazing effect then appeared, apparently a reflection of the sun which was still a long way from rising. It was five minutes before disillusionment set in as I realised that they were distant street lights, presumably Achnasheen.
The descent was fun, following a fantastic gorge at one point, but once down I had a mile of bog to cross before the long grassy slog up Sgurr nan Ceannaichean. The light was still good, but the northern glow was now hidden by Moruisg's bulk.
As I finally breached Moruisg the cloud had returned, so there was no great sunrise. The descent was fast and, except for one steep section, easy running, so I had plenty of breath to shout at the sleeping van as I approached. With 30 yards to go, a shout penetrated, and Rob rolled out of the side door whilst the back door opened and Dave seemed to tumble straight into the car driving seat. It looked just like a gangster film.
Peaks done 69 time taken 3 days 1 hour peaks to go 208
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