DRUMOCHTER WEST
From Geal-charn looking to Loch Ericht, Ben Alder and Ardverikie. Photo https://colinlamont.com
12.4 miles 1043 metres
Start Sunday 10.38
Geal-charn 11.17
A' Mharconaich 11.50
Beinn Udlamain 12.15
Sgairneach Mhor 12.53
Finish 13.21
Squares: green - start, yellow changeover. Circles summits: green - this leg, purple - to do. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 3.00 Actual 2.43
Tony writes:
Dave had had a dry, sometimes sunny crossing of the Monadh Liath, quite a conrast from my cold, windy and wet traverse of these hills west of Drumochter Pass. The rain started immediately I left the road at Balsporran, by he time I returned to the road less than 3 hours later every piece of clothing was soaked. There was a very keen wind on the summits and running into the wind along the plateau of A' Mharconaich one side of my face froze. The weather was typical for mid November but not mid June.
Today was the first outing in my Walshes – the first of my legs when I thought that the terrain outweighed the risk of damaging the ankle. It was a joy to move in these “carpet slippers” and the gamble paid off, although I did knock my foot at the col between Geal Charn and A' Mharconaich and had 10 minutes of serious limping until it lossened up. In order to protect my ankle I had developed a “running limp” technique whereby my right leg (the good one) was used as “lead leg” and carried most of my weight – the left one being moved as if a crutch, to prop the right leg up. This worked well on rough mountains and moorland but was less successful on tracks. Running on tracks was quite uncomfortable and I doubt that I could run (or even limp) more than about 5 miles. Alwyn saw my running limp style on the track which ended my leg and came out to meet me early, thinking I was in trouble.
On the descent of Beinn Udlamain a man loomed ahead in the mist. He was heading the same direction and fighting the elements as I was. It wasn't my intention to creep up behind him and go “Boo!” but that was the effect of my running past him with a brisk “Hello.” His face went white and had a look of horror on it. I do a great deal of solo walking in the hills and in the weather conditions that prevailed, often go into deep thought. If someone went boo behind me in such circumstances I'm sure my reaction would have been the same. I hereby unreservedly apologise to him for giving such a fright. I would've stopped to talk but the weather wasn't conducive for conversation – I doubt if we could've heard each other. I really wanted to find out why he was carrying what appeared to be a supermarket carrier bag and what was in it.
Within two hours of completing the leg I was writhing in the back of the van with very bad stomach pains. The first bout of diahorea took me so much by surprise that I failed to make it to the trees and had to squat down in full view of the traffic speeding on the A9.
The stomach illness lasted for the next three days and probably accounts for my poor performance and attitude as displayed in the Cairnwell West leg.
Peaks done 178 time taken 8 days 10 hours peaks to go 99
With the heavy rain and Tony setting off feeling very low with his painful ankle, I was concerned about him getting across the Allt Coire Domhain, a stream which experience told me could become an impassable white torrent. However, after an assortment of Sunday stalwarts caused false alarms, he eventually appeared the correct side of the stream.
Alwyn had dropped down the bank to meet him and set off enthusastically up to the cold foggy plateau on the other side.
I was unaware of Tony's embarassing dart for the trees, but was witness to an unlikely roadside sight. Tony had stripped and was only wearing the briefest of towels when he had to run down the A9 from the mothership to the van which was parked some distance down the lay-by. Now that was a startling sight for the streams of traffic!
The mothership then departed with Ian, Rob and Colin for the Braemar side of the Cairngorms, with Dave and Pippa going too. Meanwhile Diana, John and I in the car, and , when dressed, Tony in the van went down to Cluanie to await Alwyn's arrival.
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