GLEN FESHIE
Sgor Ghaoith summit looking to Braeriach. Photo tms.nickbramhall.com
20.8 miles 1697 metres
Start Sunday 17.07
Sgor Gaoith 18.05
Mullach Clach a' Bhlair 19.00
Carn an Fhidhleir 20.30
An Sgarsoch 21.10
Finish 21.46
Squares: green - start, yellow - changeover. Circles summits: green - this leg, purple - to do, blue - not a Munro in 1990. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 7.00 Actual 4.39
John writes:
So here we are in the Cairngorms – long legs to run and notorious plateau if the visibility is down – and it is! I have a long relatively easy ascent up a track – lots of petty whin on the edges – then compass as we go into the cloud, aim for col to avoid Carn Ban Mor. Trailing azalea – a new alpine welcomes me to the top and two shapes in the mist are the only people I see from now on.
Find S. G. ok – very distinctive, then turn into the wind along the edge and across to the landrover track someone has put across the top. “Nice easy running,” says Ed – words to remember as I flounder in an exact replica of Bleaklow – eroding peat, cotton grass and mist. What happened to the fine stony Cairngorm plateau? Track makes things easy – someone has driven to the top of M. C. a' B.! Then a long descent, finding little paths by Allt Eindart burn, round the Feshie's big bend and up the track towards C. E. - only the track has turned into a drainage ditch.
Strike up the shoulder, into cloud and depression getting low on energy (not eaten enough lunch?) C. E. turns out to be the world's most miserable bloody mountain – Anyone could do Munroists a favour by bombing the top few metres off at the 900m contour. 100 false summits later I make it to the top, descend and feel much better doing A.S., reasonable descent, again by burn, ford river and collapse into Colin's tent, eat everything in sight with lovely hot chocolate, then pack up and cycle out – again the bikes are a complee Godsend – and fun too until I get catapaulted off, ripping clothes, grazing left leg and disclocating left shoulder – suppose it had to happen sometime but could really have done without it just now.
Peaks done 185 time taken 8 days 19 hours peaks to go 92
Colin had biked in with Ian to this changeover. He was now under some pressure to get John out as he had to phone me to leave home, (no mobile phones then.)
Fortunately John had regularly disclocated his shoulder (the other one!) so he knew how to put it back himself.
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