Monday, May 22, 2017
Sgurr Mor
Every time we drive south the sight of this pointed mountain, at 1110m the highest of the Fannichs, reminds us that twice we have been close to reaching its summit, and twice we've decided to leave it for another day.
That day had come! It began when my alarm went off at 4.30am - and after a drive, we set off on the walk two hours later. Greger's Garmin device didn't register accurately the start, which was south of the road by Loch Droma (270m above sea level), but otherwise came in handy for recording our route. The pale blue line shows our walk up Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich in June last year, which for the second time brought us agonisingly close to Sgurr Mor on a day when we assessed our level of fitness - and found it wanting.
A willow warbler was singing as we set off, and two common sandpipers were at the edge of the loch. Walking across the dam and along the track beside the huge water pipeline, we spotted a wheatear; and as we climbed towards the corrie, Greger pointed out two birds flying away downhill - our first goosanders on a hill-walk.
A bit further on there was a familiar call - and a red grouse took off and went scudding away across the heather.
A small green tent stood on the shore of the fairly substantial Loch a' Mhadaidh - the camper was up, and waved as we passed. Meanwhile we needed to get to the north-western side of the loch, and found a line of useful stones at a narrow point. Some were just under the surface and slippery but we just managed to keep our footing. Slightly discouragingly, Sgurr Mhor lies behind us here - the pointed top with the tiny patch of snow.
Two common sandpipers seemed to be the only bird life, apart from the usual meadow pipits. After the water crossing came some steep, wet, pathless walking which was enlivened close to the ridge by the sight of a ptarmigan.
With some relief we gained the ridge and bagged the flattish top of Carn na Criche with its small cairn; then it was onwards and upwards to the summit of Sgurr Mor.
Greger took this pic of Sgurr nan Clach Geala with his phone; it's probably the most rugged of the eastern Fannichs - and the only one with a trig point.
The wind had been growing stronger as we walked, and by the time we reached the huge summit cairn of Sgurr Mor we could hardly stand upright. Just the other side of the cairn is a very steep drop!
Looking north-west over Meall a' Chrasgaidh to Loch na Sealga....
Extra care was needed as we made our way down the steep zigzag path on the rim of Sgurr Mor's cliffs, with the wind threatening to shove us over the edge as it came rushing, hissing up over the broad ridge. It was a relief to reach the path that traversed the flank of Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich, because there we were more sheltered. And as I stopped for a breather, I realised there was a ptarmigan huddled on a watchtower of a rock overlooking the slopes and corrie we'd negotiated earlier.
Greger chose that moment to take a picture of me with his phone. The ptarmigan stands out against a distant sunlit hill and Loch Broom can be seen to the left, curving out of sight towards Ullapool and the sea.
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A bit further on Greger said he could hear faint calls on the wind. We looked around, and spotted a male golden plover; a female was also present.
They didn't fly, thank goodness, but pattered daintily down out of sight. Ahead lay a good path over nice, firm terrain.
However - this ridge ends in crags, so sooner or later we would have to drop down and struggle through first boulder-fields and then bogs until we regained the track out.
The walk was about 16 kilometres; and by the end, I was lagging behind and limping. I was too tired even to fret about the birds we'd missed: the phantom cuckoo that was only heard once; an unseen ring ouzel whose fugitive notes drifted down from a vast slope of shattered rock and running water; and a raptor glimpsed briefly in flight that could have been either merlin or peregrine, so far away was it in a land- and sky-scape that is sometimes just too big to identify or even locate small, swift, feathered creatures.
// posted by Christine @ 12:20 PM 
