Orion M.C.

Friday night saw Graham, Dom and myself heading up to Invercroft. We arrived at about 10.30 and were shortly joined by Gordy, Andy and our guest for the weekend, Jules from the Lomond MC.

Usual late night of activities followed…fair amount of wine and a lot of pish patter Bed at 3pm



Up at 7.30am to a beautiful morning outside the hut Heavy frost and mist low in the glen.



Everyone else was heading up Slioch, but Dom and I managed to talk Graham into giving us a lift down Glen Carron to Craig. My target was Beinn Tharsuinn and Sgurr na Feartaig. Dom had other plans.

The local stalker who lives right at the crossing over the railway was getting ready to head out and asked us very politely where we were headed and of all the luck it had to be Feartaig that he was going to be stalking on that day Unfortunately he was going to be working the hill from the Bealach Bearnais right over the summit down to Craig depending when/if they managed to get a deer. He was a really decent bloke and was genuinely pained at blocking my access to the hill.

However, fortunately I faffed about with by sac and boots for a while and he came back over and said that that he’d be finished on the hill by 3pm and if I could hang off until then it would be ok…Result, I was going up Feartaig afterall

So I headed up the land rover track on the start of the 5mile walk in to the Bealach Bearnais. The views started to open up immediately…

Fuar Tholl



Beautiful autumn colours and Fuar Tholl, Sgorr Ruadh and Beinn Liath Mhor on the other side of Glen Carron.



I soon made it up to the Bealach Bearnais and the bottom of Beinn Tarsuinn where I stopped for my lunch with a nice view of the ridge up Sgurr Choinnich. The hill beyond is Sgurr nan Ceannaichean, recently found to be under 3000ft and demoted from Munros Tables.



I soon made it up to and along the long undulating summit ridge with views west down Glen Bearnais to the bothy and out to Skye…



….and eventually to the top to find a great grandstand seat awaiting me (pointed top of Bidein a’Choire Sheasgaich in the background)…



…so I sat down and had a well deserved piece…



…and admired the views to great hills like these…An Ruadh-stac, Maol Chan Dearg with Beinn Damph behind….



…and a distant Slioch, where the rest of the boys were, and…



…behind me looking down to the end of Loch Monar.



After setting off and eating up some time exploring the hill, I found myself back at the bealach and at the appointed time started my ascent of Sgurr nan Feartaig. Views from here were even better than from my first hill

Coulin Forest hills and Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Torridon.



Up Glen Fhiodhaig



Liathach



Beinn Eighe



Panorama with some of Scotland’s best hills. From An Ruadh-stac on the far left, through the Coulin and Torridon hills, to Fisherfield and Letterewe including Slioch and An Teallach.



After that it was long walk back out with the sun low in the sky giving some delightful colours.



I arrived back at Craig to find that Dom had been waiting an hour. We phoned Graham who said he would be a wee while yet but fortunately the stalker came out and invited us in for tea…a real highland gent he was Great end to a fabulous day

Hey, those were the hills I wanted to do. Sorry I couldn't be there to do them with you. Now who will do them with me?

Hi Scott and Gordon, both posts fabulous pictures, now its me who can say: you post that especially just to make me jealous and make me feel what I have given up... The hills look amazing on your Saturday adventures and Slioch and Ben Eighe were always very very high on my wish list...

Not much blue skies here in Basel on Saturday, but bits of rain + Glasgow-style wind and very cold instead. (Sun is back today though, ) and I spent Saturday flathunting in the city.
(But with good success. Got a shared flat with a 30+ m2 loft that is so far empty and would sleep the whole of the Orion all at once... but its hardy mountaineering/ hut style accomodation up there (no heating)...also warmer accomodation available in the downstairs lounge though)

Anyway, very envious for that very sunny hillday you guys had up there.
Silke

Aye sorry Jules I had really wanted to up the A'Chioch ridge on Beinn Bhan, which in that weather would have been fabulous, but as I didn't have my own transport it was impossible to get there.

Maybe if our next club meet was to Basel we would have a good turn out

Well at least you wouldn't make any losses on accomodation, as you wouldn't have to pay a deposit But remember the mountains are still 1.5-2 hours away...
There is the first meter of new snow though apparently somewhere out there...

Glad to see Dom has acquired the requisite facial hair for the start of the season's winter mountaineering. Changes...

Ah Martine, good to have you back on board, I take it that motherhood sees you well Although I assume that being up to your armpits in nappies means that knitting has had to take a back seat for the moment

Nappies aren't the worst of it, it's the breastfeeding I'll be glad to stop once I can wean the wee hunger monster chomping on me every few hours! It's been a week since she went more than 4 hrs between a feed. Argh.