In to Shenavall

I was up at about 5 o'clock and feeling very cold. Well, I'd been basking in the warmth of Marseille just two days before - what do you expect? I had to sit in the car with the heater on for a while before I felt comfortable. As I ate breakfast I was also keeping an eye on the hills, from which the clouds were stubbornly refusing to lift. The thought of trying to get up even one of the two Munros I'd been planning to climb today and then race up to Inverness in time to meet Howard did not really excite me. Another option was to return to where I'd started the day before and do Carn Liath and Stob Poite Coire Ardair, but that prospect seemed even less exciting.

In the end I made my decision. I would have a rest day (well it was Sunday after all), potter about between here and Inverness and then be fresh and raring to go for Fisherfield in the next few days. I went back to the tent and quickly packed it up, although it was still pretty damp from the night's rain.

I was on the road by about 7.30, but of course the question now was what on earth was I going to go for the next nine hours? Apart from driving to Inverness, of course - which I reckoned would take less than two hours. First stop was just a short way along Loch Laggan for this atmospheric photo opportunity - Creag Pitridh again.

I also needed to do some shopping for a few items I'd overlooked in the previous morning's dash round Asda - most notably loo roll, which I'd somehow managed to forget and was now rather missing. Of course Sunday morning in the Highlands isn't the best time and place to find a shop open. The Co-op in Newtonmore did actually open but not until 9 o'clock, same story in Kingussie. After a visit to the superloos there (last proper wash for a few days I reckoned), I nipped over to Ruthven Barracks, an impressive historical monument that I'd never actually visited before.

I spent a while exploring the ruins, then returned to Kingussie Co-op for the shopping. Next stop was Aviemore where I whiled a way a half hour in a coffee shop with coffee and a crossword. I wanted to stop at Slochd summit next, but there didn't seem to be anywhere suitable to stop, so I continued on to Culloden. I parked at the entrance to the battlefield carpark, without paying, and draped the tent over the car to dry it in the sun which was now out. Then it was on again to Inverness. I drove out towards the airport and found a small road leading down to the seashore at Ardersier. I found some nice spots to stop and while away more hours eating lunch, reading "The Shack" (the book I'd brought with me for the trip) and sorting out the food and gear as well as I could.

Next stop was the airport. Howard arrived on time and we were soon off up the road to Dingwall where we stopped for haggis and chips. It was now beautifully sunny and we were even daring to hope that we were in for another fantastic week of weather such as we'd had the year before in Knoydart. We arrived at Corrie Hallie by 10 to 7 in the evening which gave us plenty of time to walk in to Shenavall and reach the bothy before nightfall. Our packs were pretty heavy, but I think we'd done better than the year before on the walk to Barrisdale. The walk up the track through Gleann Chaorachain was quite enjoyable, with the sun setting behind An Teallach to our right.

It was in fact a very tiring climb, but rewarded by some nice views as we got higher. To the southeast we could now see the snow on the Fannaichs lit by the setting sun. I was remembering my trip there back in the summer of 1999 and trying to identify the peaks that we could see from this angle.

And finally we were at the top of the track and the climb was over. It was pretty much all downhill from here to the bothy. We would be there before dark for sure, but we knew that Shenavall is a notoriously busy bothy and there was no guarantee that there would still be space for us. Still, we had the tent with us so we weren't too worried.

Looking up to An Teallach

As we came down the path towards Strath na Sealga we began to get a good view of the Fisherfield hills - those remote and highly prized Munros that we had come to conquer. I don't suppose I had ever really seen them before - they are quite hidden from most angles. None of them are particular spectacular to look at in themselves, but their setting is certainly magnificent.

The view across to Beinn a' Chlaidheimh

As we continued the quality of the path deteriorated, though it was not difficult anywhere even with heavy packs. The sun setting over Loch na Sealga made a particularly satisfying end to the walk.

Sunset over Loch na Sealga

We finally reached the bothy at 9.30. There were about 12 people already there so quite crowded, but we managed to squeeze ourselves in under the new staircase. On the walk in we had met a member of the Inverness Mountaineering Club who had been helping to replace the old staircase. There was therefore plenty of firewood which was good as it was another cold night. We however were huddled on a cold concrete floor and I was very glad of the lightweight sleeping mat that Ruth had lent me - if ever it was needed it was here!