Beinn Eibhinn to Carn Dearg

Everyone was up before 7 and we’d all had breakfast, sorted our packs and so on and were off soon after 8. Alasdair, Howard and I were leaving some food behind in the shed for our evening meal the next day. The plan was to walk over the four Munros to the north of the Bealach Dubh, spend the night at Culra Bothy, then return over Ben Alder the next day. It looked like a very nice morning, with some blue sky and sunshine to cheer us on our way as we set out along along the lochside again.

Looking across Loch Ossian to Beinn na Lap

The view up Loch Ossian to Leum Uilleim

At the north east end of the loch we followed a path up beside the Uisge Labhair. We passed and were passed by Tom and Nan several times, as well as meeting several other “Challengers”.

Looking back down to Loch Ossian

Around 10 we stopped by a stream and decided to head up from there into the corrie on our left, which we assumed was the corrie to the south of Mullach Coire nan Nead.

Ben Alder from the slopes of Beinn Eibhinn

After not too long, looking at the shape of the hills around, we decided we were in the wrong corrie! We had come too far up the glen.

However there was really no harm done. We simply had to climb the left side of the corrie instead of the right, and we reached a notch on the ridge fairly painlessly, looking across the corrie to what we now realized was Beinn Eibhinn, our first Munro of the day.

We left our packs at the notch and nipped back to the left to snap up the nearest top, Meall Glas Choire. However, since some rain seemed to be approaching we decided to leave out the other one, Mullach Coire nan Nead. Had Isdale been with us, we would never have got away with this of course!

The rain arrived as we were heading round towards Beinn Eibhinn.

Thus we arrived at the summit of Munro number one in mist and wet. It was also getting rather windy, so we didn’t stop there for lunch as we had been meaning to.

Instead we continued on down to the bealach where we dropped a short way down the north side to get out of the wind. There we sat looking north over great views towards Glen Spean.

The weather gradually cleared and we set off again in good spirits, though Aonach Beag, which was not far away, was still in cloud.

We did get occasional views though and once past Aonach Beag we could see Geal-charn coming and going in the mist. I was taking plenty of pictures whenever the chance came.

The south end of Loch Ericht from Aonach Beag

Looking back to Beinn Eibhinn from Aonach Beag

Geal-charn from Aonach Beag

Aonach Beag from Geal-charn

The summit cairn of Geal-charn

On Geal-charn the weather started to clear properly and one last shower saw us finding the route down on a bearing.

Sgor Iutharn with Loch an Sgoir below

Carn Dearg from Geal-charn

The northern crags of Geal-charn

Loch an Sgoir and the Lancet Edge

Looking back up to Geal-charn

Once down to the bealach Carn Dearg was clear and we were soon in some sunshine. So we had a very long tramp to this last Munro of the day, but it was very pleasant and we had a few lazy stops to rest and enjoy the views.

Geal-charn with Loch Coire Cheap on the right

We could see the bothy from the summit, and since we were now nice and dry we didn’t hang about too long but soon headed down, first to a tiny lochan, then south for about 1km, then east for another 1km.

I was haring ahead on the descent as usual and reached the bothy well before Alasdair and Howard. There I was greeted by a jovial chap named Jock from Dundee who was standing outside with his big dog. “Are you just yourself?” he asked me. When I said there were two more he shook his head: “Sorry, bothy’s full!” He must have taken pity when he saw the look on my face, and quickly ushered me in to reveal that it was just a joke. There were him, Tom and Nan and another walker we’d seen earlier, all sitting by the fire in the main room.

Alasdair and Howard arrived with a party of about eight close behind them. We quickly reserved places in the far room (still empty at this stage) but the party marched straight past the bothy. The weather was still clear and we got organized with water and so on, then Howard cooked up a great meal of beef noodles followed by spaghetti carbonara, followed by cake. By then it was starting to rain so we got ourselves settled in for the night. Three German girls arrived and looked in, but chose the main room. Jock came again saying there were six more coming so we rushed to make space. It was just another joke though… I was in bed by 9 and probably asleep by 10. Then around 11 there was the sound of people outside, and bright lights shining in the window. It was four cyclists arrived from Dalwhinnie in the rain with head torches. They burst in and asked if there was any space - which of course there was once we had arranged ourselves more compactly. It was a wild wet night.