Munro Compleation!! Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Affric 7 June 2023

At last, settled fine weather in the Highlands coincided with a couple of days off work for me - so a foray north by train, excitement mixed with a bit of apprehension, its a while since I did a long, fairly remote hill day. The day dawned with the forecast cloud and mist, little humidity and a cool breeze - Glen Affric looked stunning in the June sunshine. I headed up the glen, then turned north up Coire Lechavie, the normally boggy ground very dry after the sunny spring here and lack of rain. The pull up the headwall onto the ridge gave me my first view of my objective, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, my 282nd and final Munro, with Mam Sodhail and Carn Eige rearing up near at hand, still with a few lingering snow patches. I traversed across the slopes to the west of the "big two" and gained the bealach between Carn Eige and Fhionnlaidh. Extensive views as far as the Cuillin of Skye and Torridon, and further south Ladhar Bheinn and Kintail. The pull up Beinn Fhionnlaidh was fairly straightforward to the summit at 1005m (3,297 ft), and at 4.02pm my moment of compleation of all 282 Munros, a quest which began in 2008, and has continued since then, frustrated at times by weather - but I've done some Munros every year since then - some great memories of summy summits and amazing views, as well as a few rather dreich and damp ones. Grateful thanks to Jennifer Sessions and Matthew Burrows, my two trusty Munroing compatriots - and particularly special acknowledgements to guides Keith Gault and Steven Fallon, both of whom guide my up quote a few summits, and without whom I would not have succeeded in my quest. So from now on, I won't need to monitor the mountain weather forecast quite so obsessively!

Frustrated by the Weather………..

I've been frustrated throughout the autumn by the continuing very unsettled weather that the West and Northwest Highlands have endured since spring 2022, with none of the (rare) fine days coinciding with free time to travel to Scotland. There is now not enough daylight for the long walk in to Beinn Fhionnlaidh, so it will have to wait til spring 2023, when the Mullardoch ferry might once more be available to shorten the day...... so near, ending the year on 281, yet so far!

Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasgarnich (Penultimate Munro!) 10 Aug 2022

An Socach (Mullardoch) 7 Aug 2022

Stob Ban (Grey Corries) and Stob Choire Claurigh 15 May 2022

Beinn Sgulaird 2 Sept 2021

Beinn Bhuidhe 1 Sept 2021