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

Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag 24 July 2021

Beinn Fhionnlaidh (Argyll) 23 July 2021

Sgurr Fiona (An Teallach) 11 June 2021

Fisherfield - Sgurr Ban, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair, Beinn Tarsuinn, A’Mhaighdean, Ruadh Stac Mor 7 June 2021

Conival and Ben More Assynt 6 June 2021

Mullach an Rathain (Liathach) 27 May 2021

Ruadh-Stac Mor (Beinn Eighe) 23 May 2021

Tom na Gruagaich (Ben Alligin) 21 May 2021

Ben Starav, Beinn nan Aighenan and Glas Bheinn Mhor 3 Oct 2020

A day in Glen Etive with a Steven Fallon group. A wet forecast but two of the three summits were in fact clear. A remote feel and very boggy terrain throughout, with the streams rising rapidly after the deluge started. Glas Bheinn Mhor was the first peak of the day at 3,271', then a pleasant out and back to Beinn nan Aighenan, 3,150'. Ben Starav was the third and highest summit of the day, 3,537', and our descent was complicated by coming off on the wrong path and having to traverse some slippery awkward boulders to reach the (itself steep and slippery) descent path. A long day but satisfying, down as dusk descended. Munros #260.

Inaccessible Pinnacle (Cuillin) 19 Sept 2020

This was it. Could I climb the Pinn? Guided 1:1 of course. We headed up and suddenly there it was..... the Inn Pinn rearing up from the ridge. Suddenly, I was at its base and climbing on a rope, in two pitches. The rock was very grippy gabbro, and it felt safe in the sunny dry conditions. The difficult step was negotiated without difficulty, I reached the halfway point, then the ridge was narrowing and suddenly I was at the top, 3,235', amazing views along the ridge, and across to Bla Bheinn. The hardest part for me was the descent, as I climbed down rather than abseil into oblivion. The descent was a bit of a daze, relief moxed with euphoria. The Cuillins completed. Munro #257.

Beinn Sgritheall 18 Sept 2020

Another stunning day of West Highland weather, "day off" from Skye today so I headed to Arnisdale via Glenelg. A steep and slightly boggy ascent led to another unrelentingly steep pull, up onto the eastern end of the summit ridge of Beinn Sgritheall. Spectacular views as I headed west along the ridge to the summit itself at 3,195'. a superb panorama ( described by Sir Hugh Munro himself as the best from any of his peaks) from this isolated summit, from Skye, the Cuillin and the Inner Hebrides round to Torridon, Glen Shiel, and the Ben to the southeast. Loch Hourn was spread out below me and sparkling in the sunlight with the Knoydart peaks rising to Ladhar Bheinn itself. The descent was also steep but through superb oak forest. A brilliant day, Munro #256.

Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir (Cuillin) 17 Sept 2020

The next three days were pivotal to my quest to complete the Munros. Guided by Dave Buckett, of Highland Mountain Company, today our target was the northern end of the Cuillin Ridge, the iconic view from Sligachan. We headed up Glen Brittle and round the shoulder to the east, then up the SE ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean. A cautious slide over the increasingly narrow ridge led to the tiny summit (3,166') seemingly up in the sky, in the patchy mist. We then descended the W ridge (with an 20m abseil en route) then from the ridge, and in increasingly bright/sunny conditions, ascended Am Basteir, bypassing the bad step to the summit at 3,068'. The pinnacles of Gillean looked dramatic as we headed down to Sligachan with my penultimate Cuillin Munro conquered. Munros #255.

Sgiath Chuil and Meall Glas 15 Aug 2020

The final two Munros of the week, en route home and accessed from the A84. The cloud lifted only slowly during the day. The first summit, Sgiath Chuil, was in cloud, the summit being at 3,067' after a steady, fairly steep climb. Next, a steep descent and re-ascent led to a long ridge and the second summit of Meall Glas,3,150', dramatically poking its head out of a cloud inversion in the evening sunshine, as was Ben More to the south. Munros #253.