Walk Summary
Route and summit photos from what was probably my biggest day
in the hills last Monday; 17.78 miles, 2275m of ascent in 9 hours 57 minutes at average pace of 1.79 mph.
Just the 1 Marilyn & 1 HuMP, but 3 Munros, 4 Munro Tops, 2 CTMs, 8 Simms and 1 sub Simm and of course 8 TUMPs. 9 summits altogether.
I had spotted the 2 outliers of Beinn an Iomaire and An Reithe but did not think I would be quick enough, so I told myself unless I was at the final Munro Top before 2pm I would not go for the extra 2 hills. I arrived at 13:53pm so I did. An Reithe bagged and summit sorted by 15:59 with 1 hour of daylight. Unfortunately 6 miles from the car and one more top to visit on the way back.
Final top, Drochaid an Tuill Easaich bagged at 17:37 in pitch dark so 2 hours ahead to do the final 3 miles and descent from 1001m. Not something I planned to do but sometimes it happens. To avoid it I make the rule to always aim to be heading down the final ascent before the sun sets, that way the worst situation is coming off the fell in dusk. A little difficult to apply that rule when you are on the penultimate summit, 6 miles from the van with only 1 hour of daylight left.
I know why it happened as is often the case there is always that extra hill that you had not planned. In this case there were two extra hills and what is more the route between these two hills was a choice of returning back over two Munro Tops and a Munro or descend 200m in to Coire Mheadhoin, reascend 265m and walk 2½ miles between the two. I chose the latter and committed to the extra hill. Had I chose the former I maybe would have missed out An Reithe. Well that was not the outcome I was after.
I don't need to explain this to hill walkers - it happened, you are where you are and you just have to get on with it. The satisfaction comes from doing just that, dealing with the unexpected and testing yourself near your limits is one of the things hill walking is all about
You cannot mitigate against everything that may happen . What you can do is have the gear, skills and determination to deal with whatever does arise.
"Nudge your limits to extend your limits"
"You do not know your limits till you test your limits"
Just don't do it too often - otherwise you will break. They are not called "limits" for nothing. The clue is in the name.
Walk Statistics
Creag a'Chaorainn (21)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (22)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (23)
Drochaid an Tuill Easaich (24)
Murdo (443)
Carn Ghluasaid (81)
Creag a'Chaorainn (82)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (83)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (84)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (85)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (86)
Corbett (221)
NONE
Corbett Top (455)
Beinn an Iomaire (17)
An Reithe (18)
Corbett Top of Munro (???)
Beinn an Iomaire (16)
An Reithe (17)
Corbett Top of Corbett (???)
NONE
Graham (219)
NONE
Graham Top (777)
NONE
Graham Top of Munro (???)
NONE
Graham Top of Corbett (???)
NONE
Graham Top of Graham (???)
NONE
Marilyn (1218S - 1556E,W&S))
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (142S - 391E,W&S)
Hump (2168S - 2976E,W&S)
Windlestraw Law (173S - 497E,W&S)
Highland Five (776)
NONE
Other walks on this trip
2017
October
16th More area 28 Marilyns on the way to Glen Shiel
18th Meall nam Maigheach & Drummond Hill
19th Ben Lawers ridge
21st Kintail Ridge - The Three Brothers
22nd Kintail Ridge North - The Five Sisters
24th Ciste Dhubh & Am Bàthach
25th Biod an Fhithich
26th Cluanie Ridge East (Creag a'Mhaim - Maol Chinn-dearg)
27th Cluanie Ridge West (Maol Chinn-dearg - Creag nan Damh)
29th Sgùrr Mhic Bharraich
30th Carn Ghluasaid, Sgùrr nan Conbhairean & Sail Chaorainn
November
02nd Sgùrr na Sgine
Route
More Photographs
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| Sunrise down Gleann Lichd from Morvich C & M Club Siite. Good weather for the day or Sailors warning |
I had spotted the 2 outliers of Beinn an Iomaire and An Reithe but did not think I would be quick enough, so I told myself unless I was at the final Munro Top before 2pm I would not go for the extra 2 hills. I arrived at 13:53pm so I did. An Reithe bagged and summit sorted by 15:59 with 1 hour of daylight. Unfortunately 6 miles from the car and one more top to visit on the way back.
Final top, Drochaid an Tuill Easaich bagged at 17:37 in pitch dark so 2 hours ahead to do the final 3 miles and descent from 1001m. Not something I planned to do but sometimes it happens. To avoid it I make the rule to always aim to be heading down the final ascent before the sun sets, that way the worst situation is coming off the fell in dusk. A little difficult to apply that rule when you are on the penultimate summit, 6 miles from the van with only 1 hour of daylight left.
I know why it happened as is often the case there is always that extra hill that you had not planned. In this case there were two extra hills and what is more the route between these two hills was a choice of returning back over two Munro Tops and a Munro or descend 200m in to Coire Mheadhoin, reascend 265m and walk 2½ miles between the two. I chose the latter and committed to the extra hill. Had I chose the former I maybe would have missed out An Reithe. Well that was not the outcome I was after.
I don't need to explain this to hill walkers - it happened, you are where you are and you just have to get on with it. The satisfaction comes from doing just that, dealing with the unexpected and testing yourself near your limits is one of the things hill walking is all about
You cannot mitigate against everything that may happen . What you can do is have the gear, skills and determination to deal with whatever does arise.
"Nudge your limits to extend your limits"
"You do not know your limits till you test your limits"
Just don't do it too often - otherwise you will break. They are not called "limits" for nothing. The clue is in the name.
Walk Statistics
Walk Date - 30 October 2017
Walkers - Steve Smith
Accommodation - Morvich Caravan & Motorhome Club Site
Start Point - Layby on A87 westbound west of bridge over Coire nan Clach (NH 12399 10510)
Start Time - 09:21
Finish Point - Layby on A87 westbound west of bridge over Coire nan Clach (NH 12399 10510)
Finish Time- 19:18
Total Duration - 9hrs 57mins
Overall Average pace - 1.79mph
Total Distance Walked - 17.78 miles
Total Height Ascended - 2274.95metres
Peaks visited
Munro (282)
Carn Ghluasaid (65)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (66)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (67)
Munro Top (227)
Walkers - Steve Smith
Accommodation - Morvich Caravan & Motorhome Club Site
Start Point - Layby on A87 westbound west of bridge over Coire nan Clach (NH 12399 10510)
Start Time - 09:21
Finish Point - Layby on A87 westbound west of bridge over Coire nan Clach (NH 12399 10510)
Finish Time- 19:18
Total Duration - 9hrs 57mins
Overall Average pace - 1.79mph
Total Distance Walked - 17.78 miles
Total Height Ascended - 2274.95metres
Peaks visited
Munro (282)
Carn Ghluasaid (65)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (66)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (67)
Munro Top (227)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (22)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (23)
Drochaid an Tuill Easaich (24)
Murdo (443)
Carn Ghluasaid (81)
Creag a'Chaorainn (82)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (83)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (84)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (85)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (86)
Corbett (221)
NONE
Corbett Top (455)
Beinn an Iomaire (17)
An Reithe (18)
Corbett Top of Munro (???)
Beinn an Iomaire (16)
An Reithe (17)
Corbett Top of Corbett (???)
NONE
Graham (219)
NONE
Graham Top (777)
NONE
Graham Top of Munro (???)
NONE
Graham Top of Corbett (???)
NONE
Graham Top of Graham (???)
NONE
Marilyn (1218S - 1556E,W&S))
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (142S - 391E,W&S)
Hump (2168S - 2976E,W&S)
Windlestraw Law (173S - 497E,W&S)
Highland Five (776)
NONE
Simm (2188S - 2528E,W &S)
Carn Ghluasaid (150S - 481E,W&S)
Creag a'Chaorainn (151S - 482E,W&S)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (152S - 483E,W&S)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (153S - 484E,W&S)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (154S - 485E,W&S)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (155S - 486E,W&S)
Beinn an Iomaire (156S - 487E,W&S)
An Reithe (157S - 488E,W&S)
Historic County Tops (49E - 93E,W&S)
NONE
S: Scotland.
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
Carn Ghluasaid (150S - 481E,W&S)
Creag a'Chaorainn (151S - 482E,W&S)
Sgùrr nan Conbhairean (152S - 483E,W&S)
Sail Chaorainn [Sail Chaoruinn] (153S - 484E,W&S)
Carn na Coire Mheadhoin (Centre Top) (154S - 485E,W&S)
Tigh Mor na Seilge (NNE Top) (155S - 486E,W&S)
Beinn an Iomaire (156S - 487E,W&S)
An Reithe (157S - 488E,W&S)
Historic County Tops (49E - 93E,W&S)
NONE
S: Scotland.
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
Other walks on this trip
2017
October
16th More area 28 Marilyns on the way to Glen Shiel
18th Meall nam Maigheach & Drummond Hill
19th Ben Lawers ridge
21st Kintail Ridge - The Three Brothers
22nd Kintail Ridge North - The Five Sisters
24th Ciste Dhubh & Am Bàthach
25th Biod an Fhithich
26th Cluanie Ridge East (Creag a'Mhaim - Maol Chinn-dearg)
27th Cluanie Ridge West (Maol Chinn-dearg - Creag nan Damh)
29th Sgùrr Mhic Bharraich
30th Carn Ghluasaid, Sgùrr nan Conbhairean & Sail Chaorainn
November
02nd Sgùrr na Sgine
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GPX can be downloaded from
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Creag a'Chaorainn summit cairn towards Sgurr nan Conbhairean
Click on photograph to view slide-show
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