Fabian Seymour - 143967

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Awards Completed

MLW RCI ML
Member Of

Winter Walking Record

Details

Date : 31/03/2006

Duration : 5-8 hours

Style : Equals

Type : Quality Mountain Day (QMD)

Weather : Heavy snow - poor visibility

Wind : Moderate wind

Camping Type :

Nights Camping : 0

Mountains : A'Chralaig A'Chralaig - Stob Coire na Cralaig [Mullach Fraoch-choire S Top] Mullach Fraoch-choire

Flagged :

Description

I took on these hills from Strawberry Cottage in Glen Affric at the end of a long week. Crossing the river over the bridge was easy enough but almost immediately met with deep heather and tussocky grass on the other side. As had been characteristic of the entire week, there was a howling wind driving up through the glen and a constant rain which was snow above 400m. The weather had steadily been turning colder over the week - or at least that's how it seemed.
Tackling these hills from the north was initially straight forward heading into the bowl to the east of the two summits following the main stream down. In the first hour, I was joined by two others who had decided to come along. I'd set my plan which was to avoid going on to the ridge and up that way as I wanted to avoid as much ridge walking in the wind given the three day epic I'd had that week and I stood my ground. We headed to Lochan na Cralaig and then skirted southward to find a way up and ended up at the col to the SE of A' Chralaig. Here it was straight forward enough to get up to the summit, but the ridge in the wind proved challenging with heavy snow, poor visibility and some pinnacles to contend with. We actually had to dig the cairn out of the snow on Mullach Fraoch-Choire. And we returned to the cottage via the Ne and NEE ridges.
- Significant mountains (Munros) including a ridge

- Navigation skills employed to get to the ridge and confirm I was heading off at various points in the right direction. Off piste again too and I'd come up with the route having planned it.
- Knowledge increased (and confidence)
- Adverse conditions
- Over 5 hours
- UK mountain terrain in winter
- Axes used on the ridge. The fresh snow on the ridge was soft and being blown about but axes proved useful on the pinnacles.

Area : Glen Affric and Kintail

South of Loch Mullardoch you will find the Glen Affric and Kintail area whose southern boundary is the A87 road to Inverness. The Five Sisters of Kintail, Beinn Fhada, Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and Carn Eighe are just some of the impressive peaks in this area, and all have their own unique selling points such as remoteness, size, steepness or height. As a result, peaks in the list are all over 900m.

Location

Marker
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