Close encounters of a friendly kind
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Funny how things work out sometimes. You set off to climb a Munro, meet other walkers and end up doing three in a much longer day.
My chance companions in this case were Dave and Nick, two Essex men living in Newtonmore. I met them in the Monadliath after setting off alone to do a circuit over Carn Dearg – a hill I’d not visited for many years.
From the end of the minor road in Glen Banchor I’d trekked up the track above the Allt Fionndrigh, crossed the bridge over the burn at the head of the glen and followed a minor track behind the Graham, Creag Liath.
On the way I was passed by an ATV with two estate workers in it. They were later to tell us that the grouse shooting season on the estate, due to start a couple of days after we met them, had been cancelled due to a shortage of birds.
Dave and Nick caught up with me as I stopped to don a waterproof with rain starting to fall and some rather grim looking clouds covering my target Munro.
The Essex men revealed that they were planning on a longer circuit, starting with Carn Dearg then going on to Carn Sgulain and A’ Chailleach. So we joined forces for Carn Dearg, crossing Gleann Ballach and aiming for a gap in the ridge behind the minor summit at its southern end, Carn Macoul.
The weather had cleared by the time we got there and we climbed out of the gap and headed north to the top of Carn Dearg, with good views into Coire nan Laogh cradling Loch Dubh, on the western side of the ridge.
My plan had been to do Carn Dearg then drop down into Coire nan Laogh to get a closer look at the loch, then return via Glen Banchor. However, the banter had taken over with Dave and Nick, who proved to be good company, and I was persuaded to join them for the other two Munros (which didn’t take too much persuading).
Next up was Carn Sgulain, an easy but long walk away, following a line of old fence posts – a good navigational aid in bad visibility. It was part of the way along the six kilometres of that stretch that we met up with the keepers again.
“What kept you?” they joked and got chatting about the lack of grouse on the moor after such a dry summer, with a poor crop of heather shoots for the birds to feed on. Any grouse there were would have been thankful!
We headed off for Carn Sgulain, passing another couple of walkers on the way doing the circuit the opposite way.
Nick and Dave got me to take pictures of them on the tops so they could show their wives that they had actually done the trek and not spent the day in the pub.
Our last Munro beckoned now with a descent to the Allt Cuil na Caillich, then an initially steep climb up the other side. The 930-metre summit reached, we took a rest before making our way down along the path that leads to the Allt a’ Chaorainn and a track back to the Glen Banchor car park.
There’s a fairly rudimentary bothy off to the right hand side of the path on the way to the glen and we diverted to take a look in. While not palatial, it would provide a good shelter in an emergency or for anyone aiming to do a longer walk in the hills.
Back at the car park the Essex men and I said our farewells with an excellent day’s walking under our belts. There’s always a chance we could meet up again.
When you tramp the hills, encounters like these make you realise it’s all worthwhile.
Route details
Monadhliath triple
Distance 15 miles / 24km
Terrain Mountain paths for the most part with some rough glen crossings
Start/finish Car park at the head of the minor road in Glen Banchor
Map OS Landranger 35, Kingussie and the Monadhliath
A long but quite straightforward walk in good conditions over three Monadhliath Munros
