After an amazing trip to South Africa, we finally got home safe after being 'stranded' there for an extra 2 weeks. But now it was time to get back into the training groove, after quite a bit of downtime on holiday (never a bad thing!), and get ready to lead the GWC Torridon Project 2010.
As if perfectly timed, my folks had arranged a weekend visit to Edinburgh to catch up with us after our amazing trip. Needless to say, after our very successful day on An Socach, Herbie was even more keen than before for bag some Munros. I knew that this would be the case so I had a plan: the Carn Mairg circuit in Glen Lyon. I picked it because I thought it would be worthwhile training and preparation for myself and also because it was quite an easy way to bring up Herbie's tally of Munros.
We left early but were delayed slightly by some slow moving traffic and roadworks just over the bridge. The weather forecast wasn't brilliant, but as we parked at the car park at Invervar it wasn't raining and the temperature was quite mild. As we set off up the track through the woods, we looked up and realised that it was highly likely that we would be spending most of the day walking in the cloud. This didn't bother me too much, as I knew it would be good nav practice and I never turned down an opportunity to stay sharp and keep my eye in, but it was a shame that Herbie wasn't going to experience much of a view.
 |
| Herbie ready to set off from the car park at Invervar, Glenlyon |
 |
| Ready to set off from the car park at Invervar, Glenlyon |
We left the track, crossed the Invervar Burn and followed the Northwest side of the woods until the boundary fence changed direction slightly. This was the point I was aiming for, as I knew this was where we would attack the Southeast shoulder of Carn Gorm. The cloud was now down below 550 metres. I explained the plan and the route to Dad, but I'm not convinced he knew what was happening - he wasn't very experienced after all - but very keen to learn. I took a bearing and headed up the grassy slope into the mist.
 |
| Invervar, Glenlyon |
There were quite a few other cars in the car park at Invervar when we arrived, and we could hear voices ahead of us in the cloud but we weren't sure what direction they were coming from; quite disorientating. The lack of a view seemed to spur us on and we motored up the steep slopes to the pointed summit of Carn Gorm. It was rather wet and a little blustery at the top and, to our surprise, quite a few other folk. We knew that most of the climbing was now over for the day so we chose not to hang around at the top and admire the non-existant view; we pressed on.
 |
| Herbie enjoying the mist on An Sgorr, Glenlyon |
 |
| Looking West towards Carn Gorm from the bealach between Carn Mairg and Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon |
Passing around the Northwest side of An Sgorr, there was still quite a few patches of snow; nothing serious, just a surprise to come across in the thick mist. We picked up the dry-stone wall and followed it up to the top of Meall Garbh without much bother and, to our delight, the mist and clouds started to lift slightly. Still no view but the air now wasn't quite as damp. A few folk raced passed us on the summit and didn't look like they were having much fun. We weren't in a hurry - I was very much enjoying just being out in the hills with Herbie and just having the opportunity to have a good old natter and catch up. I was probably boring him to death to be honest, telling him all about our South Africa adventure.
 |
| Herbie happy to be on the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon |
The wall had now turned into the iron remains of an old fence. The view was getting a little better but the summit of Meall a' Bharr was still surrounded in cloud. As we headed up the slope before we gained the summit plateau, I took a bit of cramp in my thighs. I'm unsure of the cause, but it's not something I've ever experienced before; in any form of activity or exercise. Herbie suggested that it could be due to the long flight / travel time coming back from South Africa via Dubai. I was totally fine after a few minutes but it was a strange experience. However, we were soon having a bite on the summit of Carn Mairg and joking about what had just happened and how little a view there had been all day.
 |
| On the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Glenlyon |
Now rejuvenated and rehydrated, we headed steeply down to the bealach between Carn Mairg and Meall Liath. The mist was back and thicker than ever but we hit the middle of the col no problem. Just then, a middle-aged couple came wandering towards us out of the dampness. They greeted us but seemed a little uneasy. It turned out that they were lost and didn't know where they were. They said that they were lost because they had lost the path and they didn't have a map between them - I was shocked. The conditions today were far from perfect, for any level of experience. I showed them on my map where we were standing and I said that they could follow us. I took a bearing and we headed South towards the spot height of 855 metres. We soon hit a path and, sure enough, the couple strode on into the mist and left us behind.
 |
| Herbie on the grassy slopes below the summit of Creag Mhor (Meall na Aighean), Carn Gorm in the clouds behind |
After negotiating quite a bit of peat hag and very boggy ground, we were standing on the summit of Creag Mhor - the fourth and final Munro of the day. Herbie was elated at what we had just achieved in a relatively short day... and we suddenly had a view of Glen Lyon and the hills we had just conquered - spectacular. I was really pleased that we were treated to some kind of a view during the day. We raced along the grassy ridge and then picked up the path to zigzag steeply back down to Invervar; a sore one on the knees after quite a tough day in challenging conditions.
 |
| Herbie enjoying the view and clearer skies with Carn Mairg behind, Glenlyon |
 |
| Herbie with Glenlyon, Invervar and Carn Gorm behind |
On the way back to Edinburgh, we talked about what an enjoyable day it had been, despite the weather and few vistas we had. A note to everyone: please take maps with you to the hills. Thank you.
