A' Chralaig - Mullach Fraoch-choire route, 1 August 92 (1 of 1)

            A brief view of Mullach Fraoch-choire seen through the mist en route from A' Chralaig.  With a strong cross-wind blowing and the rain falling, the Mullach Fraoch-choire pinnacles proved quite challenging, and were far from the pleasant and easy scramble promised in the guide books!

Hillwalking journal entry for the day:

Saturday 1/8//92

A’ Chralaig - Mullach Fraoch-Choire

14 km, 1100 m

Conditions: Generally misty, wet and windy

Base: Shiel Bridge

Map and starting point: OS Sheet 33, GR 088122

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Despite the fact that my brief foray into the Scottish hills 4 weeks earlier had apparently reactivated my back condition, I decided a few days ago to throw caution to the wind and to take up the Munro Challenge again!  The Glen Shiel hills seemed like a good place to start, despite the fact that I had already done the South Glen Shiel ridge - and its very generous complement of 7 Munros - 10 years earlier.  So I drove up to Glen Shiel the previous day and camped at the Shielbridge campsite.

The forecast for Saturday was not very promising and so I decided to do the shortest of the planned routes close to the site: A’ Chralaig and then along the ridge to the Mullach.

I parked the car at the large lay-by about 100 m west of An Caorann Mor and set off up the hill following the route recommended in the Munros book, ie the direct ascent via the SW shoulder. 

This proved to be an extremely tedious slog, and I soon felt fatigued and dispirited - not helped by the fact that my brand new boots were soaked through within the first 10 minutes or so of the ascent by the long sodden grass on the lower slopes of the hill.  I took a lengthy break at a slight plateau at about 700 m, and saw the mist and rain moving in rapidly from the west: I was soon in the midst of it, and it was wet and misty for the rest of the day.  The walk to the summit seemed never ending, with one false top after another, but I eventually reached the extremely elaborate summit cairn.

By this time I was beginning to question whether the planned route was feasible, due to my apparent lack of fitness and the poor weather conditions.  I was also bitterly regretting not having brought any gloves, as my hands were very cold.

Thankfully the mist cleared briefly which boosted my spirits somewhat, and I set off for the Mullach with renewed optimism.  I reached the intermediate 1008 m top after a few forced stops, and then again the mist cleared briefly to reveal way ahead to the summit via the curving ridge.

I dropped down to the col and followed the ridge - quite narrow in places and vaguely reminiscent of the Hopegill Head route in the Lake District.  By now I was feeling extremely tired and seriously doubted that I could even reach the summit, never mind make a safe descent; however it was obviously important to make a success of the first day - especially as this was the shortest of my planned routes for the week - and so I just kept going.

I found the ridge quite tricky in places - especially with the strong cross wind.  I took the first rock tower direct as the bypass footpath looked extremely exposed:  not easy with the rock loose and rotten in places.  I took the path around the second tower - the difficulties were now over.  However it still took a great effort of will to drag myself to top, where thankfully I found some shelter from the worst of the weather.

I was feeling cold and so set off to reverse the ridge after a short stop - despite my fatigued condition: an easy descent to the col bypassing both towers en route, as I was too tired to worry about the exposure!

Thence a safe descent to the glen via Coire Odhar, and along the atrociously boggy path back to the car.

Not a very inspiring day, and without doubt the hardest day in the hills for several years: I was beginning to have second thoughts about the feasibility of some of the longer  routes planned for the week ahead!

I had passed no one all day, despite the fact that it was a bank holiday weekend!

Taken in: United Kingdom / Scotland / Highland (show map)

Taken on: September 7, 2011

Tags:

Munro

Munros

Eleven

Scottish

Highlands

Scotland

Chralaig

Mullach

Fraoch-choire

scramble

scrambling « less

Sets appears in: • The Munros, Section 11 (Glen Affric and Kintail)

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