Beinn a'Mheadhoin

September 2009

Participants - Just me
Where - Beinn a'Mheadhoin, 610m/2,002', Graham, Map 25, NH 219255

So here's the first of my retrospective reports. It was one of these days when I had no firm plan of what I was going to climb, I had enjoyed an excellent walk on Ben Wyvis the day before so I was looking for something that was not too strenuous. I headed to Strathpeffer and the car park for Cnoc Mor but there were a number of signs telling me to keep out as tree felling was taking place. So I thought that I would do something up Glen Strathconnon instead but soon encountered signs saying that there would be long delays on the glen road as resurfacing work was taking place. A three point turn and I headed for the road to Glen Affric instead.

Beinn a'Mheadhoin only really registered with me as a possibility when I stopped in the car park at the bridge over the Abhainn Gleann nan Fiadh to look at the river and to consult the map. The track opposite the car park was the one that I had used years' earlier when I climbed the Glen Affric Munros. I followed it for less than a mile before taking to the hillside. There was a great view of Sgurr na Lapaich from the path, from this angle you wonder why such a striking hill is not a Munro in its own right but closer inspection shows that it is only the sharp end of a gentle ridge that runs all the way to/from Mam Sodhail.....

 Climbing the gentle slopes.the view soon opened out up Gleann nam Fiadh to the Munro of Tom a'Choinich.....

 The going was mainly on grassy slopes and it wasn't long before I could see my objective.....

I reached the flat area that contains the summit in about 1 hour and 15 minutes after leaving the car. There were two cairns, the more westerly was the viewpoint and the other, smaller pile of stones the other side of a small lochan, marked the highest point.

I didn't stay at the smaller cairn long but hastened back to the viewpoint....magnificent! This is the  view to Sgurr na Lapaich, Mam Sodhail, Carn Eige and Tom a Choinich.....

Carn Eige and Tom a'Choinich.....

Toll Creagach.....

across Glen Affric to Sgurr nan Conbhairean and Mullach Fraoch-choire.....

and west to Loch Affric and Mullach Fraoch-choire.....

It's funny how unforseen circumstances can lead to such a great day- although the opposite is true as well I suppose! In this case, a combination of tree felling and road works conspired to direct me to this previously unthought of Graham, one of the best that I have climbed