Wednesday 25 June 2014

Great news....Lorraine has reached half way....she did her 111th Corbett yesterday followed by an overnight at Glen Affric hostel.  Photos will follow and a big thank to the kind people who have donated recently and helped with logistics etc....keep spreading the word!!
www.lorrainemccall.com
www.justgiving.com/lorraine-mccall

Friday 13 June 2014

Heading South

I have spent the last few days coming through Glen Calvie, Glen Mhor and Glen Beag and out to the Fannichs and Little Wyvis. It is always good to have company but it also also feels good to be moving on my own again. This was new ground for me and some wonderful glens surrounded by the higher mountains of Seanna Braigh, Beinn Dearg and Am Fogach.


In retrospect I could have made this easier for myself and moved a little quicker had I taken a day pack, cycling with a full backpack on a mountain bike up hill into a head wind aint too much fun. But the down hill bits were great and camping out in the glen was eerie. it's a big wild place and i felt very little.
I am now at home having cycled here from Little Wyvis, my local hill. I am getting on top of blogs and replanning as I have changed my route a lot from the start.
I have now been out for 2 months, travelled through Spean Bridge, Kinlochleven, Glencoe, Glen Etive, Glen Creran, Glen Orchy, The Trossachs, Arrochar, The Borders, Arran, Jura, Mull, Rum, Skye, Harris, the Flowerdales, The Fisherfields, The Inverlael Forrest, Assynt, The Far North, Glen Calvie, Glen Attadale, and the Fannichs. I have climbed 89 mountains and raised over £2000.
I reckon things are going okay but i do want to raise more cash. The more people who know and follow, the better.
It has taken a while to get fit but I am now ready to step up a gear, I  now want to try and get my average hill numbers per day up. I reckon this will happen as the biggest distances between the mountains are over.
If anyone out there would like to offer support  in the shape of motivation on the mountains or bike and food logistics when off the hills please get in touch.
I now plan to go Strathfarrar, Strathconon, Torridon, Applecross, Strathcarron to Glen Shiel, down to Knoydart, Moidart, Ardnamurchan then over the Monadliath to the Cairngorms. At some point I am planning to finish on Beinn vrackie.
It's going to be tough and it's going to be fun.
I would like to say a big thankyou to all you guys who have helped so far, I could not do this on my own. And to all those who have donated. It is difficult to keep on top of this and thank people personally but it is all appreciated. Please keep spreading the word. Apologies for the lack of facebooking but it takes time to hang around and try to get a message to send. They will be there, just not so often.
Tarrathenoo : )

The Far North

I am sitting at home, having cycled here from Little Wyvis and have a little time at last to update my blog before going onto Strathfarrar.
Assynt and the Far North held lots of  challenges.
Going from Cul Beag to Cul Mor on the first day in Assynt Rob and I struggled to find the joining route and after Rob's achilles started to play up and he headed back to the car , I decided to go for the direct line up Cul Mor finding some very interesting rock and vertical heather in the process! The lesson here is read the guide books. It is still kinda fun though, in retrospect anyway.
The first

real horror was later that evening after enjoying a 3 course meal cooked by Rob and being left on my own with the midge. I pitched my tent very quickly and jumped in, only to find a hole about the size of a mobile phone in the inner. I have know idea what happened but it looked as if a little animal had chewed its way through. A hasty repair was carried out with duck tape but I still slept rather fitfully that night, with visions of a tent full of midge.
The next few days were spent wandering over mountains in the mist with some sunny cycling moments thrown in, with Rob appearing here and there, doing an excellent job of  keeping me fed, watered and motivated.
The next big challenge was Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill. In haste the evening before I had given Rob some maps to put in my bike for my next cycle drop at Strabeag Bothy. Unfortunately this included the main map of this hill which lies over 3 maps but I had only noticed 2 until I was in my tent in a glen with no phone signals. The morning was wet and misty and it was with some trepidation I decided to go for the hill anyway. Don't try this at home, 9 hours later a very wet and weary Lorraine(see summit pic) put up her tent in a breeze and scoffed a fine evening meal outside at Lone.
Slow again the next day on compass bearings in the mist going over Arkle and Foinaven but payback in the late evening as the sun began to go down and the cloud and mist dropped. Foinaven had let me in. I was not in a hurry to leave the cloud inversions and Brocken Spectres on the summit ridge and it was after 10 before I returned to my wee tent at The Bealach Horne.

After the day
without a map and moving so slowly in the mist on Arkle and foinaven, I decided it was time to step up a gear and was up early the next morning in the sunshine to climb up Meall Horne before meeting June and Geoff again. They had also been on Quinag when I was there, and Arkle the previous day but are DEFINITELY NOT doing all the corbetts. I still had to do the long trek down to Strabeag bothy to climb Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnlaidh.  The Gods were not with me, however, and again not knowing the ground, I dropped over a bealach early and spent hours bog trotting to get to the bothy whereas with a bit of local knowledge I would have stayed on high ground until close by. All was not lost however and mid afternoon saw me heading into the bog again on the way to my next 2 hills. It was a hot day and hard work and initially when I heard cries I thought it was a lamb, then I thought it was a baby but as they became more insistent I realised that I was hearing cries for help.
I turned and realised that the cries were coming from a crag on the south side of Loch Eriboll and started heading towards them not giving too much heed to the bog until suddenly I was in up to my hips and finding it really difficult to get back out and for five minutes all the ground round about me looked like it was breathing and I was sinking. Fear for the girl who was screaming help overcame my own fear and I eventually dragged myself out of there looking like a creature emerging from the deep. I started calling to the girl that I was on my way and then spotted her clinging on to a bush halfway up the crag. She was not hurt but had got stuck on the crag, I could see a bag at the bottom and thought she had been climbing although she was alone. Still convinced she had climbed up there and the ground looking pretty steep, I said I would get in touch with mountain rescue and she was a little calmer. I then spotted 2 lads who had also heard the screams climbing up towards her in their wellies. I had some trepidation about this as the ground was really steep and said I would alert mountain rescue anyway. I went along the track as far as i needed to send the text then returned. The lads had managed to get to her and were helping her climb out of the niche she was in and around the side of the crag. I retrieved her bag and went to join them. 
Natalie was a geology student who was mapping the land above the crag, when her bag had fallen she started to make her way down to get to it when she started to get stuck. She had been screaming for over an hour to try to alert people on the road but there was no one around until the 3 of us arrived. She was shaken but unhurt and when her heroes, 2 brothers from Tain, Gary and Martin suggested a beer and some whisky to calm things down, I decided the hills could wait till the morning and after retexting mountain rescue all was okay, I joined them. The lads had been about to go on a fishing trip to drink a wee glass or 2 of Jura in memory of their friend Barney who had died the previous year. They were happy to be sidetracked and to take Natalie back to her lodgings in the full knowledge that Barney would have enjoyed the tale.  Well done lads.

The next morning i was up at the crack of dawn and up Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnlaidh before cycling to Tongue with all my kit in some torrential downpours and head winds. A drowned rat was very happy to spend a night in the hostel there and catch up with my friends Dave and Wendy who know how to look after a lass. Steak with chilli and red peppers was washed down with a fine Corbieres and some cheese and a 1999 Connoisseurs choice Caol Islay to finish. My taste buds are now working overtime and this was amazing, as was the banter. Not so great first thing the next morning as we cycled off south to climb Beinn Loyal, the weather was closing in but we managed to make the summit and were treated to some cracking views before the rain arrived. The day finished at the Crask Inn, one of my favourite places run by Mike and Kai, two wonderful people.and we were joined by Rob for another very fine meal before all cycling south in the morning. I said goodbye to my friends at Bonar Bridge and headed off towards Glen Calvie, a little sad to say goodbye to the far north.

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Sorry that updates have been few and far between recently, that has been due to a lack of internet access but Lorraine is doing well and approaching her 90th hill.  Lorraine will update her blog soon when she has wi fi (and time) to do it.

One special mention which was left out of earlier blogs must go to Iain and Debbie at St Rule House, B&B in Ardrossan, www.strulehouse.co.uk who looked after Lorraine so well the night before she set sail for the Islands.  They have a wonderful and unique home which is very welcoming and well worth a visit.  Yesterday outside the Crask Inn in Caithness we bumped into Nigel Gardner who is cycling Lands End to John o Groats and had stayed with Iain and Debbie who had told him about Lorraine's journey......its a small world!!!!!

Keep spreading the word :)

Rob  

Monday 2 June 2014

Heading North
One journey ends and another begins. I am always amazed at the kindness and support of people when carrying out a big journey and these next few days were no exception. I was met by Kev and my road cycle when i came out of the Fisherfields.

While I cycled down to Braemore junction Kev drove my kit around and we took it on to Leckmelm where I was staying that night before Kev returned me to the junction to climb Beinn Enaiglair, my last hill before heading north. Kev had spent the morning picking up kit I had left at Badachro, then my bike at Poolewe before coming to meet me and sorting me out at Leckmelm. 

Although not there, my friend Paul had offered me the use of his house in Leckmelm for the night. The Fisherfield trip had been full on and it was great to have a place to stop and rest for the night and enjoy a real fire.

I was in no hurry to leave the next morning and it was lunchtime when my friend Dave arrived to take all my kit north and to cycle with me to Assynt. We cycled to Elphin where I was coming back to climb Cul Mor and Cul Beag the following morning before Dave whisked me away to join himself and his mates for the evening at Beinn More Lodge which they had hired for the week. It was great to be back here as a guest this time. Years before when I had been a student I worked a couple of summer seasons for the Vestey Family and had spent some time housekeeping and cooking here.
This was a very different experience however, drinking whisky having the crack and being entertained by some great music. So thankyou to Kev, Paul, Dave, George, John, Fergus, Bruce, and Raymond 
                                              

The boys have looked after me well and set me up for my journey into the Wilds of Assynt, where I might just meet another boy who has been gallivanting around the States!.
The Fisherfields
It was the first time  had taken the track from Poolewe to the Fionn Loch. This is a beautiful, wild part of the country.  The sun was shining and all was good with the world....... until I missed my turning daydreaming and ended up on the western shores of Fionn Loch. Bonny, but not where I wanted to be. An ex partner  once said
'there is an easy way, a hard way, and Lorraine's way which is the most bloody, awkward way to go'
This was one of those days, instead of having the sense to retrace my steps, I stomped off over the Bad Bog (there should have been a clue there). With my full pack, including 5 days food, this became quite an expedition trudging through mud and peat bog, but I still had time to do an evening climb of Beinn Airigh Charr before heading down to camp at the causeway of the Fionn Loch.  A slight breeze held the midges at bay and I was able to sit outside and enjoy the evening sun.

An early start the next morning saw me on the summit ridges of Beinn Lair for 0730, it could have been earlier but this is a mountain to savour, her nooks and crannies a climber's paradise. When I reached the cairn, I stopped to place my poles for a summit pic and realised I had left them down when I stopped for a pee en route to the summit through a very large boulder field.  A frustrating hour was then spent trying to retrace my steps and doing a sweep search of the area before heading down for breakfast. I was in no hurry to leave this peaceful spot but the sun was getting high in the sky. It was going to be a scorcher ad I packed up and headed for the high pass to Shenevall taking in Beinn a Chaisgein Mor en route. Some good banter was had in the bothy that evening but I retired early to my wee tent as I had a big day coming up starting with the long sought after peaks of Beinn Dearg Mhor and Beinn Dearg Beag.

I was not disappointed the next morning. The Fisherfields were being kind and an easy river crossing and some steep walking saw me early on Beinn Dearg Mhor but a long day was still ahead. I scrambled over the pinnacles of Beinn Dearg Beag impressed with this craggy piece of land and headed down to the western shores of Loch na Sealga to cross over and carry on for Sail Mhor.
When doing a continual journey of the Corbetts there are a few hills who are outliers and there is no easy way to link them up. Sail Mhor is one such hill but the views from the summit north and west are worth the journey. It was another late night back to Shenevall and I was asleep right after dinner.

Big days have their payback and the next day it was wee tired legs which climbed Beinn a' Chlaidheimh, the demoted munro of the Fisherfield 6 but a worthy mountain on her own. On from here passed Loch an Nid to spend the evening at Lochivroan bothy before another early start the next morning saw me on the summit of Creag Rainich for 8 and an easy walk out passed the loch to the road end for mid morning.

For over a month the weather had been wild but a few days in the Fisherfield Forrest in perfect conditions had blown all the cobwebs away. I was happy.