To Camban and out

Saturday and the weather was poor. Real Low cloud and rain.

The party of 3 were up and away at 5 am. We lazed around, taking a leisurely breakfast, looking out at the mist covered hills and the rain.

Mullach Na Deirigan was close but in this weather I just couldn't raise my bagger's desire to trudge through the mist and rain for a tick on a relatively mundane hill. If it was clear that may have been different - to look out over Mullardoch, to get an awkward outlier. So there was some regret at not getting the tick....but to go up would have been tough and it is an excuse to come back in better weather. Although unfortunately the weather rarely seems to work out and waiting for the weather can mean you never do anything.

Instead we lazed around and dozed, resting. It was nice. Relaxing.

There was some frustration at the weather but it had been expected and forecast so no real surprise. Still, you do hope against hope that things will be better and it was a choice to stay in rather than climb so no complaints.

The early morning crew returned about noon, soaked and having only done 2 of their 3. Then they headed out to the road. They looked tired and slightly distant contemplating their long walk out.

In the afternoon, it stopped raining for a while and the weather lifted a wee bit and we headed out to Camban bothy, about 2 miles from the hostel. On the way we saw lots of birds swooping round - including an Osprey take a fish from the river.



The bothy had recently been rennovated and it was really cozy - 2 rooms, each with nice sleeping platforms. Reading the log book was fascinating - tales of people's epic walks through all sorts of weather to this shelter.

Then it was back to the hostel for more chat with the other residents and the warden. Sharing tales of hills and hostels.

It was relaxing.

The next day we headed out along the glen to Cluanie. It was a 7 mile walk which took about 3 hours. The cloud was brushing the tops and we decided not to go out over Ciste Dubh. Showers were drifting down the glens around both sides of Ben Fhada, making it hard to know what to wear - hot sweaty waterproofs kept coming on and off.



It was a boggy path but not as boggy as I remembered it being. Lots of up and down too with a bit of a climb to the watershed.

It was nice to get back to the car and get changed before a long wet drive home.