Day 8(2) : Faochaig to Sheil Bridge

Saturday 12th May 28km 1330m ascent 1 Corbett

After spending a while last night listening to the snipe drumming I woke to a still morning with a heavy dew, beautiful but the clouds were building and I had to pack a wet tent, there's no pleasing some people!

The 'Venison Vendetta' was combined with 'Knackered Knee' today as I climbed a good path up into the cloud and the summit of Faochaig. My plan for the day had included Sguman Coinntich but when I reached Sron na Gaoithe I thought that in my decrepit condition I would give it a miss and so went down to Loch nan Ealachan and the path to Glen Elchaig.

I had not seen the Falls of Glomach so decided to go that way, I also couldn't see the path I had originally intended to take! After crossing a very smart bridge the path to the falls climbs steeply up the side of the gorge, very dangerous in icy conditions I think, not the type of tourist path generally associated with the National Trust and very hard going.

The gorge is spectacular but the falls themselves were suffering from lack of water and to get the best sensations of the falls I think you would need to descend into the gorge, something I was not prepared to do today.

Once over Bealach na Sroine the path descends steeply to the trees, and midges, of Strath Croe where I took to the road for the walk round to Sheil Bridge. An old petrol pump at Morvich is a reminder of quieter times when the road looped round all the inlets along the sides of the Loch before the causeway was built to straighten the road and speed the traffic on its way.

The road was, as usual, hard on the feet but the evening light over Loch Duich and the sight of llamas beside the road eased the route to the campsite where my parcel had arrived safely and I was able to buy more gas. The site is a bit basic but the midges liked it and there was a beautiful sunset.