Affrickin freezin' five

Accompanied by Darren, fresh from his Montane 100 - a 105 mile up and round the Lake District - he had devised a cunning plan to take in all the 8 Munros and 18 Munro Tops around Glen Affric. Going in on the Friday afternoon, we would attempt the 26 peaks with at least one evening's wild camp. We both arrived at the Chisholm Bridge car park at 1445 and I handed him a wee malt for his efforts the previous week. I had packed an A Bunadh, for the evening aperitif. At 60%, it would be a fine way to thaw out. It had been over a year since we caught up and there was much to discuss - birth, redundancy, mad training, dugs, motors, emotional bank accounts and of course yon hills. We fair piled up the glen and made for the bealach nan easa between Toll Creagach and Tom a Choinich. By the time we had disappeared into the gloom at 800m, it was 1700 and we wouldn't see clear daylight until 0800 the following morning. While the 1st Munro (my 241st) was largely forgettable, the ridge going from our 2nd Munro over to Carn Eighe was excellent, despite lack of views. At times it reminded us of the Aonach Eagach. Humphing the heavy pack was quite tough too.

By the time we had bagged the 6th top of the day (plus the 2 Munros) it was 2000 and we came across a couple of small lochains on a slope, with relatively forgiving terrain. We were camped here at 1100m, only 80m shy of the 3rd Munro. And at that height, my decision to leave my duvet jacket at home was to prove an uncomfortable one. We got set up, straight into the food and then the hip flasks were opened. A couple of nips with some Above and Beyond, Bloodgroove and Kikis tunes and we called it at 2130, anticipating a fine day on the Saturday. I briefly popped over to the lip of the ridge, got a signal and texted to see how mum and baby were doing. I also had a pee as I hate venturing out of the sleeping bag on the hill in the middle of the night.

Although claggy in the morning ( I barely slept a wink due to the penetrating cold), it soon began to clear. Yet every time we approached a Munro or top, we would be in clag again, only for the views to re-appear once we were on the other hills. I have to say that for me, the highlights were the run along Sgurr na Lapaich, which added on 2 more Munro tops and 5 miles of extra distance, and the large cairn on our 5th Munro, Mam Sodhail, when the radiance of the sun warmed my heart. However, running back from Sgurr na Lapaich I had noticed severe discomfort on my big toe and was dismayed to see swelling around the nailbed, and a likely early infection due to an ingrown toe nail. I had bagged 5 Munros and 9 Munro tops - I decided to pop a couple of paracetamol once back at the cairn and see how things were but once I spotted the path along the glen down below, back to the car, my mind was made up. I was also missing my little one, which is something I could never imagine. I never told Darren that but it was a big part of me leaving him for the trip. Also, Darren's fitness would likely mean he would complete the whole package and I didn't want him to have to slow down or sacrifice any peaks on my behalf. Naturally, he bagged the remaining 3 Munros and all the tops but did admit to the 23km walk-out being a bugger. I have plans to return over the Corbett Sgurr Gaorsaic but it was a really good trip and brilliant to get back into the Munros and the wild. So wild, we never saw any deer or sheep at all in the area.