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Glen Affric Walking Festival 24Th – 27Th May 2013

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Glen Affric Walking Festival 24Th – 27Th May 2013 Glen Affric Walking Festival 24th – 27th May 2013 THE WALKS The following information is intended to provide you with a detailed guideline for each of the walks. However even the best laid plans may have to change due to factors such as weather, conditions underfoot, group fitness etc. It may be that conditions are so fantastic that your guide will choose to make small changes to your day to enhance your experience. All walks start at the Bog Cotton Café, Cannich unless otherwise stated. Please call them in advance to arrange packed lunches or breakfast. Tel 01456 415364 Friday 24th May LL1 BLACK GROUSE WALK 10am - 3pm Easy £20 OS25 EASY / MODERATE Our journey will start in Corrimony, a flagship RSPB reserve managed for black grouse. Your RSPB guide will lead you through the Caledonian pine forest and out onto the moorland finding some of the unique wildlife supported by this fantastic environment and introducing you to the world of the black grouse. You will discover how RSPB Scotland is managing the nature reserve to restore the forest to its ancient glory. Over 100 species of bird have been recorded on this beautiful reserve including black grouse, crested tit and Scottish crossbill. We continue through the reserve and on to the hill lochs above Tomich, where the grand panoramic view of Glen Affric opens up. A gentle descent to Tomich brings a pleasant end to this opening walk. GET KITTED 1pm – 3pm, Tiso Outdoor Experience, Inverness Let the experts at Tiso run a pre-festival kit check for you. Personal shoppers will be on hand to offer advice about exactly which products are right for you. Remember that the guides reserve the right to refuse you entry to the walks if your kit is not adequate, so come along and have it checked out. WELCOME DRINKS 6 - 7pm Bog Cotton Cafe, Cannich This Walking Festival introduction provides a relaxed environment to discuss the schedule for the weekend. Join us for a social hour at the Bog Cotton Café, Cannich to meet the guides and the other walkers and to ask any last minute questions. Saturday 25th May HL1 RED GROUSE WALK Sgurr na Lapaich & Mam Sodhail, Glen Affric £35 OS25 HARD A serious mountain expedition within the Glen Affric NNR, climbing Sgurr na Lapaich (1036m); Mam Sodhail (1181m) and Carn Eige (1183m). We traverse steep sided ridges and bag several tops, whilst enjoying spectacular views and remote countryside from the highest mountain between the Great Glen and Iceland! This is THE classic walk in this range of mountains, with views all around as we stand on the summit cairns. Our route leads us through Coire Leachavie, passing mountin top ruins left by the surveyors in days gone by, before reaching the mighty cairn on Mam Sodhail. A possible bag drop provides an out & back to the twin top of Carn Eige. Out intended route home is along the 4km ridge to Sgurr na Lapaich before descending to Affric lodge. There is a lot of walking to be undertaken today with chances of spotting two of the grouse family. HL2 AFFRIC CHALLENGE Tom a’Choinich & Toll Creagach, Glen Affric £35 OS25 HARD Both these hills lie to the north of Loch Affric and they are the most accessible Munros in Glen Affric. Throughout the walk (weather permitting) there are fabulous views over Glen Affric and westwards to Kintail, as well as over Glen Cannich and out to the Strathfarrar hills. Your route starts from the Chisholm Bridge near the head of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin Outta Affric Natural High Guiding, The Old Meal Mill, Tomich, Cannich, IV4 7LY 01456 415379 www.outtaaffric.co.uk (Benevean). From here a well defined stalker’s path leads up around Am Meallan, following the river to the Gleann nam Fiadh or Glen of the Deer. The stags will only just have returned to the higher slopes from the glens where they have spent the winter. After taking the path up the west side of the Allt toll Easa, you will leave it to head up to the south-east ridge of Tom a’ Choinich and thence to the summit. The route then descends down a steep ridge to the Bealach Toll Easa from where you will climb the broad west ridge of Toll Creagach. The route back to the Gleann nam Fiadh is southwards down easy slopes which become steeper as you return to the path. HL3a MULLARDOCH MUNROS An Socach & An Riabhachan, Glen Cannich £40 + boat fee 10 hr+ walk OS25 HARD Travelling by boat to the start of a walk just adds to the adventure and today this is just what we do. Following our journey along Loch Mullardoch, we ascend up through Coire na Brogaichain to reach the summit of An Socach (The Snout). Descending east, we re-ascend steeply to reach the first of the An Riabhachan tops. A long fine grassy ridge leads us to the high point of 1129m offering great views over the highlands and glens Strathfarrar and Cannich. Our route of descent provides an opportunity to bag another top before a fantastic descent to the loch side and car park back at the dam. EVENING GATHERING 8pm £donations Slide show, whisky tasting or wildlife talk, details TBC Sunday 26th May HL3b MULLARDOCH MUNROS An Socach & An Riabhachan, Glen Cannich £40 + boat fee 10 hr+ walk OS25 HARD Travelling by boat to the start of a walk just adds to the adventure and today this is just what we do. Following our journey along Loch Mullardoch, we ascend up through Coire na Brogaichain to reach the summit of An Socach (The Snout). Descending east, we re-ascend steeply to reach the first of the An Riabhachan tops. A long fine grassy ridge leads us to the high point of 1129m offering great views over the highlands and glens Strathfarrar and Cannich. Our route of descent provides an opportunity to bag another top before a fantastic descent to the loch side and car park back at the dam. HL4 SNOW GROUSE WALK Carn nan Gobhar, Glen Cannich £35 OS25 HARD Join us on our journey to the 'Hill of the Goats' in neighbouring Glen Cannich. Our route to this Munro top provides the ideal location to cover some essential mountain skills whilst remaining attentive for the first to spot a Ptarmigan. Leaving vehicles at the dam in Glen Cannich, we find wild scenery from the word go. Ascending the heathery slopes of Creag Feusag, we pass several minor tops on the way to Creag Dubh at 946m. The ‘Hill of the Goats’ is the next destination which provides fine views of neighbouring Sgurr na Lapaich and its magnificent eastern corries, now on show from our lofty vantage point. We complete our circuit via Mullach na Maoile and the descent to the lochside and dam. Whilst not technically difficult the terrain demands a good level of fitness. LL2 LOCH AFFRIC CIRCUIT £20 OS25 EASY The Loch Affric Circular Walk takes us on a 10 mile journey through the ancient Caledonian Forest passing beneath the giants of North Affric. The walking trail on the north of the loch gently undulates as it passes ruins of times gone by; of crofts and sheilings and fleeing princes. Keep your eyes alert for signs of deer and eagle and marvel at the picturesque location of Affric Lodge and beyond. Once on the Southside we join the route of the drovers just before Strawberry Cottage to follow their trail back our starting point. Monday 27th May ML1 GUEST GLEN Meall Fuar-mhonaidh, The Great Glen £35 OS26 MODERATE This was such a great walk during Winterfest 13’ that we just had to include it as part of Outtaaffric. If you are into your hills, then you must have asked yourself the question when driving through Drumnadrochit - ‘my, whats that big hill staring me in the face?’ Well it is Meall Fuar-mhonaidh – the hill of the cold slopes. For our last walk this isn’t a huge day but the reward for climbing the highest Old Red Sandstone top in the country is a good one, with views along Loch Ness and out to the west for a perspective of the last few days of play. Our final descent of Outtaaffric 2013 may see us drop safely into the Loch Ness Inn for a celebration dram. Outta Affric Natural High Guiding, The Old Meal Mill, Tomich, Cannich, IV4 7LY 01456 415379 www.outtaaffric.co.uk HL5 GUEST GLEN Ben Wyvis £35 OS20 MODERATE / HARD Looming as the backdrop to Inverness like a giant Hovis loaf is ‘TERROR’ mountain. The highest point of Ben Wyvis, Glas Leathad Mor, lies along an easy mossy ridge that skirts some impressive east facing coires. This walk provides a fantastic vantage point of the surrounding Highland landscape. On our return route home we will discover a suitable watering hole from which to reflect on our last few days of superb walking. Detail Preparation is the key to enjoyment, so please take a few minutes to read the following OuttaAffric notes. If you need to know a little more then please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01456 415379. Walk Gradings OuttaAffric is a walking event that takes place in a mountainous environment, in ‘summer conditions’, in Scotland. With this in mind for all walks you need to be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Please refer to equipment list below. The high level walks are aimed at people that are used to the mountain environment and as such will have a reasonable level of fitness.
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