Hi Martin

The Monadhliath are very kind to the backpacker seeking a reasonably sheltered route as, in general, the burns are very walk-able in clefts that offer a modicum of shelter. There are usually animal tracks you can follow, which help a lot. A rule of thumb is to think where the prevailing weather is going to come from and pick a burn that doesn't head straight into it.

You can get across the ridge between the Findhorn & Dulnain at about 650m along these sheltered burns. When you pop down the other side there's a choice of bothies to have a break from the worst of the weather.

The Burma Road is exposed, but easy walking and you can't possibly get mislaid. You will need to wrap up warm and be prepared for a buffeting. I hope this helps.

Of course, if the weather is horrendous, you can always hunker down in a bothy for a while until the worst of the storm passes. Your route planning should allow for this possibility.

I'm sure a lot of folk on the standby list will be wondering what position you had on the list at the start.

Alan
Thanks for the advice.
I was no 3 on the list so had already been told to start route planning!
Martin

Alan
Right, it's all fallen into place, route is in, hopefully won't have any vetters choking on a stale mince pie. I have planned a FWA going via Glen Markie for day 1, so may have to purchase some cheese and wine! Otherwise I took your advice about the ridge between the Findhorn and Dulnain, and a bit of a look on where's the path also helped.
Martin

Well done, Martin!

Those Vetters are very good at stale mince pies - they wash them down with that peaty electric water. It's nuts they're not so good with - they get stuck under their plates.

See you at the Cheese & Wine then. Are you up for the Chalybeate Spring as well?

It's all very well "dropping" all FWAs but I am having to return routes where Challengers have included river crossings which may well be impassable due to high river levels; the classic example is using the Fords of Avon as a FWA for me this is a no go. So the easy rule is demonstrate to the vetter that you have thought about problems which may arise and worked out an alternative.

Sir,

Couldn't agree more. Without doubt the standard of route submissions I've looked at so far this year has been very significantly better than some of those I did last, which resulted in me bouncing back routes in greater numbers than I had ever done, mainly for FWA/river crossing issues.

I haven't bounced any back this year so far but have expressed my serious concerns about a couple of potentially serious river crossing plans, one involving the FOA as an FWA and on each occasion the applicant has had a rethink and at least replanned something up their respective sleeves.

I would repeat my annual warning .........."What if?"

A great 2014 to all my Challenge chums.

cj

We have to see! I'm getting the ferry from drumnadrochit and my planned route is to head up and over to the findhorn, so it's my FWA that has me heading in your direction. Sure I will bump into you at some point.

I'm taking a similar route and the only FWA I can work out is split into two parts.

I will be going up the B851 as far as Aberarder House, if the weather is bad but only expected to last one day I would continue up to Woodside and then take the road south east over the moor through Glen Kyllachy to Garbole. This keeps just under 500 m.

If the weather is expected to last two days or more I expect to keep going up the B851 to just north of Tombreck then take the GWMR and join the cycle route to Insharn then Slaggan. From there take the forest tracks to Slaggangranish to Aviemore. But then I have to worry about the Lairig Ghru !

If the weather is absolutely awful at Drumnadrochit then the only alternative would be to head south to Fort Augustus and take the Corrieyairack which doesn't need a FWA.

Mind I still have to submit my route so the above could get thrown out

Hopefully somebody with more experience than I will suggest something better

Ray

Ray
My route is now in, but if you saw Mr Grumpys comment, you don't have to worry about 500m.
I have planned a FWA up glen markie as otherwise my first day has me at 800m and it's a long day.
I will see what comes back in due course!

Martin
I saw Mr G's comments and dropped all my FWA's except for the Lairig Ghru.
The route was submitted just before Christmas.
I have already received back an approval, with only the addition of an optional FWA thro Glen Dye.
So all I have to do is find my boots, some fitness and some willpower and I am ready to go.

Hi,

We remember having the same problem when we were planning our route last year. I think our FWA headed up the B851 then round to Tomatin, we then would have cut through using tracks such as General Wades Military Road to Aviemore. To be honest though, it would have had to have been pretty awful weather for us to have used it. We weren't at all enthused by that FWA, and we had sleet, wind, hail & rain over the Monadhliaths and it was all fine. I agree with Alan's advice.

Alan is absolutely correct in his assessment of the going in the Monadhliath watercourses, but there's another trick to guide you. If you consider the worst possible conditions - thick mist, heavy rain, winds - then clearly you want to spend as little time as possible at a high elevation and make navigation as straightforward as you can. Look for handrails in the form of deep glens and watercourses. There are several places where these almost converge on either side of the high ground and a single bearing from the end of one declivity will get you over the col and into the corresponding one quickly and safely. Quite a few of the watercourses can be seen to act as funnels and once you're in an identified basin, following the burn will lead down in a fool-proof way to where you wish to go.

Would all Challengers please read the revised Challenge route planning notes. The requirements for FWAs have been re-worded this year and there is no mention of 500 metres (and never was) for a FWA. Also look at the check list which clearly states that a FWA is required for any route which may become impassable due to bad weather, by implication this includes low level routes.
While on the FWA subject please do read the route planning notes. As a vetter I am still having to return routes which don't have a FWA for Jock's Road, such a route will not get past the vetting stage so do yourselves a favour and include a FWA if your route is likely to include Jock's Road.
Also I have received several high level routes which include Munros and Corbetts. Challengers are required to indicate any Munros and Corbetts they intend to climb, easily done by including a C or M in brackets after the hill. Any route I receive lacking this information indicates to me that the Challenger may have little knowledge the Scottish Highlands and be unaware of the severity of the terrain they are planning to walk across. All these routes will be returned for revision so save yourselves extra work and do it right in the first time.
.......And finally.
Happy Christmas to you all!