253. Maoile Lunndaidh (128). 09/04/2023

Still keen to make use of mountain bikes, this hill allowed for a bike for the majority of the distance. The ascent and headwind on the bike still made it hard going, but after a couple of hours I was parking up by the lodge and beginning the stiff climb straight up the shoulder of Carn nam Fiaclan. There was no path, I just had to steadily make progress. At about 800m, the slope relented and despite the strong wind, things became much easier. After climbing along the lip of the corrie, the hill opened out into something close to a plateau and I could enjoy the wind mostly behind me towards the cairn I could see from a kilometer away.

On the descent from the top, a path was found following a gorge and then a stream before I cut across the not-too-wet bog to the lodge. Before getting on the bike, I investigated the bothy, which was definitely more on the "emergency shelter" end of the scale, but it did possess an electric heater!

After that, I whizzed back down the glen with the wind behind me, more than an hour faster then on the way out.

3h30 walking, 2h30 cycling

A patch of snow on the approach to the summit plateau

Looking back across the plateau to the nearby munros of Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a'Chaorachain

At the top, with the likes of Lurg Mhor in the background

The rudimentary bothy, in spectacular surroundings

Some nice horses encountered on the cycle