Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, Sgurr na Carnach & Sgurr Fhuaran - 3 of The 5 Sisters

3 June 2009 - a glorious sunny day
Start: OS Explorer 414 GR007137; layby on A87 between the 2 areas of forest

Set off: 1110
Return: 1830
Duration: 7hrs 20mins. Distance: 12km
Total Height Climbed: 1490m

Note hill walking can be dangerous and this route involves scrambling and crest walking, these details are for info only.

We had another lovely day for this extremely strenuous walk which we completed a couple of months after our previous attempt! We started at the same layby and followed the same path as before - through the narrower gate and the path from here meanders it's way pretty much all the way up - up being the operative word - to Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe! After about 30m you cross the old miltary road and the path continues slightly to the right and winds it's way up through the rough plantation to another gate in the upper fence. Just above this is a lovely waterfall, nice for a doggie drink, which you pass below and could get damp if it's a wet day! From here the path slopes at a reasonable angle westwards which we followed all the way until it pretty much disappeared! For future ref, we would recommend taking a line direct to the dip just before Ciste Duibhe - probably best a few hundred metres after the tiny wee lochan that the path passes right next to. The photos on the left show the way onwards and from where you come!
Funnily enough, as last time there was an opportunity to look down and wave to a Tornado GR4 flying down the glen below us! We worked our way up towards the final rise just before Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe which we reached for a well earned bite to eat and rest! I declined the doggie biscuits as usual in favour of some of Steve's ham and cheese sandwich and bit of Mars Bar. From here we followed the path across and down for a fair way until we reached the bealach where a fairly short but steep rise brought us onto Sgurr na Carnach for another we rest and drink. Despite the tiring legs, we pressed on and there were a couple of doggie lifts required down this section due to the steepness and scrambling in a couple of areas but we were soon at the bealach and looking up the steep path to the third peak. We slowly plodded along with Steve counting out every 100ft where we'd have a wee rest and then press on again and we soon came onto the top of Sgurr Fhuaran and my fourth Munro yee, hah, or should I say woof woof! We pause here for a good rest and a bite to eat and drink then took these photos:

From left to right; me on Fhuaran with Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe in the mid background, from Fhuaran looking over Carnach and to Ciste Duibhe, me on Fhuaran looking west and me with the cairn on top of Fhuaran.
Once we were fully refreshed we started back over exactly the same route we came so we knew what was ahead, ie down/up/down/up/down! It was a fairly quick drop to the first bealach and then a slow plod up with a wee doggie carry up the steeper sections and we soon broke the top of Carnach once again! A short rest and drink and we were off again on the longer stretch down and back up onto Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe which we gratefully reached knowing there was only downhill now! Another short rest and I reluctantly followed Steve as we dropped down and aimed back across the slopes to pick up the path back all the way down to the car. A fairly long day with some strenuous walking, 3 Munros bagged but actually 5 climbed as we did 2 twice! Not looking forward to coming back to do the other 3 east of these as that slope up to Saileag looks horrendous!