As Graeme was unable to climb (knee problem) he drove Neil (son-in-law) and myself to Fersit, a place in the middle of nowhere at the end of a 2 1/2 mile lane. Our guide book said follow the path on the right which we did, in the pouring rain. This path then became several paths but the route was clear and all we needed to do was make for the obvious ridge. This we did by slowly gaining height and contouring crags, following odd paths as and when they appeared and disappeared. Eventually we reached the desolate top of the ridge, a wide expanse with no paths at all. The route ahead was clear although patches of mist were beginning to form. The way ahead was a sharp climb with several crags and towards the top it looked extremely craggy. Slowly we worked our way up not wholly sure if this was the easy or difficult route. At one point we split, Neil going straight up and me round the corner. When we met Neil confessed I had taken the better route as he had ended up with an airy scramble up a crag. Towards the top I was getting a bit concerned as the route was very steep with precipitous slopes to the side and no obvious route up. Then, and whether it was by luck or good judgement, we struck a path just as the top crags appeared. This worked its way up and through the crags. It slowly worked its way round the mountain and I got a fright at one point when I turned round to find nothing below me except empty space. Up till then the path had been quite straightforward but it's amazing how suddenly things change when you realise the dangers below. This fortunately was short lasted and we made the summit easily. Not the summit of the main mountain but only a top. Thereafter it was the old story, a path was found which rose to top after top. This is the trouble in the mist when you can't see far and you keep thinking that the hump in front of you is the peak but when you reach the real top it is quite clear it is the summit.
The mist cleared enough to show us that this hill was very close and all that was required was a sharp walk downhill from Stob a'Choire Mheadhoin then what looked to be a very steep rise. Going down was hard on the feet. There was no obvious path (not necessary) and the going was extremely stony. Nonetheless it was straightforward. At the bottom a clear path could be seen going up Stob Coire Easain going very close to the edge of a sharp cliff at times. It was steep and a real tough climb for me. Neil went way ahead and time after time had to wait for me to catch up. Several times he disappeared in the mist and it was just as well there was such a good path. The parts where the path edged up against the cliff were not as hairy as they looked from down below. Although very steep the summit was gained quicker than you expected and again there was no doubting you had reached the top. It was reasonably sharp.
Descending this hill was a complete disaster. Looking down through good clearances in the mist we could see the route we wanted to take. The book plan showed two streams merging to form a river with tributaries running in above and below. There was no need to check the map, so I thought. Had I done so I might have noticed that there was a similar stream arrangement on the other side (the correct one) going down NW to the col from which we had climbed. As it was we went down NE, followed a path alongside the river and only after a couple of miles when the mist cleared did we realise what we had done. In the end we finished up in Spean Bridge, 10 miles from our start point. Without going into detail it was quite an adventure, involving the police, before we got back to Fersit. The clear lesson is to check your map and compass even when you think you know what you are doing.
