The 2014 Challenge, day 9: Dalwhinnie to Ruigh-aiteachain (9)

A little way after the "bothy", the track crosses the Allt Coire Chuaich on a well-made, if basic bridge; and it was from this point on that I found myself in country I had never traversed before. Both previous times I had been here - in 2000, and again with seriously blistered feet in 2009 - I had headed up Meall Chuaich. Today, however, I was going to follow the track up the Allt Coire Chuaich into Coire Chuaich. My route card said that I was then going to head over the Bogha-cloiche, descent the NE flank to Maol an t-Seilich, and then drop down to the Tromie dam. The low cloud was somewhat bothersome, however, and I did not fancy going over the Bogha-cloiche in poor visibility; so as I trudged up the track, I gradually reached the firm conclusion that I was actually going to follow my FWA, through the bealach to the immediate South East of Meall Chuaich and down the Allt na Fearna to Bhran Cott, where I would cross the Tromie on the bridge and turn right to come back up to the Allt Bhran.