Solo Fiona bagging: Carn na Coinnich

Boxing Day brought low cloud to the area where I live but a friend mentioned that other parts of Scotland had sunshine. I made a fairly late decision to go in search of the sun and decided on a short and fairly straightforward walk to the summit of Carn na Coinnich in Strathconon.

The Fiona is located about 50 minutes west of Inverness and the route was mostly on a wide and obvious track, before the final 1km on rough ground.

While I set off in thick mist, by the time I reached the start of the glen at Marybank, the sun was breaking through.

I parked just off the road at Bridgend at 1pm and I reckoned the 12km route would take me no more than three hours of moving time. I allowed some extra time for short stops and packed two headtorches and various other items of safety equipment in case I was delayed and I needed to finish the walk after the sun had set.

I enjoy a solo walk and I am confident of my navigation skills. I am also a fan of night-time walking and I frequently walk after dark using a headtorch.

With all this in mind – and after decades of mountain hiking – I was somewhat taken aback when a fellow walker voiced his concern about me setting off “so late”.

A curious incidence of mansplaining

The first part of the walk was unremarkable, except I enjoyed the calm, clear air and sunny views. I passed a group of trees, Jubilee Wood according to a sign, and just before a house, I turned sharp left and climbed quite steeply uphill. I kept an eye on the map at a number of junctions but mostly I felt at peace and looking forward to the wider vistas higher up.

The landscape was frosty – with ice in places – but I relished the exercise and sense of freedom.

While I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else, I suddenly heard voices ahead and then a dog came to greet me. I stopped to chat to one of the dogs and, as a man and woman approached, I mentioned that I liked the dog. The man thanked me and then asked if I was heading for the summit of the Graham? (I call the Grahams the Fionas but that isn’t relevant here.)

I was happy to have a brief conversation and agreed that this was my intention. The man seemed concerned and intimated that it was quite late in the day. I made light of his concern for my personal safety and I told him I was well aware of the time. I mentioned that I held a mountain leader qualification, although I’m not sure why I thought this should be of interest to him.

I think I was taken aback at his questioning because I am rarely engaged in such a conversation. Normally, there is lighthearted chat about the joys of the outdoors and a brief exchange about the weather.

However, the man didn’t seem interested in my ML qualification, or else he didn’t understand what I meant, and he again voiced his concern. He made it seem like he was caring and just looking out for me and he told me he always checks with other walkers if they are heading off on a walking route late in the day.

Again, because I wasn’t keen on a confrontation and I’m not a rude sort of person, I made light of the conversation and felt compelled to further explain myself. I told him that I’m a confident navigator with plenty of experience. I told him I was carrying a map and compass, as well as two head torches and while I didn’t expect to need to use them, I said I actually enjoy being out at night and I was not worried about this.

What I wish I’d told him is that I am very capable of making my own plans, that I can tell the time and I knew exactly when the sun would set.

None of this seemed to satisfy him and, again, he told me it was my personal safety he was concerned about.

I thanked him again – although, by now, my hackles were up – and wished him well as I walked off. Annoyingly, his mansplaining stayed with me as I continued with my route.

I wondered whether he would have said the same to me if I’d been a man, or if I’d been walking with a man. To give him the benefit of the doubt, it might be that he would be as concerned about their ability and safety of all walkers but somehow I expected this wasn’t the case. Was he perhaps trying to show-off his “greater knowledge” to his female companion?

I think that if I had been setting off late to walk a tricky mountain ridge, and the weather was appalling or I had appeared woefully under-dressed or ill-prepared for a wild outing, this may have merited a quick chat about my plans but I was walking a relatively easy route and I was obviously dressed and prepared for the outing.

My first couple of sentences about my experience and knowledge should have quelled his concern.

Or perhaps you think I am being over-sensitive? Perhaps, this man had neglected to show similar concern for another walker in the past and then discovered they had got into difficulty on a mountain walk. Should we all question each walker’s plans and intentions when we cross paths?

In any case, the discussion and my reaction stayed with me and, I confess, it rankled.

A safely completed walk of Carn na Coinnich

As it turned out, my predicted moving time was exact to within two minutes. The route was easily navigated and especially because it was sunny and clear. I had a lovely sit-down at the summit and surveyed the glorious views as the sun began to set.

As I descended, the mist moved into the glen and I watched as the setting sun cast a fabulous glow over the dense low clouds.

I needed to walk through the mist at lower elevation but I returned to my vehicle without need for any of my head torches. I also felt the great sense of satisfaction of a solo walk. I thought to myself somewhat sarcastically, I might be a middle-aged female but I am absolutely capable of taking myself off to walk a mountain. Well done little ol’ me!