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Section 0 Galloway and Border Hills
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Section 11 - Kintail to Glen Affric and Loch Ness Mountains
Section 11 - This section refers to the hills and mountains from Kintail to Glen Affric and Loch Ness including the Five Sisters. They cover the Corbetts, Grahams and Munros that I have climbed in this area since 2003.
Index to Hills in this SectionBeinn a’Mheadhoin14 June 2008
I had this Graham in mind for sometime trying to fit it in with another walk as its ascent only takes around one hour so it wasn’t worth a special journey to climb it. Earlier I had been up Carn Gorm in Glen Cannich and this was my opportunity to climb Beinn a’Mheadhoin. The starting point was Glen Affric, just east of the bridge over the Abhainn Gleann nam Fiadh and around two kilometres from the end of the public road. There was ample parking on a rough piece of ground at the south side of the road. From there I walked up a vehicle track on the east side of the above mentioned stream, which is the normal route to the Munros Tom a’Choinich and Toll Creagach. I left the track at the end of the forest and headed north-east towards Beinn a’Mheadhoin following traces of what appeared to be a walker’s path, disturbing a couple of hinds. I had views down to Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin and Loch Affric and higher up Gleann nam Fiadh and some of the Munro Tops surrounding Mam Sodhail and Carn Eighe still with some patches of snow. It was warm work lower down as the sun had appeared but higher up a cold wind was blowing with the occasional light rain shower. The path later disappeared but it was only a short distance to the summit cairn. The summit area had a couple of other smaller cairns where better views were afforded. I sought shelter for a late lunch before returning to the start by the upward route.
Carn Eighe, Beinn Fhionnlaidh and Mam Sodhail7 May 2008
Early morning and it was sunny as I drove to Cannich, reached from either Beauly or Drumnadrochit using the A831, to meet up with Shona and the drive up Glen Affric to the car park at the end of the public road. From here we set off along the track on the north side of the calm Loch Affric with its mountain reflections. Just before reaching Affric Lodge we headed up the track that led to the boggy ground between Sgurr na Lapaich and Am Meallan before descending to Gleann nam Fiadh. The path up the Glen was on the opposite side of the burn but the Abhainn Gleann nam Fiadh was fairly high due to snow melt. We therefore walked up the south bank of this stream at times following All Terrain Vehicle tracks, passing a couple who had removed their boots to wade the burn. Further up the burn I managed to cross with dry feet while Shona decided to remove her boots and wade the burn. On reaching the stream flowing from Coire Mhic Fhearchair we followed a walker’s path to a small lochan, still partially covered in snow, before climbing onto the ridge east of Sron Garbh crossing some patches of snow. Once on the ridge we ascended Sron Garbh, by-passed the rocky summit of Stob Coire Dhomnuill, onto Stob a’Choire Dhomhain and Carn Eighe where we took a short break along with the couple we saw earlier. The north ridge, which was free of snow except for the corrie edge, was followed to the Bealach Beag before the ascent of Beinn Fhionnlaidh. Here there were good views of Loch Mullardoch and the Glen Cannich Munros. We returned to the Bealach Beag before traversing round the west side of Carn Eige and climbing to the bealach between Carn Eige and Mam Sodhail. It was then a steady climb to the large circular cairn of Mam Sodhail where we took another break looking over to the Kintail mountains, Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and Mullach na Dheiragen. We descended the south-east ridge of Mam Sodhail, over the tops Mullach Cadha Rainich and Sgurr na Lapaich before a fairly steep descent to a boggy area which we crossed to join the track used on the upward route. The track was followed down to Affric Lodge and back to the car park after a strenuous but sunny day.
Aonach Shasuinn10 February 2008
This Corbett is located between Glen Affric in the north and Glen Morriston to the south. I was planning to climb Aonach Shasuinn from Glen Affric which is reached from the village of Cannich on the A831, which runs from Drumnadrochit through Cannich to Beauly. At the end of the public road at the east end of Loch Affric there is a fairly large car park where I left my car and walked along the vehicle track on the south side of Loch Affric. It was very still with the mountains on the north side of the Loch reflected in the water. Beyond Affric Lodge and a holiday home I came to the point where I was to leave the track. A ‘Right of Way’ sign for Cougie indicated the route up the east side of the Allt Garbh. The map indicated that the path crossed and later re-crossed this stream which seems a bit pointless as there is no bridge and it would mean wet feet. Rather than cross the stream I continued up its east bank as had many other walkers creating several muddy and boggy sections. In one of the hollows I came across a stag feeding which quickly ran off. The path eventually joined a vehicle track which headed west from Cougie to Loch an Sguid. I walked westwards along this track as far as the stream descending from Creag nan Calman, before crossing it and ascending the heather clad hillside of Cnap na Stri. During this ascent the cloud based lowered and I lost the views I had over Loch Affric. There was no cairn marking the summit of Cnap na Stri so I went to what appeared to be the highest point before taking a bearing and descending steeply to a bealach. From there I ascended the curving ridge of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh, which had a narrow section. Beyond the highest of the two tops the ridge took a 90 degree turn, which despite the low cloud was easy to follow as there was a large build up of snow to my right. It was an easy ascent firstly to a stone shelter and then to the summit cairn of Aonach Shasuinn. There was no point in lingering here so I continued to the West Top spotting my second ptarmigan of the day. From the West Top I descended its north ridge, avoiding some snow fields, until I was low enough to change direction. My plan was to avoid the upper reaches of the Allt Garbh as it was slow moving and would be hard to cross after the recent rain and snow melt. I cut across the side of the hill aiming for the bridge over the Allt Garbh, around a kilometre east of Loch an Sguid. On reaching the bridge I walked east along the vehicle track back to the point where I had left it earlier that day. I then retraced by route back to the start.
Carn a’Chaochain4 November 2007
Carn a’Chaochain is located between Glen Moriston in the south and Glen Affric in the north. My plan was to ascend this Graham from the north so I drove to Tomich, accessed from Cannich on the A831. From Tomich I continued along the track to Plodda Falls and on towards Cougie. The area was heavily forested with sections that had been cleared and others in the process of such activity. Due to the amount of cut trees I parked near Garve Bridge and headed into the forest. Initially walking was better than I had expected and higher up I came across a fire break where a few deer spotted me and ran off. Later the underfoot conditions deteriorated somewhat and a few fallen trees had to be avoided before a deer fence was reached. Unfortunately the fire break forced me in a south-easterly direction, away from my target hill. Once over the deer fence I was into peaty and rough terrain. I traversed round the north side of Carn a’Choire Leith disturbing more deer before I descended across peat hags to the Bealach Feith na Gamhna. Here there were traces of the old stalker’s path. The ascent of Carn a’Chaochain was through some heather and up into more peat hags. An easterly oblong cairn was reached north-west of Loch Carn a’Chaochain where someone had inserted marker pins used on a cork notice board, into a split in a rock. It seemed a rather strange thing to do on a hill that is seldom visited. I continued onto the trig point where the tops of the Affric Munros were now cloud covered. However the summit of the nearby Corbett Aonach Shasuinn was clear and there were good views back down Strath Glass. The trig point wasn’t the actual summit, it was further south, so I headed across some boggy ground to the summit cairn. From there I had views of the east end of Loch Cluanie and a windfarm under construction east of Meall Dubh in Glen Moriston. The descent was towards Loch Carn a’Chaochain and onto Bealach Feith na Gamhna where I headed north and picked up the stalker’s path that took me to the edge of the forest. Here there was a gate and the track continued steeply down the side of a stream and alighted onto the forest road 350 metres west of Cougie where pony trekking takes place. I spoke for some time with the local stalker and he called the path I had descended ‘The Pony Track’, although he had no connection with the pony trekking business. The stalker wasn’t aware of the path shown on the map starting south of Cougie but higher up it is part of ‘The Pony Track’. After my interesting conversation with the stalker I walked east along the forest track back to Garve Bridge arriving at my car just as the rain started.
Glen Affric5 – 7 June 2007
The start of this walk was the car park at the end of the public road at the west end of Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin in Glen Affric approached from the village of Cannich. From this car park we took the track on the north side of Loch Affric to its west end where we followed another track that led to the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel which was our accommodation for two nights. The next day we departed early from the hostel and followed a path up the west side of the hostel building, across to the Allt na Faing and into the cloud. The path, which was being improved, continued up the side of the Allt na Faing to the bealach east of Stob Coire na Cloiche. At this point the cloud above broke and we had a cloud inversion as we climbed the west ridge of An Socach. On this ascent we saw a white rainbow, a phenomenon that I had never seen before. We had some really terrific views as we ascended An Socach and from its summit. Numerous tops appeared above the cloud and the visibility was excellent. On the return to the bealach the cloud bubbled up again. At the bealach we met fellow hostellers who were later to confirm sightings of the white rainbow. From the bealach we descended steeply down the side of a gully. The plan was to follow a bearing to Loch Coire nan Dearcag but this wasn’t possible due to numerous rocky outcrops which forced us lower than I had wanted but we eventually reached the Abhainn a’Choilich which was followed back uphill to the partially weed covered Loch Coire nan Dearcag. At the loch we walked on a bearing to the bealach south-west of Carn na Con Dhu and once again out of the cloud. We climbed to the summit of Carn na Con Dhu as the sun broke through and the cloud covering the mountains started to burn away. A short and in places rocky descent was next before the gradual climb to the summit cairn of Mullach na Dheiragain. Here we sat in the sun having a leisurely lunch looking at the surrounding mountains, including across the glen to An Socach where we had the earlier cloud inversion. About half an hour after arriving at the summit of Mullach na Dheiragain we headed back to the bealach where we met a solo walker. From the bealach the ascent of the north-east ridge of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan commenced and shortly thereafter we spoke to a second solo Munro Bagger heading for Mullach na Dheiragain. Higher up the ridge it narrowed and became a bit steeper and rockier but eventually we reached the summit cairn where we stopped for another break. This was my client’s 280th Munro, only four more to go. We had views of numerous mountains, across to the Islands of Skye, Rum and Eigg. We could even see the Skye Bridge. However the break was short lived as the midges were out and being a nuisance so we headed down Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan’s east ridge and over the Munro Top Stob Coire na Cloiche to its bealach with An Socach. On the descent, for future reference, I looked for a more suitable route to Loch Coire nan Dearcag and thought that probably east of the summit of Stob Coire na Cloiche would be a better descent route to reach Mullach na Dheiragain. From the Stob Coire na Cloiche / An Socach bealach the descent to Alltbeithe Youth Hostel was the path used earlier that day. The evening was spent speaking to a guide from another company who was taking a group through Glen Affric to Morvich. The final day we returned to the car park at the west end of Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin. On this occasion we took the track along the south side of Loch Affric and had some good views of the Mam Sodhail Tops as the early morning mist lifted.
previous ascent of these mountains
Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg and Saileag26 May 2007
I required to climb two of the brothers, Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg and Saileag and decided on an approach from the A87 in Glen Shiel opposite the Allt Coire a’Chuil Droma Mhoir where there are a few small parking areas. There is a convenient gap between two areas of forestry which permitted easy access to the high tops. I crossed a small fence and climbed steeply up the grassy slopes, over a second small fence to the Meall a’Charra ridge. Around twenty minutes after setting out it snowed for around five minutes and despite a forecast of further showers thankfully they did not materialise. However the mountain tops were white from overnight snow. On reaching the Meall a’Charra ridge there was a path which led to the 806 knoll and onto the ridge just west of the Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg – Aonach Mheadhoin bealach. From here I climbed the east ridge of Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg which had a covering of snow but the path was still obvious. A small wall near the summit was reached and finally a short narrow section of snow covered ridge had to be traversed to reach the summit cairn. Once I had taken a few photographs I returned along the ridge and descended to the Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg – Saileag bealach before climbing the east ridge of Saileag where I met my first walkers of the day who were traversing the ridge in the opposite direction. I took in the views from the summit of Saileag before returning along its east ridge as I didn’t fancy descending to the A87 and walking back up the main road to my car. Near the Saileag – Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg bealach I traversed round the south side of Sgurr a’Bhealaich Dheirg which was initially okay but further round it was a bit steeper and stony. With a bit of care I was still happy with the route although I wouldn't recommend it unless walkers feel secure on rough steep ground. It led to the path above the 806 knoll and I returned to the start by using the ascent route.
Glen Affric3 – 6 May 2007
The lady booking this walk wanted to climb three Munros, two to the north of the remote Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, and one to the south. This would involve three days walking basing ourselves at the Youth Hostel. Day One In the afternoon we drove up Glen Affric and parked in the car park at the west end of Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin. From here we walked along the undulating vehicle track on the south shore of Loch Affric in warm and sunny conditions. The area was busy with walkers and cyclists. At the west end of Loch Affric we crossed the bridge over the River Affric and continued west along a vehicle track. The track was fairly rough and undulating in places and could be cycled but this wasn’t what my client wanted. We eventually reached the idyllic setting of the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, which was basking in the sun, with a few deer feeding in the vicinity. Day Two After a night’s rest we set off from the Hostel and followed a path which crossed over to the Allt na Faing. A new area of forestry had been planted here and fenced off but the National Trust for Scotland had installed wicket gates and were in the process of upgrading the path. Once beyond the new forest plantation we continued up the side of the Allt na Faing and into low cloud. We soon reached Coire na Cloiche and the Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan – An Socach bealach. My client had already climbed An Socach but I wished to take in this summit so my client was happy to do likewise. The ascent of An Socach was reasonably straight forward and as we approached the summit we thought the sun was going to break through the cloud but unfortunately it didn’t happen. After a few minutes at the summit cairn we returned to the bealach and climbed the Munro Top, Stob Coire na Cloiche, before commencing the long ascent of the east ridge of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan. My client had a few wild flowers to study and name en-route and we also spotted a few ptarmigan. Once again we thought the sun was going to break through the cloud but it took to around 50 metres below the summit before the cloud started to clear. We headed to the summit cairn where we had a cloud inversion. There were around six peaks peeking above the cloud including Carn Eighe, Mam Sodhail and Mullach Fraoch-choire. We sat at the summit eating our lunch and enjoying the phenomenon. We still had another Munro to climb so sadly we left the summit of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and descended its rocky north-east ridge into the cloud. Once at the bealach we climbed steadily to the Munro Top Carn na Con Dhu which was followed by the gradual ascent to the summit of Mullach na Dheiragain. There was no point in remaining at this summit as we were still in the cloud so we returned by the ascent route to the bealach where we met the first walkers of the day and spotted another ptarmigan. Beyond that we met a sole walker and his dog descending the north-east ridge of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan . After three hours we arrived back on the summit of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan where we spoke with a fellow Hosteller. We took another break at this summit, but on this occasion without the views before descending to the Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan / An Socach bealach and the path back to the Hostel for our final night there. During the descent the cloud started to break up and gradually rise. Day Three The following day we left the Hostel, crossed the River Affric by a footbridge and commenced the ascent of Mullach Fraoch-choire. It was a sunny morning but as we were climbing the north side we were in the shade until higher up. It was a fairly steep ascent but once back into the sun we had good views into Fraoch-choire and to the mountains we climbed the previous day. The ascent continued up a narrowing ridge with some rocky outcrops which were easily by-passed and we soon came to the summit cairn. We took shelter at the summit from a cold wind and had something to eat. We were soon joined by four other walkers who had come up the south ridge. After our break we headed down Mullach Fraoch-choire’s north-east ridge, initially fairly steeply and then onto a narrow section of the ridge. Thereafter it was a pleasant and easy descent until lower down where we were confronted by deer fences and some awkward terrain to traverse. However after meandering about for a while we came to a foot bridge which gave us access to the track on the south side of Loch Affric. This vehicle track was followed back to the car park at the east end of Loch Affric. Day Four The final day we were joined by another client to tackle the two Corbetts to the south of Loch Affric. The weather had changed and it was windy with showers as we set off from the same car park as above and returned along the south side of Loch Affric as far as the Allt Garbh and took the path along its east side. The water was running fairly fast and would have been difficult to cross so we continued up the east path to near Loch an Sguid. At this point due to the wind and the volume of water in the Allt Garbh it was decided that we would change our plan again and only climb Carn a’Choire Ghairbh so we climbed onto its east ridge where we disturbed a grouse and discovered it had been sitting on a nest of ten eggs. We continued along the ridge mainly following some old fence posts but it was very windy so we tried to stay on the lee side of the ridge. On approaching the summit we had to remain low and try to shelter as much as possible, touch the cairn and return to some shelter as quickly as possible. The return was back along the ridge to the west side of the Allt Garbh and back along the side of the Loch Affric to the car park.
Ciste Dhubh4 March 2007
The weather forecast was for strong winds later in the day and an update early that morning confirmed we had ample time to ascend Ciste Dhubh and return before the worst of the winds hit the area. We set off from the same lay-by as the previous day, just east of the Cluanie Inn on the A87, and walked west along the road to the end of the forest and followed a path up the east side of the Allt a'Chaorainn Bhig. There were a few herds of deer in the glen where it was fairly warm. As we gradually gained height it became cooler with a bit of a breeze. The path lead to the Bealach a'Choinich where we were more exposed to the wind. This was also where the snow line commenced. We tried to find some shelter for a bite to eat as higher up it would be too exposed to stop. From the bealach we climbed fairly steeply zig zagging up the hill following various bootprints in the snow from the previous day's walkers. The wind was now a lot stronger and there was a lot of spin drift visible near the 877 knoll. We continued to around the 780 metre mark where the ridge started to narrow slightly and we found it to be very exposed and standing upright was a bit difficult. It was obvious that to continue in these conditions would be pointless as the ridge narrows significantly and progress would be impossible if not dangerous. So for the second consecutive day an ascent was abandoned and we returned to the start of the walk. Mullach Fraoch-choire3 March 2007
It was wet when we set off from Ratagan Youth Hostel, where we were staying, to drive up Glen Shiel to the lay-by east of the Cluanie Inn. Once waterproofs were donned we set off east along the A87 to a gap in a fence where a gate previously existed. We went through this gap and followed the vehicle track up An Caorann Mor. The plan was to climb the Munro, Mullach Fraoch-choire, without ascending A’Chralaig, as the three lady clients had already climbed this Munro late last year but bad weather had prevented them from continuing out to our intended destination. We therefore followed the vehicle track to its conclusion, spotting a herd of deer en-route. The weather improved as we walked up the glen and the mountain tops were now visible. From the end of the vehicle track we climbed towards Coire a’Ghlas-thuill reaching the snow line around 700 metres. During this ascent we had some awesome views of Ciste Dubh and the surrounding mountains. As we gained height and headed for the ridge north of A’Chralaig we encountered some icy patches which we attempted to avoid. On reaching the ridge there was a strong cold wind with some spin drift and a cornice to our east. There was a lot of soft snow lying about and we used it rather than the ice covered stones as we descended to the col. From here it was a steady but difficult climb to the summit of Stob Coire na Cralaig battered by a strong wind and spin drift. The next section of the walk entailed a descent along a narrowing ridge of drifting snow trying to keep to the centre point on the ridge but it was slow going as extra care was required. Some of the drifts were quite spectacular in their various formations caused by the wind blowing from different directions Once at the lowest point on the ridge we commenced the ascent of Mullach Fraoch-choire. Again there was drifting snow but we also had to encounter some ice and rock. The spin drift was blowing in all directions and it appeared to be snowing although it was difficult to tell due to the spin drift. We eventually reached the pinnacles but found them to be covered in snow and ice. The normal bypass route to the east was a mass of snow which given the conditions was probably unstable. The spin drift was blowing back up this side of the ridge and it was decided that the conditions were too dangerous to continue so we therefore retraced our steps back to the lowest point on the ridge. This was tough as the wind had increased and more snow was spinning around the ridge. At the col we left the ridge and descended into Coire Odhar where we had something to eat to replenish some of our lost energy. Lunch included some snow as it was still a bit blowy here. After some food and snow we continued down the corrie and to the Right of Way between Cluanie and Glen Affric. We followed the Right of Way south before joining the vehicle track used in the morning that runs through An Caorann Mor. The latter stages of this walk was in heavy rain so our gear was soaked by the time we reached the car but fortunately the Youth Hostel had a drying room. The ladies were obviously disappointed in not reaching the summit of Mullach Fraoch-choire for the second time but I think they would agree that the risk of continuing was too high. The mountain will still be there for their third attempt. Five Sisters23 October 2006
I was working in the Kintail area and my client had given me a few options as to his choice of walks. One of these was the Five Sisters on the north side of Glen Shiel, this being one of Scotland's classic hill walks. We set off from a parking area on the A87 in Glen Shiel, at the foot of the Bealach an Lapain. The parking area can be identified by a height barrier restricting access to larger vehicles. A fairly steep path, which was initially wet and boggy, headed uphill and in places was rather eroded, especially above the tree line. However height was gained quite quickly on this meandering path and we soon reached the Bealach an Lapain. The earlier cloud that shrouded the mountain tops began to break up and during the day we had some great views but with occasional periods of low cloud. The walk westwards from the Bealach an Lapain firstly took in the Munro Top, Sgurr nan Spainteach before reaching the first of the Five Sisters, the Munro Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe. Unfortunately the summit was in cloud so we continued along the ridge this time in a northerly direction descending to the bealach as the cloud broke up again. The next Munro, and sister, on the ridge was Sgurr na Carnach so we were soon climbing to its summit cairn where again the views were cloud obstructed. The descent from Sgurr na Carnach was fairly steep in places but as with most of the ridge there was a walker's path to follow and we were soon at the next bealach and climbing steeply onto the summit of Sgurr Fhuaran, the third of the Five Sisters. Here we met the only other walker of the day whom I later met that evening in the Youth Hostel in Ratagan. It is possible to descend from Sgurr Fhuaran into Glen Shiel with a long walk back up the Glen but we had already left a car in the hamlet of Ault a’Chruinn to enable us to climb the final two Sisters. The descent from Sgurr Fhuaran initially involved a descent of its north-west ridge before swinging round and descending to the bealach below the fourth sister and Munro Top, Sgurr nan Saighead where we found a suitable location for a late lunch. Once fed and watered we climbed Sgurr nan Saighead before traversing the rocky ridge to Beinn Bhuidhe. From Beinn Bhuidhe it was a pleasant and easy walk to the fifth and final Sister, Sgurr na Moraich with good views down to Loch Duich and out over the sea to the Island of Skye. This was followed by a long descent of Sgurr na Moraich's north-west ridge before joining the path on the west bank of the Allt a'Chruinn which was followed to Ault a’Chruinn and the end of a good day out in the mountains, despite the occasional bank of low cloud.
Am Bathach22 March 2006
The plan was to climb this Corbett in conjunction with the Munro Ciste Dubh but the weather was apparently to make a sudden change with a strong wind and heavy snow forecast. We set off from the A87 just west of the An Caorann Mor, the Right of Way to the remote Youth Hostel at Alltbeithe, and headed uphill, initially on a path, to the 734 Top before it descended slightly and crampons were required to cross the hard packed snow. From here we continued along the ridge to the summit of Am Bathach. The descent to the Bealach a'Choinich was pleasant walking with crampons down the snow covered ridge. The weather was beginning to deteriorate with the cloud base lowering so my client decided that she had had a good few days walking and that to continue in these deteriorating conditions with the strong possibility of failing to reach the summit of Ciste Dubh wasn't worth the effort. We therefore returned to the the start down An Caorann Beag with the cloud continuing to lower and the snow getting heavier. On our return to the car it was snowing fairly heavily so the decision by the client not to continue was obviously the correct one for her.
Wild Weekend in Kintail9 - 11 April 2005This weekend clients wished to climb some of the many Munros in the Kintail area of Scotland. On the first day of this long weekend the plan was to tackle Beinn Fhada, also known as Ben Attow, and A'Ghlas-bheinn starting from Dorusduain in Strath Croe. However during the previous few days the Spring weather had reverted back to winter with some heavy snow falls. We set off from Dorusduain, crossed the footbridge and walked up Gleann Choinneachain and walked up the snow covered path to the Allt Coire an Sgairne disturbing some deer en-route. The stream was in spate but we all managed across it without getting too wet. The branch in the path was reached and we took the right fork to return to the side of the Allt Coire an Sgairne. As we gained height we entered the cloud base and the track was now difficult to trace in the deep snow. We eventually reached the point where it was necessary to climb onto Beinn Fhada's north ridge. The outline of the zig zag path could be traced but the whole area was covered in deep soft snow. Progress up this path was slow as the snow was around knee height and at times up to my thighs which made walking very difficult shuffling through the snow. At times we had to leave the path to progress uphill. On reaching the north ridge of Beinn Fhada visibility was very poor and at times almost zero with the cloud and snow merging to form a white mass. I navigated our way to the summit trig point where it was very cold and windy. For the descent into a head wind we had to don goggles and followed our boot prints easily back to Gleann Choinneachain. Despite being well behind our schedule my clients were happy to try and bag A'Ghlas-bheinn so we continued to Bealach an Sgairne and the commencement of the south ridge. This is a very undulating ridge and required frequent short scrambles through snow gullies followed by short descents. The clients were finding it very hard going as visibility was poor and they were unable to see their target. These conditions made the short climbs look larger than they are and they sometimes looked impregnable. After several false summits for my clients we eventually reached the summit cairn. Rather than return by the route of ascent I decided to take the easier route off the mountain being aware that due to the snow melt and heavy rain the streams would be in spate. On descending west one of my clients wasn't feeling well and was physically sick probably caused by the exertions and tensions of the day. We reached the forest and had to plan a route through the trees to reach a forest track that would get us across the swollen stream. This took a bit of effort and a few false trails but we eventually reached the track which we followed back to the start and the end of a long, wet and hard day taking nearly eleven hours. For the second day the plan was to climb "The Brothers" three Munros east of the Five Sisters. The start of the walk was up the side of the Allt Coire Tholl Bhruach, which was in spate. One of the clients wanted to include the Munro Top, Sgurr an Fhuarail, so I made a slight alteration to my plan. In rain, wind and low cloud we climbed the south ridge, which was virtually clear of snow having been washed away in the last 24 hours of steady rain. On approaching the 864 metre point we came across a large bank of soft snow which required the use of ice axes for the short climb. Once beyond this point the wind was extremely wild but we were back to grass and rock for a short distance before reaching more snow for the final climb to Sgurr an Fhuarail. Here it wasn't as windy, so we dropped down the snow covered ridge to a col before a more tricky ascent, through snow and rock being blasted by the wind, to the summit of Aonach Meadhoin. We continued along the ridge with a short descent to another bealach which was narrow and covered in deep snow. The wind here was very strong and gusty and it would have been dangerous to attempt to cross it in these conditions. We returned to the summit of Aonach Meadhoin and descended its south ridge, which was actually to be my original ascent route. There was a lot of soft snow in this area and we later emerged out of the cloud and returned to our starting point avoiding the swollen streams. The final day of this long weekend was giving me a bit of concern due to the forecast indicating that it would be windy with gusts up to 90mph. Obviously it would be impossible to stand up in these conditions so I would have to pay particular attention to the wind strength as we gained height. We set off from Lundie on the shores of Loch Cluanie on what is now a very wet and muddy track caused by contractors installing a radio mast. They should be forced to return the track back to its original condition. On reaching the radio mast we were able to join the original stalker's path up onto Carn Ghluasaid as the cloud base rose and the rain cleared to showers. For the first time that weekend we had views of the surrounding mountain tops. However with the clearer weather the wind picked up. The stalker's path is rather wet and boggy in places but it gave good access to Carn Ghluasaid and we visited the summit cairn. We then descended to the bealach where the real strength of the wind was felt. Walking on the bealach was very difficult so as we climbed towards Sgurr nan Conbhairean we kept well away from the edge of the ridge. However on the summit the wind wasn't as strong and after a photo session we headed down the north ridge, found a bit of shelter for lunch, before climbing to the summit of the third Munro of the day, Sail Chaorainn. This is shown on the map as being at 1002 metres but the Top further north always looks higher although it is shown as one metre lower. The hills were now covered in cloud and it was raining heavily as we headed out to this Munro Top. The conditions weren't ideal for this with some snow in the col and strong winds blowing across it but with care the clients made it across and the final climb through some snow to the cairn. The return was back to Sgurr nan Conbhairean by our outward route with the wind now even stronger. En route we spotted a couple of ptarmigan being blown across a snow field. Thereafter the planned route was via Drochaid an Tuill Easaich and down its south ridge but due to the strength of the wind it was too dangerous to attempt this snow covered descent route. Instead we returned to the bealach between Sgurr nan Conbhairean and Carn Ghluasaid and traversed across to join the stalker's path we used on the ascent route which involved avoiding a swollen stream. Once on the path it was a reasonably easy but wet walk back to the start and the end of a very tough weekend for my clients who did well to keep going in these adverse conditions.
Kintail16 July 2004I met up with a friend Donald Sutherland, a fellow Munroist, around lunch time, at the superbly located Ratagan Youth Hostel. We drove to the other side of Loch Duich and parked before locating a track that headed up the hillside. This track, not shown on the OS map, joined up with the stalker's path, which is shown, and led to the bealach east of Beinn Bhuide. From here we crossed over some peat hags and wet ground before ascending the Corbett Sgurr an Airgid, peak of silver. It was dry and we had good views, which has been a rarity this year. The descent was by our upward route but as has been the case on numerous hill outings recently it rained heavily and we were wet by the time we returned to the start.
Weekend in Kintail2 - 4 July 2004I had a day off on the Friday but had to move my base from Crianlarich to Ratagan, so I only had a half day to collect another Corbett. I settled on my final Corbett in Glen Elchaig, Sguman Coinntich, mossy peak. I left my car in the car park near the turn off for Camas-luinne and walked up the tarred road to Killilan. The start of the path up the north side of the Allt a'Choire Mhoir was very difficult to find due to the height of the bracken, which in places was about five feet high. I went through the wood and joined the track higher up. The OS Map shows this as a path but it is in fact a track and climbs to near the Bealach Mhic Bheathan. Once higher up I left this track and climbed to the summit of Sguman Coinntich, avoiding several rocky outcrops. I found some shelter on the north side of this hill to have a late lunch and enjoy the views. To the west, the tops of the Cuillins were in cloud but to the north the Lurg Mhor Munros, the Strathfarrar Four, An Socach, An Riabhachan and the other two Glen Elchaig Corbetts were clear of cloud. To the east the Glen Affric Munros, including Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and the Munros on the north side of Glen Shiel were all visible. I would have liked to stay longer but the cloud in the west was threatening to head in my direction so I set off down the south ridge back to the track I used on the upward route. I was hoping that for once this summer I would have a dry day but I did get some spots of rain before reaching the track. I found the path down to Killilan but it was very overgrown and in places difficult to follow so no wonder I had a problem at the start. The next day I was out with Laila, who is a Munro Bagger, and wanted to be guided along the South Glen Shiel Ridge which would boost her tally of Munros by seven. Laila doesn't drive so she had travelled by bus from Edinburgh to Shiel Bridge and I collected her from her overnight accommodation. We drove to the finish of the walk where I parked my car and we waited for the Portree to Glasgow bus, which took us up the glen to the Cluanie Inn. From the Cluanie Inn we walked along the tarred road, which led to Tomdoun before Loch Loyne was created for Hydro Electric power. We disturbed three hinds who were now in their summer coats but they didn't run far so I suspect they had young nearby. Once beyond the highest point on the road we took the stalker's path up Creag a' Mhaim, crag of the large rounded hill. We had donned waterproofs earlier due to some rain but the climb up to this Munro was very warm and the sun even tried to appear so I had to remove them. However on reaching this summit a cold wind was blowing and another rain shower was spreading in. The next Munro, Druim Shionnach, the ridge of the foxes, was soon reached as was its South Top. Beyond it we found some shelter for lunch before climbing Aonach air-Chrith, the shacking height, and we met four males who were only doing the eastern section of the ridge as they were late in starting due to a drinking session the previous evening. They were anxious to get back to the Cluanie Inn for a pint. The descent from Aonach air-Chrith is rocky and narrow in places and met members of the RAF Mountain Rescue Team who were on a weekend training exercise. They were walking the ridge in the opposite direction. The next and fourth Munro was Maol Chinn-dearg, the bald redheaded hill, followed by Sgurr an Doire Leathain, the peak of the broad thicket. We had been reasonably fortunate with the weather as the cloud and showers quickly passed through. However on reaching the sixth Munro, Sgurr an Lochain, the peak of the little loch, the cloud was down and it was starting to rain. This rain got heavier and heavier until it was bouncing off our gear. The path was like a minor stream as we climbed the seventh and final Munro of the day, Creag nan Damh, the rock of the stag. From here we continued west to the Bealach Duibh Leac. En-route a family of ptarmigan was perched on a rock and took flight as we approached. A couple, the male was in his shorts, passed us and they were also soaked. These were the only people we met walking the ridge in the same direction as ourselves. On a Saturday in July you would expect the ridge to be busy but walkers were obviously put off by the poor weather we are experiencing this summer. I was a bit concerned about the amount of rain that had fallen as we had two rivers to cross prior to getting back to the car. The descent from this bealach was along a twisting path which was very wet and slippery and extreme care was required. The Allt Coire Toiteil was reached but thankfully the crossing wasn't too difficult although the stepping stones were submerged. The path continued down the east side of the stream which becomes the Allt Mhalagain. However at the junction of this stream and the Allt Coire Mhalagain we had to cross the former. Laila was a bit apprehensive due to a bad experience at a river crossing. However we stuck together and crossed the river without removing any of our gear as we were already wet although it depends on your definition of wet as we were absolutely soaked after the river crossing. Once across the river it was a matter of metres to the main road and the car. It had taken us 11.5 hours to complete the walk but well done Laila for completing the ridge in one outing. Reference books indicate that it is only possible for fit walkers to do all seven Munros in a day. The next day Laila wanted to climb A'Chralaig, the creel, and Mullach Fraoch-choire, the top of the heather corrie, on the north side of Glen Shiel, so once again I collected her from her accommodation and we drove to east of the Cluanie Inn beside the An Caorann Mor. From there we climbed steeply up onto the south-east ridge of A'Chralaig and to its large summit cairn. As we ascended the low cloud started to rise and from the cairn we had some views. The next part of the walk took us along the north ridge to the Munro Top, Stob Coire na Cralaig, and we met a chap who had come up from the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel where he had spent a couple of nights. We then walked along the narrowing ridge between this Top and south ridge of Mullach Fraoch-choire. The climb of this south ridge involves some careful footwork on the narrow paths that by-pass the pinnacles, some of which are collapsing. On reaching the summit of Mullach Fraoch-choire good views were had while we ate our lunch. We returned along the narrow path and came across a Ring Ouzel (mountain blackbird). It was obviously a bit concerned about our presence and wouldn't fly off, so I can only presume it had a nest nearby. On returning to the Munro Top, Stob Coire na Cralaig, we descended its west ridge to reach the wet and boggy path that runs through to the Youth Hostel. This track was followed southwards back to the start of the day's walk. Laila was very tired after the previous day's effort but was determined to finish. She has now climbed 179 Munros and hopes to finish them in 18 months or so when she becomes 65. Well done Laila and I hope you are successful.
Sgurr Gaorsaic11 April 2004From Dorusduain in Strath Croe a walk up Gleann Choinneachain took us to the Bealach an Sgairne and a descent to the south side of Loch a'Bhealaich and the foot of Sgurr Gaorsaic. Its grassy slopes were climbed to the flat summit, which was in low cloud. After walking round the summit to ensure we had found the actual top, which was only marked by a few stones, we headed back to Strath Croe by our outward route.
Glen Affric18 - 19 October 2003I was to take a lady to Glen Affric for two days climbing some of the Munros there. This was my third visit this year to these mountains so I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the weekend. However if you read on you will see why the first day of this trip will have to go down as one of the top ten days I have experienced in Scotland’s mountains. Saturday morning was misty, and as we drove up Glen Affric we were denied the vista of the autumn colours that makes the Glen so popular at this time of year. However the weather forecast said that the early morning mists in the glens would burn away. How wrong they were. The walk along the north side of Loch Affric and up into Coire Leachavie was uneventful. The mist was not dispersing but as we approached the Coire it was getting brighter so things looked promising. We suddenly saw the ridges on either side of the path as we climbed out of the low cloud that shrouded the valleys. The sky was a lovely blue colour and totally devoid of cloud. The moon was also out. It was time to disperse with some of the extra clothing we were wearing and later I was able to get down to my ‘T’ shirt. The client regretted wearing her thermals. Rather than continue to climb up into the Coire we decided to climb up onto the Sgurr na Lapaich ridge to get the benefit of the clear weather. The views south were terrific with only the Munro and Corbett tops breaking through the cloud. A short climb took us onto Mam Sodhail where the views were astonishing. To the west the Cuillin ridge in Skye and the Kintail mountains, to the south Ben Nevis, the Aonachs, Grey Corries etc, and to the north the Torridon peaks and beyond. The camera was working overtime. A steep descent down a frozen path reminded us that it wasn’t summer time anymore. Rather than climb up onto Carn Eighe we walked round its west side before dropping down to is bealach with Beinn Fhionnlaidh. En-route we met a couple sitting taking in the sun. One of the chaps was sitting in his vest top with shining beads of sweat on his head which gives you an idea how warm it was above 3,000 feet. In fact we only saw about half a dozen people above the clouds. Others must have been put off by the poor weather lower down. A short climb took us to Beinn Fhionnlaidh’s summit cairn and some more exceptional views and snap shot opportunities. Loch Mullardoch was concealed in the mist but in its place was a brocken spectre, which is a halo shaped rainbow and is fairly unique in Scotland. On returning to the Beinn Fhionnlaidh/Carn Eighe bealach the cloud level had risen so for a short time we were in the cloud. However this didn’t last and we were soon back in the sun and climbing up onto Carn Eighe. As we walked up the ridge the brocken spectre remained and at times I saw my shadow in the centre of the halo. An exciting experience but before you say anything I am not ‘The Saint’. Only those of an older generation will understand this. On arriving on Carn Eighe’s summit the views had changed slightly as the cloud base had risen and only the higher tops were visible with blankets of cloud rolling over the ridges. A walk along the narrow and interesting east ridge of Carn Eighe took us to the Munro top Sron Garbh. By this time the temperature was beginning to drop and with the lower and upper temperatures equalising the cloud started to break up. Well we couldn’t complain as we had an excellent day above the clouds ‘pitying’ those lower down. Next was a steep descent off Sron Garbh and into Gleann nan Fiadh where we picked up the boggy path. It was now getting dark and with the cloud cover we weren’t going to get any additional light to assist us on our final six kilometres across the boggy hillside. We reached the river crossing before it became too dark and once across donned head torches to assist us to follow the boggy track over the hillside into Glen Affric. It is interesting trying to navigate in the dark and follow the track but I am afraid my client didn’t appreciate it and was rather apprehensive, so about two hours later we arrived back at the car park for the return journey to Inverness. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the day. Those who have experienced it will appreciate the excitement of being above the clouds, those who haven’t, well maybe its time to get out a bit more and not be put off when you see low cloud. What a difference a day makes! Sunday morning in Inverness was very wet so the thought of going out into the hills wasn’t on the top of my agenda. However I knew how determined my client was in her quest to complete all her Munros and having travelled up from Edinburgh for the weekend there was little chance of her cancelling due to a spot or two of rain. On the drive up Glen Affric the rain stopped and the cloud broke up. As we walked up Gleann nam Fiadh it was dry, although a bit windy. On the climb up the path beside the Allt Toll Easa we were met and passed by three chaps, one an Orcadian whom I met recently on the Quinag. One was a young chap who was racing ahead but his pal was struggling and coughing his way up. We then climbed up the curving south-east ridge of Tom a’Choinich where the ‘cougher’ had to stop for a cigarette break. No wonder he was struggling. The wind was getting stronger on this ridge and we had our first snow shower so hat and gloves were donned. The wind and snow showers continued as we ascended Tom a’Choinich and near the summit the hill had a slight covering of snow. On reaching the summit we left our fellow walkers to rest and recover in the snow and wind. We never saw them again. A steep descent down a rocky and slightly snowy path took us out of the cloud and down to the Bealach Toll Easa where we had lunch. However this was interrupted by another snow shower and we headed on up to the summit of Toll Creagach. The cloud tried to break up but not sufficiently to get any decent views so we headed down into Gleann nam Fiadh and the track back to the start. So the weekend in Glen Affric gave us one awesome summer day and a sample of what to expect during the coming months.
previous ascents of Mam Sodhail, Carn Eighe, Tom a'Choinich and Toll Creagach Glen Affric2 - 4 August 2003For the next three days I was with an organisation called ‘Spice’ which is groups of individuals who meet socially and recreationally. The members who were staying at Cannich were from the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas. The Saturday walk was to the highest mountains in the area, Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail. As these outings are social gatherings they do not believe in early starts so it was about 10.15am before we headed off from the car park at the head of Glen Affric. The party of eleven crossed the boggy moorland from Affric Lodge to Gleann nam Fiadh, walked up the Glen, before climbing up into Coire Mhic Fhearchair. At this point one of the ladies felt faint and light headed but this was resolved by the intake of some food and liquid. She wasn’t aware that when she exercises she needs to watch her food intake by eating small amounts regularly. A climb up onto Sron Garbh and the other Munro Tops Stob Coire Dhomhnuill and Stob a’Choire Dhomhain took us to the summit cairn of Carn Eighe. A drop down to the bealach and an ascent up to the large circular cairn of Mam Sodhail led us to the final Munro of the day. Fortunately the cloud base was now above the summits so clear views were had although the wind was quite strong. The return back to the start was by a good stalker’s path into Coire Leachavie, down to Loch Affric and along its north side to the car park. The following day we walked up Gleann nam Fiadh from further down Glen Affric before climbing up beside the Allt Toll Easa and onto the south east ridge of Tom a’Choinich. This is a nice ridge, rocky in places and narrows slightly, to give views down either side. Unfortunately as we climbed we walked up into the cloud with some light drizzle at times. The party of nine had a short break on the summit but as it was a bit cold and breezy we didn’t stay long. A sharp descent took us down to the Bealach Toll Easa and the final climb of the day to the second Munro, Toll Creagach. An easy descent down into Gleann nam Fiadh and out of the clouds took us back to the start. On the descent a newt was seen. The final day saw only two people accompany me to the Corbett Carn a’Choire Ghairbh located on the south side of Loch Affric. One, a lady, had been on all three walks, so it was either my charm and charisma or she just likes climbing hills. I will leave it for you to decide. The others missed the best day’s walking as the early low cloud cleared to give some magnificent views and later on in the afternoon we even had a little bit of sun. On the track along Loch Affric we encountered an adder.
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