Knoydart & Kintail

The Five Sisters of Kintail - Sgurr Fhuaran

We sailed into Knoydart with the remnants of Hurricane Katia bearing down on us. We sailed out 3 days later in sublime west coast sunshine, a flat calm and blue skies! In between, we sat out the storm and waited for conditions to allow us one big mountain day before moving on to Kintail where we faired somewhat better. Catherine will have to return to Knoydart to add Ladhar Bheinn to her rapidly growing list of Munros but her accomplished traverse of the Forcan Ridge in Kintail in difficult conditions more than made up for any unclimbed mountains.

Knoydart: Meall Buidhe & Luinne Bheinn

The Knoydart Munros From the Inverie Ferry

This 26Km round of 2 Munros and the huge, ice-stripped bowl of Coire Odhair is never easy but we managed it in under 9hrs in reasonable conditions and with some views. For the 2nd time in as many months, a stalking group passed us on the walk-in and the sight of them and some fishermen on the Inverie River reminded us that this is very much a working estate, not just a hill-walkers playground. We walked up into Gleann Meadail before striking up the bracken-covered hillside on to Druim Righeanaich and followed the long, gently climbing ridge to the summit of Meall Buidhe (946m; yellow hill). There’s a 70m dip before the final climb to the summit which less than impressed Catherine I can tell you, so be warned of false summits!

Catherine 'Bathing' in the Sunshine on Luinne Bheinn!

The mountain’s SE Top lies a short distance away from where the path plunges steeply (but clearly) down and then over a series of humps and hillocks that form the enclosing ridge of Coire Odhair. This route can be tricky in cloudy conditions so take care and avoid any difficulties by staying on the west side of the ridge. The view to the east includes the distinctive cone of Sgurr na Ciche and the very impressive Corbett of Ben Aden. A smidgen of sun emerged from behind dark clouds – enough for Catherine to declare we were now officially ‘bathing’ in sunshine! Being from Oban, her views on what constitutes meaningful sunshine obviously differ from mine…

Luinne Bheinn

The lowest point on the ridge (684m) comes just before the climb up steep grassy slopes to the next Munro: Luinne Bheinn (939m; swelling hill). Like Meall Buidhe, this peak has 2 summits; in this case, the highest point is again the western-most one which is 2m higher and 500m to the west of the lower summit. Great views suddenly emerged down to Barrisdale and across Loch Hourn to Arnisdale – one (and probably the only) advantage of Luinne Bheinn being such a steeply-sided mountain on all sides!

Meall Buidhe & Sgurr na Ciche From Inverie

With our long 2hr walk-out stretched out below us we descended to the bealach (pass) of Mam Barrisdale and picked up the squelchy, but reasonable, track that took us nearly all the way home. I say nearly as, right on cue, our stalking friends appeared in their fully-functioning land rover and kindly carried us without any effort from our own legs the short (but very important) last mile to the bunkhouse!

Kintail: The Saddle & Sgurr na Sgine

The Forcan Ridge of The Saddle

Unfortunately, Jon couldn’t make the Kintail leg of our trip so it was just the 2 of us who journeyed north from Fort William in brilliant sunshine to climb some classic west coast mountains. The drive down Glen Shiel never fails to impress and that first view of the coast at Loch Duich as you round the curve at Shiel Bridge is always a special moment. The fire damage from last April when widespread wind-driven flames leapt up the lower slopes of the Five Sisters of Kintail was hardly noticeable. Mother Nature has once again woven her magic spell in covering the charred hillside in lush, new verdant greenery!

Approaching the Forcan Ridge

The next day (naturally), dawned grey, windy and wet. The cloudbase was pretty high though and we embarked on one of the area’s finest excursions: the ascent of The Saddle via that mountain’s scintillating Forcan Ridge! One of the best stalkers’ paths in Scotland leads up from the road and across the slopes of Meallan Odhar. An hour leads to an intervening ridge which curves and climbs up to below The Saddle’s rocky E Top: Sgurr na Forcan to become the Forcan Ridge. What follows can easily be avoided in hostile weather by traversing to the south and remaining below the ridge. Today, however, it was just good enough to continue and we remained on the ridgeline as it reared up into what becomes a sharp, rocky knife-edge of a ridge that concentrates the mind wonderfully!

The Saddle

After reaching the top of Sgurr na Forcan, a more horizontal ridge continues, but it remains very exposed on both sides with some difficult steps that require great care. A short way after leaving Sgurr na Forcan, a seemingly impossible down-step can be avoided down a greasy gulley on the south side of the ridge that enables the ridge to be regained after the difficult step. Eventually, the ground rises to another rocky summit beyond which a short horizontal ridge leads to the summit of The Saddle (1010m). This is the only Munro to have solely an English name with no Gaelic equivalent. It is a great, complex mountain with ridges radiating in all directions and views – on a good day – as good as anywhere. An OS trig point lies 1m lower and 100m further to the W of the main summit.

The Forcan Ridge

After the excitement of the Forcan Ridge, we descended the easy way to the S of the summit, down steep slopes and over a slippery boulder field to the Bealach Coire Mhalagain. Here, a small lochan provides a useful navigation feature in misty conditions. A sketchy path then climbs the hillside to the SE on to the skyline. Here we saw our only people of the day: passing huddles of gore-tex that were returning from our next peak. Soon after, the clouds lifted to reveal bright, if fleeting, sunshine and views along the S Glen Shiel Ridge and across Loch Hourn to the familiar peaks of Knoydart. Ahead, beyond an intermediate Top, lay our 2nd Munro: Sgurr na Sgine (946m; peak of the knife). Don’t be fooled by the gentle approach – the mountain plummets down near-vertical cliffs immediately to the SE of the summit cairn!

Sgurr na Sgine

We returned to the bealach and traversed below Sgurr na Forcan to pick up our outward route and follow it back to the car.

Kintail: Bheinn Fhada & A’Ghlas-bheinn.

Bheinn Fhada

Bheinn Fhada is another fine, complex mountain that extends for 8Km and embraces steep corries, unrelenting grassy slopes and, unusually for these parts, a great flat plateau on top - the Plaide Mhor (great blanket).

The Gates of Affric

We parked, as always, in the woods at Dorusduain and crossed the essential footbridge over the Abhainn Chonaig before joining the excellent path from Morvich. This leads into scenic Gleann Choinneachan which today, was very green, very quiet and very warm! The sunshine continued as we climbed up into Coire an Sgairne and on to the skyline. This is the best route on to Bheinn Fhada – an excellent stalkers’ path that leads all the way on to the Plaide Mhor and with the precipitous northern corries of the mountain and rain-swelled burns for added interest!

Gleann Choinneachan

Once on the plateau, a more sketchy path led us across the Plaide Mhor and eventually up the flat summit and trig point of Bheinn Fhada (1032m; long hill). The views are great: east along Glen Affric to the Great Glen, west across the Plaide Mhor to the sea and a distant Skye, and south to the Five Sisters of Kintail. It is a place to linger on a good day and savour the location.

The Summit of Bheinn Fhada & the Plaide Mhor

We returned part way down our stalkers’ path before traversing around and up to the Bealach an Sgairne: the Gates of Affric. This glacial meltwater channel is the closest point that Scotland’s E-W watershed comes to the west coast. Above it, to the north, a clear and easy path climbs on to the interminable hummocky SE ridge of our 2nd Munro: A’Ghlas-bheinn (918m; the grey-green hill). This otherwise unremarkable hill holds good memories and deserves to be visited occasionally. It is best descended along its broad, grassy W ridge that drops in steps to a beautiful spot by a new bridge where the Strath Croe path to the Falls of Glomach emerges from the forest.

Strath Croe & Loch Duich From A’Ghlas-bheinn

We followed the forest tracks back down to Dorusduain in bright sunshine but with a black sky chasing us and the green glen bedecked with brilliant rainbows. It was yet another golden moment, one of several I’ve enjoyed in this glen over the years. As if to underline how lucky we had been, we drove back to the accommodation in torrential rain!

Rainbow & Dark Skies Over A’Ghlas-bheinn!

It’s been an singularly unspectacular summer weather-wise and this week’s autumnal winds and heavy showers do not bode well for next week’s trip to Torridon. You never know though………

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm

Glen Coe

Bidean nam Bian

With only 7 Munros to go, David thought it prudent to get a little help with finishing off the big rocky mountains that line the southern fringe of majestic Glen Coe. Here, above the much-photographed Three Sisters, all ridges lead to the surprisingly diminutive cairn atop the big bulky massif of Bidean nam Bidean, the highest point in Argyll. This peak lies hidden from the A82 as it snakes its way down the ‘Glen of Weeping’. However, a second Munro, Stob Coire Sgreamhach, and the graceful cone of Stob Coire nan Lochan can be seen from the road and these 3 peaks make a great – and not overly long – mountain day in a stunning part of the Scottish Highlands.

Coire Gabhail - The Lost Valley

Setting off from the upper of the 2 adjacent car parks half-way down the Glen, we immediately lost 30m (a point not lost on David) in descending to cross the River Coe. Then it was up the excellent path that leads into Coire Gabhail - the Lost Valley - where the MacDonalds reputedly hid their stolen cattle, although stumbling over the boulders that guard the entrance to this hanging valley, it’s unclear exactly how they got them up here! A tree creeper flitting up and down a nearby birch provided added interest as did the occasional deer on the upper slopes (not long until the rut starts)! Once through the boulder field, the sudden flatness of the valley floor always surprises people on their first visit and it’s always good to be here.

Looking Back Down Coire Gabhail

The path crosses the flats and then climbs leisurely up the right-hand side of the valley towards the skyline. A gentle shower (the only rain of the day) threatened to spoil our day but soon relented, as did the clouds, and we picked our way up the ever-steepening headwall. Take care here as the much-repaired path gives way to slippery scree and the final 20m is tricky on pink rhyolite gravel in a steep narrow gulley. A small cairn marks th e point where the path meets the skyline at the Bealach Dearg (red pass). This route is probably best avoided in descent.

The Etive Hills

We turned left and climbed the easy 120m to the summit of Stob Coire Sgreamhach (1072m; peak of the dreadful corrie). The expansive views across the Etive hills to the south and east were enhanced by a cauldron of clouds that billowed and blew around the surrounding peaks. We had an excellent view of our remaining 2 peaks across the green void of Coire Gabhail.

Coire Gabhail & Bein Fhada From Stob Coire Sgreamhach

We returned the same way back to the Bealach Dearg, paused for lunch in a brief spell of sun, and then climbed through the clouds to our highest point of the day, Bidean nam Bian (1150m; pinnacle of the hills). No view today so we moved quickly on and down the NE ridge rapidly descending to the grassy bealach that separates Bidean from our 3rd peak of the day, Stob Coire nan Lochan (1115m; peak of the corrie of the lochan). The slopes of this fine peak fall away steeply on all sides but one and its eponymous corrie is one of the most popular destinations in the Highlands for winter skills. I’ve always thought it a mountain truly deserving of Munro status.

Stob Coire nan Lochan

In clearing conditions we descended the eastern arc of Coire an Lochan until the slope levelled out and we slipped left into the corrie itself and followed the excellent path down past numerous waterfalls into Glen Coe and so back to the car.

Stob Coire nan Lochan From Glen Coe

This was an exhilarating 6½ mountain day encompassing 3 fine peaks in pretty good conditions that has set me up nicely for next week and a return to Knoydart and then on to Kintail. Autumn is fast approaching and promises to be a busy fulfilling time! Bring it on!

A Happy Man - Only 5 To Go!!!

Check out my future plans for similar walks on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm