Torridon 2012

Rainbow Over Beinn Eighe

Ben Nevis

Last week started with another ascent of Ben Nevis with Mike from Canada who accomplished an impressive up-and-down in just over 5 hrs.  We delayed the climb by a day whilst yet another decaying hurricane brushed the NW coast of Britain.  This enforced an early start the following morning (a bit of a shock, I can tell you)!  However, any thoughts of a quiet mountain were soon quashed as hundreds of Ben Nevis and Three Peaks charity walkers were already swarming up the mountain!

Busy Ben!

Our early start did, however, provide the best weather window of the day and we had a clear summit (of sorts) as reward for our efforts.  We were down by 2 and soon away – Mike with a long drive to London to endure and myself with a much-anticipated return to Torridon and the greatest mainland mountains in the country!

Gardyloo Gulley

Torridon

As it turned out, we didn’t actually climb many mountains, not that the week was any less enjoyable for that.  Jacqui’s return to full fitness did not quite extend to climbing up and down the soaring sandstone terraces of the Torridon inselbergs. So I made alternative arrangements with her and Yvonne whilst more experienced hillwalker Peter agreed to try the bigger stuff by himself.  Plans for a mid-week traverse of Liathach were also scuppered when he was called away to a job interview.  I told you it was a funny old week!

Slioch From Fionn Bheinn

We did all start together, however, with a short drive to Achnasheen for an attempt at Fionn Bheinn, the most southerly of the Fannaichs and a straightforward grassy hill blessed with a high start and modest Munro height.  The ladies made a good go at it, traipsing through unseasonably wet bog, peat hags and grass towards what turned out to be an elusive summit.  Some 200m shy of the trig point, we gave up the chase and turned for home, leaving Peter to continue and claim his 10^th Munro. 

Fionn Bheinn

Over the next few days, whilst Peter enjoyed 4-season weather whilst traversing Slioch and Beinn Alligin, I showed the girls some of the more interesting and entertaining low-level walks in this part of the world.  There are plenty of them!

Glen Docherty & Loch Maree

The Fairy Lochs above Badachro near Gairloch are always good for dreich days.  They can be a sombre experience though, bearing as they do, a sad yet touching memorial to young US servicemen whose journey home after the war was tragically cut short when their Liberator aircraft crashed here.  Aircraft debris still lies scattered around the lochs together with flags, plaques and wreaths.  In bleak weather, this can be  a mournful place in every sense.  Uplifting too.

Fuar Tholl

Next day we drove around to Achnashellach for the ever-pleasant climb up into Coire Lair.  The heavy showers were short-lived and the gaps between them thankfully long as we set off through the rhododendrons.  Crossing the railway line by the station, we climbed through the mixed woodland and up the excellent stalkers path below the towering cliffs of Fuar Tholl and into the corrie.  All the encircling mountains were in full view for much of the time and it was a grand day out.  This walk never disappoints.

                                    

Coire Lair

Wednesday took us to the Torridon Inn and another hill path that starts up through rampaging rhododendrons and then Caledonian pines onto the open hillside.  This time it was another favourite wet weather alternative of mine, the hill path up Beinn Damh.  

Beinn Damh

We emerged above the tree line and stopped a short way on beside a very photogenic sequence of pools, rapids and a 30m waterfall as the Allt Coire Roill tumbles down to Loch Torridon.  Beinn Alligin and Liathach look great from this side of Glen Torridon.

Allt Coire Roill Below Beinn Damh

Finally, Thursday took us to Applecross up and over the hairpins of the Bealach na Ba (pass of the cattle) to the useful car park at the top of the pass.  From here, we traversed across the sandstone plateau, passing a watchful herd of Red Deer before the earth fell away in dramatic suddenness to reveal the stunning mountain landscape that the Applecross Hills have to offer.  

Bealach na Ba

Yvonne paused to admire the view as Jacqui and I traversed the few entertaining humps that lead to the Corbett summit of Sgurr a’Chaorachain (792m; peak of the little field of berries).

Sgurr a’Chaorachain

Apart from the deer (they were still there on the way back), we also came across a wee baby rabbit that popped out from under a rock before we carefully replaced it before Mr Eagle came calling.  A lone ptarmigan completed the most interesting wildlife day of the week as we returned to the car.  Then it was down to Applecross for some cullen skink and a welcome bowl of chips!  

Over the Sea to Skye

A visit to the walled garden of Applecross House and a walk along the Applecross river and beach completed the day - and the week - in glorious sunshine.  The girls want to go back!  

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

Last of the Summer Wine – Southern Highlands

Ben Lawers From Meall Greigh

Doctor Jon returned to Scotland last week and I was only too pleased to help him nudge his Munro count towards his first 100.  Time and logistics restricted our options to the southern Highlands and the weather forecast sealed the deal: a day on Ben Lawers and a day in the Arrochar Alps!

The Eastern Lawers Peaks: Meall Greigh, Meall Garbh & An Stuc

Ben Lawers & An Stuc From Meall Garbh

Jon had only the 3 easternmost peaks to climb in the Ben Lawers group above Loch Tay.  We headed for the private lay-by opposite the bone-carving shop in Lawers village, duly paid our £5 contribution to bone-carving research and headed up the pretty path that climbs alongside the Lawers Burn.

We entered cloud soon after leaving the burn to climb the grassy slopes of Meall Greigh and made our own way up the pathless, but quite straightforward, terrain that led to (today’s) unseen skyline.  The sun threatened to appear occasionally but we were still in cloud when we intersected the ridge (and path) that led us in short order to the our first summit:  Meall Greigh (1001m; hill of horse studs).

Jon Emerges From the Cloud (Just Before it Cleared)!

Lunch beckoned in a sheltered hollow (we had a cool wind all day) and no sooner had we sat down, when the cloud clearly got bored and promptly disappeared.  Suddenly, we could see for miles – north to the Glen Lyon hills, west to Ben Lawers and south to the Loch Earn and Crianlarich hills.  The day now became very easy and we followed the clear path and fence across the wide ridge and up to the rather more interesting summit ridge of Meall Garbh (1118m; rough hill).

Meall Garbh

Once here, the view became dominated by Ben Lawers itself and right in front of us, the sharp wedge of today’s final Munro: An Stuc.  It’s less than a kilometre away but you have to descend steeply to the narrow bealach between the peaks and then climb even more steeply up the fairly eroded path that leads up a greasy gulley to the small summit of the mountain – An Stuc (1118m; the peak).  This is the most photogenic and interesting of today’s 3 Munros and it is well placed directly above the feline-shaped Lochan nan Cat which sits snugly beneath the encircling cliffs of An Stuc’s eastern aspect.

An Stuc

The way home was straightforward.  We descended SW to the Bealach Dubh (black pass) and then peeled off left and descended steeply to the W shore of the Lochan and followed it until we picked up that morning’s path for a very entertaining descent back down to Lawers village.  A most agreeable day!

The Arrochar Alps:  Beinn Narnain & Beinn Ime

The Cobbler

Today was to prove slightly harder work in tougher conditions.  Whilst it remained largely clear and dry all day, a strong cold wind and some cloud on Beinn Ime made for some distinctly bleak conditions at times!

Beinn Narnain From Beinn Ime

We started from the car park (£1 all day) at the head of Loch Long at Succoth and climbed the new and well-engineered path/track that climbs through the young woods before spitting you out at 300m in full view of the finest peak in these parts: The Cobbler.  It was our plan (as it should be everybody’s) to include the wee man (a Corbett) whenever taking in the 2 higher Munros.

Loch Long From Beinn Narnain

From the treeline, the route leads shortly to a small weir and from here the excellent path follows the Allt a’Bhalachain (the delightfully named Buttermilk Burn) up towards the Cobbler with Beinn Narnain rising to the right.  When we reached the unmistakable Narnain Boulders, we left the path and climbed to our right up into the pathless, boulder-strewn slopes towards the Spearhead – the conspicuous rocky wedge that crowns the summit ridge.

High on Beinn Narnain

On reaching the skyline we intercepted the path that runs up the SE ridge of the mountain and gratefully followed it (avoiding the Spearhead to its right) until the flat summit plateau suddenly appeared.  In a further 200m we were at the cairned summit of our first peak of the day: Beinn Narnain (926m; hill of the notches).  This is a good viewpoint with the shapely cone of Ben Lomond away to the SE and the other Arrochar Alps all around.  Beinn Ime, in particular, looks quite impressive from here.

Beinn Ime From Beinn Narnain

We descended NW down a path that threads a couple of boulder fields before becoming clearer over grass and leading to a stile over a fence in the centre of the ever-muddy Bealach a’Mhaim.  I’ve never been here on a warm, sunny day and today was no exception!  We departed unhesitatingly up the muddy path that leads up the fairly drab, grassy southern slopes of Beinn Ime (1011m; hill of butter).  In fairness, just before reaching the large summit cairn, the path intercepts the encircling ridge of the mountain’s impressive eastern slopes and things do get a little more interesting, scenically at least.

The Cobbler From Beinn Ime

It was mid-afternoon by now and blowing a gale so we regrettably, but sensibly, opted to omit the Cobbler from our itinerary and returned straight down to the Bealach a’Mhaim and followed the Buttermilk Burn back along that morning’s path and down through the trees to the car.  The Arrochar Alps are smashing wee hills and conveniently placed  However, they do tend to have steep slopes on all sides and it is better not to try and do too many in any one day if they are to be appreciated and enjoyed to the full.  

Ben Lomond From Above Arrochar

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