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Section 0 Galloway and Border Hills
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Section 10a - Morvern, Sunart, Ardgour and Moidart Mountains
Section 10a - This section refers to the hills and mountains of Morvern, Sunart, Ardgour and Moidart. They cover the Corbetts and Grahams that I have climbed in this area since 2003.
Index to Hills in this SectionCircuit of Coire an Iubhair6 July 2008
I last climbed Garbh Bheinn on Christmas Day 2004 to complete a round of the Corbetts. The weather conditions that day were poor with fresh snow and even driving to the start was an expedition as the Corran Ferry, which runs between Nether Lochaber and Ardgour, doesn’t operate on Christmas Day so I had to take the long way round on snow covered roads. I had always wanted to return on a fine day to take in the views and to climb it by the classic route, a circuit of Coire an Iubhair. The first ferry across Loch Linnhe to Ardgour on this Sunday morning was 0845 so I was there in plenty time for the crossing which only took a few minutes. I thereafter drove along the A861 Ardgour to Strontian Road as far as the bridge over the Abhainn Coire an-Iubhair. If in doubt there are signs at the bridge naming the stream. There is also a parking area at the north-east corner. I set off along the path on the east side of the Abhainn Coire an-Iubhair and shortly thereafter reached a fence and at this point decided to leave the path and commence the climb towards Lochan Druim an Iubhair working my way round rocks and through grassy gullies. The cloud level was well above the summits so I had views down Loch Linnhe to the Island of Lismore and across to the Ballachulish Bridge and the Glen Coe mountains. The gradient became easier on this complex ridge, known as Druim an Iubhair, and once beyond Lochan Druim an Iubhair my next target was a small lochan before the final climb to the summit of Sgurr Mhic Eacharna. En-route a couple of ptarmigan were agitated by my presence and one gave me the injured wing treatment but there was no sign of a nest or their young as I treaded carefully to the summit cairn. The views were now quite extensive including Garbh Bheinn’s Great Ridge and Buttress. Having taken in the views I descended to the bealach with Beinn Bheag, the latter section being steeper with some rocks to cross. It was then a long climb to Beinn Bhrea where I had more extensive views especially further west. There were also three ewes and a ram near the summit and from their state they hadn’t been shorn for a couple of years. I would have thought the local farmer would have been looking for his ram. It reminded me of an incident the previous year a few miles away on Sgurr Dhomhnuill when I came across two rams fighting. They also appeared to be have been forgotten about. I continued on my circuit of Coire an Iubhair along the narrowing ridge to Beinn Bheag’s west summit before descending steeply down a grassy gully to Lochan Coire an Iubhair. Then it was the ascent of Garbh Bheinn which looked a bit intimidating. However it wasn't that difficult. Initially I followed an obvious grassy gully before leaving it to the east and onto some rock with a couple of easy scrambles. This took me to a small corrie containing a stream and I followed its line to the head of the corrie before clambering over rocks to the summit cairn of Garbh Bheinn with some terrific views including the Island of Rum. It was now time for lunch sheltering behind the cairn but the wind died down and a few midges had the nerve to try and spoil my day. Once lunch was over I commenced the descent of Garbh Bheinn over its South-East Top and down the ridge, Sron a’Gharbh Choire Bhig. The going was over some rock and in places boggy ground but there were traces of a walker’s path. This path was more obvious lower down and in fact became a bit eroded in places. Eventually the path led me back to my car and the end of an entertaining and enjoyable day in Ardgour.
Beinn Resipol24 March 2008
The start of this walk was Upper Scotstown north of the village of Strontian. An unclassified road ran north from the A861 at Strontian and after 3 kilometres the hamlet of Upper Scotstown was reached. Another road headed south-west and I drove along it as far as the gate before the Allt nan Cailleach where there was limited parking. We left my vehicle and continued on foot along this vehicle track which was now rough and muddy and obviously used by cattle. After 250 metres we took the 'miner's path' that headed north-west up the side of the Allt nan Cailleach. Initially it was still a vehicle track as far as the local water source. Beyond that the path was in poor condition although as height was gained it did improve slightly, although covered in snow. There had been some overnight snow even down to sea level and the frequent showers continued as we headed up the 'miner's path'. There were some deer in the area but they soon disappeared. On reaching the highest point on this path and a kilometre short of the old lead mine, hence the name of the path just used, we headed over towards Meall an t-Slugain through some soft and drifting snow. The area had quite a few peat hags and boggy sections to avoid and the wind was rather strong. We had already put on our goggles as the snow stinging our eyes was rather unpleasant. We put up a couple of grouse, the only bird life we saw on the hills all weekend. Once beyond Meall an t-Slugain we climbed the east ridge of Beinn Resipol. The direct route, which was less windy looked rather avalanche prone so unfortunately we had to climb onto the main section of the ridge where the wind was stronger with lots of spindrift. Progress was slow trying to find the best route through the rocks and drifts, some of which were now thigh deep which was tiring. The ridge eventually narrowed and became fairly rocky. Occasionally we had views of the Corbetts Garbh Bheinn, Beinn na h-Uamha, Sgurr Dhomhnuill, Carn an Nathrach and Loch Shiel as we worked our way along the ridge between the rocks where the gaps were full of soft snow. Occasionally we came across nieve snow with a thin covering of fresh snow on top which required some extra care to cross. Eventually we reached the summit cairn with its broken trig point nearby. To the west we could see a couple of walkers climbing towards Beinn Resipol's west ridge but they still had a bit to go to reach the summit where it was cold and windy. We returned by the ascent route where possible following our bootprints but some of the marks had been filled in with the blowing snow. Later we did try and make a more direct descent to Meall an t-Slugain searching for shelter for lunch but the spindrift put paid to that idea so out came the 'Storm Shelter' to protect us from the elements. It worked well as it was rather cold when we rolled it up again and packed it away. The descent over Meall an t-Slugain was uneventful as was the return down the 'miner's path' until near the end when we met some cows and calves which caused my client some concern. However they never bothered us as we continued down the track and back to the car.
Carn na Nathrach23 March 2008
The initial problem was getting to the start of this walk which was on the unclassified road that led from the village of Strontian, on the A861 in Ardgour, to the road end at Pollock. It had snowed overnight and the higher part of this road was covered and impossible for ordinary vehicles. Fortunately with my 4 x 4 and some care I was able to negotiate the hill although I came across an abandoned van. I parked my vehicle just north of Kinlochan at the east end of Loch Doile. Although this was off the public road it appeared that no objection was raised as a local passed us as we prepared to set out for Carn na Nathrach. We walked along the vehicle track on the north side of the River Hurich, crossed the road bridge east of the cottage at Glenhurich, and followed the forest road that led towards Gleann an Dubh Choirein. Just beyond the double bend where the track started to descend I looked for a route through the forest so that we could gain the south west ridge of Carn na Nathrach, called Beinn Mheadhoin. I missed the few stones, which I spotted on my return, and we wandered through the forest until we came across the walker's path, which was actually a slightly worn route through vegetation climbing steeply out of the forest and avoiding some rocks. Once above the trees the walking became easier although any path along the Beinn Mheadhoin ridge was hidden by the previous evenings snow. It was now significantly cooler out of the forest with a cold wind and some snow flurries. We never found the lochan shown on the map and as we continued up the ridge we saw a few deer. The twisted ridge became a bit steeper before we reached the 602 point which was followed by a slight descent and then a deer fence. There was no gate or stile so the only option was to climb over the fence. The wind was now a bit stronger with some spindrift as we avoided rocky knolls and worked our way through drifts now up to near knee height. Progress had been slow but we eventually reached the summit around thirty minutes later than planned due to the conditions. From the summit we had views to the west of the Island of Mull, Beinn Resipol and the Rois-Bheinn Corbetts, Callop and Glen Finnan Hills to the north, Glen Saddle, Ballachulish Bridge, the Glen Coe mountains and Lochs Leven and Linnhe to the east and to the south the Corbetts, Sgurr Dhomhnuill and Beinn na h-Uamha. We found a relatively sheltered place for a late lunch out of the spindrift before setting off back down the Beinn Mheadhoin ridge to the start. As expected with the condition of the road we never met any other walkers but spoke to the owner of the abandoned van who was staying locally and he explained how wild the conditions were as he tried to get over the hill road the previous evening.
Beinn na h-Uamha19 January 2008
One of the starting points for this Corbett is the hamlet of Sallachan just off the A861 Strontian Road, 2.5 miles west of the ferry terminal at Corran. This ferry runs on a regular basis between Nether Lochaber on the A82, 8 miles south of Fort William and Corran. It would be feasible to leave your vehicle at Nether Lochaber, use the ferry as a foot passenger, and walk the two and a half miles to Sallachan. Alternatively you could cycle as persons on foot and bicycles are free. Another incentive is that there is very limited parking on the narrow road at Sallachan but you could park on the verge of the A861. I set off from Sallachan up Glen Gour on the rough vehicle track on the south side of the River Gour. This is a Right of Way to Strontian some 12 miles distant. After about 600 metres I came to Loch nan Gabhar where a couple of swans were feeding. The track, which was flooded in places, continued onto the ruin at Tigh Ghlinnegabhar and across a fairly level plain with some deer feeding amongst the wet grasses. Just before the Allt an Fhaing I came to another set of ruins and at this point crossed some wet and bogy ground to the south bank of the River Gour. To climb Beinn na h-Uamha I needed to cross this river so I walked along its south bank looking for a suitable point. The river was a bit deep initially but just west of the Allt an t-Sluichd I found a suitable crossing point without getting my feet soaked. Once on the other side of the river another wet and boggy area was crossed before reaching the foot of the south-east ridge of Beinn na h-Uamha which was fairly steep and rocky. I climbed the ridge using grassy gullies and in the process disturbed a fox that was hiding in the rocks. I climbed over Stob an Ullt Dharaich and on towards the snow line. During the ascent I had views back down Glen Gour, across Loch Linnhe to Loch Leven and the Glen Coe mountains, down Glen Scaddle, the cloud covered Ben Nevis and to the south Garbh Bheinn, Beinn Bhreag and Sgorr Mhic Eacharna. Garbh Bheinn was my final Corbett on Christmas Day 2004 but the plan for its second ascent is to incorporate all three mountains on a circuit of Coire an Iubhair. A lot of the snow that had fallen recently had disappeared and what was left was a bit soft and wet in places. I tried to avoid these sections and eventually reached the summit cairn. Here a cold wind was blowing with some low cloud floating about so the views to the west of Sgurr a’Chaorainn and Sgurr Dhomhnuill, the hills I had climbed in conjunction with Beinn na h-Uamha on my first ascent of this mountain were disappointing. I returned towards Stob an Ullt Dharaich before descending steeply south to the River Gour disturbing a few deer feeding in the sheltered hollows. On the opposite side of the River Gour was the vehicle track that would return me down Glen Gour. This track ceased at the stream flowing from Sgorr Mhic Eacharna, a lot further than indicated on my map. However there is still a large section of the Right of Way to Strontian that was pathless. I didn't cross the river at this point but walked down the north side of the river bank, through some wet and boggy ground, to the crossing point I had used earlier in the day. On re-crossing the River Gour I headed onto the vehicle track and had a fast walk back down the Glen as darkness was falling and also in an attempt to catch the five o'clock ferry back to Nether Lochaber. I made it to my vehicle with ten minutes to spare, sufficient time to drive to Corran and catch the ferry instead of waiting for half an hour for the next one.
Loch Shiel23 August 2007
This was the final walk for Yvonne and Thomas so for another change of location I decided on a walk down Loch Shiel in Moidart. We parked in the car park just south of the A830 Fort William to Mallaig Road at the private road leading to Callop. We walked through the forest to the head of Loch Shiel where we discovered a path and footbridge had recently been constructed across the burn giving direct access to Glenfinnan, its Monument and the A830. Nearby there was an information board indicating that the Monument was leaning over and its inclination was increasing every year similar to the Leaning Tower of Pizza. The fact that the Monument was leaning to the west was very obvious from our position. We continued down the vehicle track on the east side of Loch Shiel with the cloud covered mountains on either side. A couple of lorries carrying timber passed us creating a lot of dust. After around 2.5 hours and around 12 kilometres of walking we stopped for lunch which we had sitting on the stony shore of Loch Shiel. After lunch we returned along the east shore of the Loch and at the new bridge Yvonne and Thomas crossed the burn and headed over to the Glenfinnan Monument while I went back and collected my car. While at the Visitor Centre they were able to see the Steam Train cross the Viaduct, used in the Harry Potter movie. Beinn Odhar Bheag and Beinn Mhic Cedidh29 June 2007
The start of this walk was the A830 Fort William to Mallaig Road east of Loch Eilt. At grid reference NM856813 there was a fairly large area of ground, partially tarred with a sign and map relative to accessing the Hills of Moidart. A gate gave access to a bridge over the Allt Lon a’Mhuidhe and immediately thereafter I crossed the railway line. Once on the south side of the railway line I took a bearing and headed for the knoll at 400 metres. There were some marks on the grass where it appeared that other walkers had passed this way before but with the fresh growth it was unwise to follow marks which may have been animal trails. The mountain tops were cloud covered but the forecast was for an improvement throughout the day. However once I had reached this knoll and started ascending the NNW ridge the cloud lowered further and it started to rain. To the east of the ridge there was an attractive gorge containing the stream flowing from Coire Choin Duinn. The rain eased as I gained height along this fairly contorted ridge and I started getting views out to the Islands of Rum and Eigg. I eventually reached a small lochan and thereafter made my way through some rocky terrain to the summit cairn of Beinn Odhar Mhor. The trig point itself was lying about in several pieces. Unfortunately the summit was covered in cloud when I arrived so I decided to hang around there for a few minutes to see if there was any improvement. I was lucky, the cloud did start to break up and eventually I had views of Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Viaduct. I was also fortunate to see the Island of Rum again, the Sound of Sleet on the Island of Skye and across to the Knoydart Munros. The ridge between Beinn Odhar Mhor and Beinn Odhar Bheag was very rocky in sections and contorted and I was glad that I could see where I was headed as I worked my way round the rocks seeking the best route along the ridge. The ascent of Beinn Odhar Bheag involved keeping to the east of some slab rock before reaching the summit cairn in the sun. The cloud was lifting all around me and I was now enjoying views in all directions. I took shelter from the wind and had lunch while looking down Loch Shiel to Loch Sunart and across to the Ardgour Hills and to Beinn Resipol the highest hill in Sunart. After lunch I reluctantly left this superb viewpoint and descended in sun to Bealach a’Choire Bhuidhe where I disturbed a lone deer. This was followed by a steady climb to the small cairn on the top of Beinn Mhic Cedidh. Here I had further views of the Islands of Rum and Skye and of Knoydart. I also had good views of the three Rois-Bheinn Corbetts and of the Graham Croit Bheinn. I had lingered a fair bit on all three summits but it was time I headed back to the start. I descended Beinn Mhic Cedidh’s north ridge which was steep and rocky in places and was far from straight forward so I was glad of the clear visibility. Lower down the ridge divided, the easiest route going north-west but I headed north-east which was steeper and rockier and required a fair bit of care. On approaching the Allt a’Coire Bhuidhe the ground consisted of long tussocky grass which slowed my progress. On reaching the Allt a’Coire Bhuidhe there was a bridge which I used to cross the river and thereafter I followed an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) track to and along the south side of the railway line. The ATV track later went under the railway line and continued east along its north side. I eventually left this track and headed for the Allt Lon a’Mhuidhe and walked up its south bank until I found a suitable point to cross it and onto the main road. I followed the road east for around a kilometre before arriving back my car and the sun was still shinning. Note – the distances and height climbed is the minimum in both cases as they have been taken from the map and do not include all the undulations, twists and turns. previous ascent of these mountains
Stob Coire a’Chearcaill28 June 2007
I was staying in the Fort William area and had a day off so, despite the inclement weather, I decided on a short day climbing the Corbett Stob Coire a’Chearcaill. The start of the walk was the A861 single track road which runs along the south shore of Loch Eil, at Blaich. I noted on the Ordnance Survey Map that a path headed south from the A861 to the east ridge of Stob Coire a’Chearcaill at a height of 470 metres. I fancied trying this ascent route rather than over south rough and boggy terrain above Duisky, which was how I climbed it before. I located the start of the path, which was in fact a vehicle track, at number 7 Blaich. Here there are several tarred roads but fortunately I selected the correct one and followed it passed some old buildings and through a gate. A slight deviation was required due to a herd of cows and calves. Higher up a deer fence was reached with a gate and the estate had added a suitable wicket gate to make access easier for walkers. The vehicle track became a bit steeper before it reached the wide east ridge of Stob Coire a'Chearcaill at Ceann Caol and abruptly came to an end at a small cairn The earlier light rain was now a lot heavier as I headed west over some rough ground and into a westerly breeze. The underfoot conditions became a bit easier and I disturbed a golden plover whose alarm call gave me little chance of getting close to any wildlife. A skylark was also disturbed by my presence. The ridge was followed over the knoll at 609, along Briagh Bhlaich into the cloud and to the summit of Stob Coire a’Chearcaill where there was a trig point and a reasonable sized cairn. It was unfortunate that I didn’t have any views as the east side of this summit was very rocky and the views into Coire Chearcaill and to Fort William and Ben Nevis would have made the climb more worth while. The return was by the ascent route with heavy showers and again I had to make a deviation for the cattle.
Rois-Bheinn Corbetts29 July 2006
The starting point for this walk was the A861 Lochailort to Kinlochmoidart Road at Inverailort, where I parked my car, walked passed the cottages and climbed to the col south of Tom Odhar. The path in places was a bit overgrown as I had to push my way through some young trees. From the col I followed the path which later joined an all terrain vehicle (ATV) track up the west side of the Allt a'Bhuiridh. Higher up I crossed this stream and climbed to the small lochan south of Beinn Coire nan Gall. En-route I heard some barking and spotted several deer which had become aware of my presence on the hill. The barking continued as the hinds warned their young. It was rather windy at this lochan so I climbed onto Druim Fiaclach where I found some shelter and took a break looking out to the Small Isles and the Isle of Skye. The tops of the Rum and Skye Cuillin were in cloud. It was very windy as I made my way along the ridge to Sgurr na Ba Glaise where several sheep were sheltering from the strong wind. On a couple of occasions I had to stop as the wind tried to blow me over. From the summit of Sgurr na Ba Glaise I descended to the Bealach an Fhiona and climbed Rois-Bheinn. The ascent of this mountain was hard going in the wind but navigation wasn't a problem as a dry stone dyke marked the route to the summit over some stony ground. The trig point marked on the map no longer exists although there was some of the old concrete base used as part of the cairn. I walked out to the westerly point for some views and shelter from the wind. Once again I was looking out to the Small Isles, up the coast to Arisaig and the mountains to the north which were a lot clearer than those towards the cloudy south. The descent from Rois-Bheinn was back to the Bealach an Fhiona but it wasn't as windy at this time although it was now trying to rain and I had a few light showers for the rest of the day. The descent from Bealach an Fhiona to a lower bealach was rather steep and awkward on the damp rock. The stone dyke followed this route but it shouldn't be used for navigation as it doesn't lead to the lower bealach and goes over some rocky sections. At the lower bealach I climbed through some crags to the summit of An Stac where again it was very windy. Here I had a couple of options. Descend steeply west to the A861 near Alisary and a long walk back along the road to the start or a similar steep descent north and rejoin the upward route. I decided upon the latter which involved finding the easiest route through numerous crags. Lower down I came across some more deer, or it may have been the same herd I saw in the morning, but they ran off towards Coire a'Bhuiridh. I crossed some rough ground to reach the ATV track used in the morning and then followed the upward route back to the start. During the day I never met or saw anyone on these hills, only some deer a few sheep.
previous ascent of these mountains Sgurr Dhomhnuill3/4 June 2006
I set off late in the evening for a pleasant walk through the oak woods of Strontain Glen. Once beyond the woods I pitched my tent beside the ruin of the old building at Ceann a'Chreagain. Unfortunately the midges were out so once the tent was up I was forced inside. In the morning the midges were still out, although not as bad so after breakfast I took my tent down and headed up to the old lead mine, although the path shown on the map disappeared at times. From the old lead mine I climbed onto the west ridge of Sgurr na h-Ighinn. Before the final ascent to this hill I traversed below its west side and reached the bealach between Sgurr na h-Ighinn and Sgurr Dhomhnuill. Here I came across a ptarmigan and its chicks and managed to get a photo of one of the chicks and its mother who was obviously concerned about my presence. From the bealach I commenced the climb of Sgurr Dhomhnuill but unfortunately the cloud came down and on reaching the summit I had no views. I had hoped to have views to the north as during this ascent I had good, albeit hazy views of all the hills in the area except to the north. I hadn't made a plan for my return but due to the low cloud and the time of day I decided to retrace the outward route which I did. Once lower down I cleared the low cloud and descended the west ridge of Sgurr na h-Ighinn. Beside Druim Leac a'Sgiathain I came across of pair of Black Face rams having a real head to head, charging each other repeatedly with a loud crash as their heads collided. It was maybe a frustrating time of year for the rams but I gave up watching them and continued my descent into the oak woods of Strontain Glen and back to my starting point near Ariundle.
Callop Grahams1 August 2005
I had a day off so I decided to climb a couple of Grahams near Glenfinnan on the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road. A parking area is provided on the south side of the road just west of the railway bridge, east of Glenfinnan. From this parking area I walked along the track to Callop then followed the path up the side of the river which was very low. The path was a bit overgrown but underfoot it wasn't as boggy as it was on my previous visit to this area. This path can also be used to climb three nearby Corbetts. A new deer fence has been erected round the west and south side of the forest and incorporates some of the land around the path but the Estate have included gates to allow access on what I think is a Right of Way through to Cona Glen. Once beyond this fenced area and after a slight climb I crossed the Allt na Cruaiche and climbed steeply up onto the ridge where I had good views of the surrounding hills. This was followed by an undulating ridge and while climbing this ridge I observed a large herd of hinds with calves which had obviously been spooked, probably by myself. I heard the hinds barking at their fawns and the noise of their hooves on the boulders as they ran out of the corrie. I continued up the ridge onto the 722 point where I had good views of the Ardgour Corbetts as well as the mountains around Glenfinnan. However I didn't linger here as the midges were out and biting, so I continued to the summit of Meall nan Damh, which was further east and one metre higher. I still had good views including that of Ben Nevis with a small amount of cloud sitting on its summit. The midges were bothering me here also so I headed off to the next Graham along Meall nan Damh's east ridge before heading north to the bealach and an easy ascent to the trig point of Glas Bheinn. Fortunately there was a slight breeze here so I was able to sit in the sun and eat my lunch taking in the views around me including Ben Nevis which was now clear of cloud. After a fairly lengthy break I headed north-west towards the forest looking for the fire breaks so that I could navigate my way through the trees. I selected a route but it was knee deep in grass and shoulder height in bracken so walking conditions were difficult as it was impossible to see the uneven ground. Further into the forest things got a bit more awkward as there were lots of trees blown down so I had to search for an alternative route. This is where the compass came in really useful as it was impossible to see anything but trees and I needed to ensure I was going in the correct direction. It would be too easy to wander round and round in circles in the forest trying to avoid fallen timber. Eventually a came across a vehicle track and followed it out of the forest just north of Callop where I crossed the river and walked the last few yards back to my car.
Final Corbett25 December 2004The readers of this article will probably think of me as a lonely and sad individual and this is probably accurate but at least I didn't over indulge in food or drink and I got some exercise, more than I bargained for. During the last few months I had an idea that I could climb my final Corbett on Christmas Day. However I had several remote or awkwardly located Corbetts to climb first. It wasn't until the week before Christmas, after a visit to the Outer Hebrides to bag Clisham, that the plan looked feasible. I had resided overnight at Station Lodge Independent Hostel at Tulloch and my first problem of the day was digging my car out of the car park where it was snowed in. Secondly, it was getting up onto the main road. I needed three attempts to negotiate this access road and on the second attempt my car slewed across the road and I had to dig it out. Having made it to the main road, driving was difficult as far as Spean Bridge as the ploughs hadn't been out. The conditions thereafter improved and I made reasonable progress on the rest of my journey to the start of the walk albeit I had to take the long route round by Loch Eil, as I was aware that the Corran Ferry wasn't operating. The only plough/gritter I met was on the single track road on the south side of Loch Eil. Strangely it was also working on that stretch of road on my return journey. The start of the walk was beside the Abhain Coire an Iubhair which crosses under the Ardgour to Strontain road. Due to the travelling delays I was late in starting. Before setting off for the south-east ridge of Garbh Bheinn I equipped myself with all my winter gear, as the snow was down to sea level. The walking on the first few hundred metres wasn't too difficult and here I disturbed a hind and its young. This was the only life I spotted on the hill all day. As I gained height the snow was deeper with frequent sections knee deep and on occasions higher. This slowed progress as I had to try and find the easiest ascent route avoiding ice clad rocks. Fortunately the weather wasn't too bad. I had occasional snow and hail showers interspersed with periods of blue sky. The underfoot conditions were making it a very tiring climb and at times I was doubtful if I would reach my target. I climbed up the ridge Sron a'Gharbh Choire Bhig and on frequently looking back across Loch Linnhe I could clearly see the snow clad mountains of Glencoe and Ballachulish where the weather appeared to be better as occasionally the sun was shining on the other side of the Loch. I continued on this tiring climb to the summit of what appears to be known as Sron a'Ghairbh Choire Mhoir. Here I had views of the rocky east face of my final Corbett, Garbh Bheinn. Firstly I had to descend to a col and climb up through a snow filled gully. At this point the sun shone and I thought I was going to be lucky with the views but the sun was short lived. I then climbed through some rock, round the headwall of Garbh Bheinn's east face and out to the summit cairn. It was cold and windy on the summit and cloud was coming in again so I took a quick photograph and departed from the summit. I had no feeling of elation at having reached the top of my final Corbett. It just felt like any other hill that I had climbed recently. The amount of effort involved in reaching the summit had dulled any enthusiasm. I returned down the snow filled gully and found a bit of shelter to take on some food and liquid. It was only to be a short break as I was running out of daylight. After my late lunch I had to re-climb Sron a'Ghairbh Choire Mhoir where it was windy and spin drift was blowing about. This was exacerbated by the snow shower that was passing through reducing visibility. The descent from Sron a'Chairbh Choire Mhoir involved basically retracing my route of ascent and I was fully aware that light was fading and hoped that I would make it back to my car before it got completely dark. Fortunately my timing was good as I reached my car around the time I would need my head torch, some five and a half hours after I set out on what was an arduous day on the hills. The journey back to Tulloch was hampered by snow and poor road conditions, particularly north of Fort William and I was thankful when I reached my accommodation for my Christmas dinner of beans on toast. There was no celebrations as my fellow hillwalking friends had sensibly remained at home to indulge in the Christmas spirit. In any case there was no pub or restaurant open in the vicinity to buy them a celebration drink or meal. No doubt I will be told that I had planned it this way.
Kingairloch5 December 2004The overnight accommodation was at Corran Bunkhouse at Nether Lochaber, Onich, south of Fort William. This was ideal for this walk as we needed to use the adjacent Corran Ferry to cross over to Ardgour before driving to the start of the walk at Glengalmadale in Kingairloch. I parked the car beside the Glengalmadale River and we walked eastwards for a few yards before climbing through wet grass onto Druim na Maodalaich where there was a faint trace of a path. Although mainly cloudy and windy it was at least dry. We continued up Druim na Maodalaich disturbing feeding deer and over Meall nan Each. After a descent of about 90 metres we commenced the gradual climb onto Maol Odhar before picking up the bealach at its west end. The final climb, to the first Corbett of the day, was round some rocky outcrops before passing some old high stone dykes and encampments. This is marked on the map as 'camp' which I thought was to do with the Ordnance Survey working on the trig point when it was constructed and subsequent mapping. However reference books say it is a lot older and goes back to the Napoleonic Wars when it was used as a lookout post. A few yards further on and we reached the summit trig point of Creach Bheinn. A descent towards a wide bealach followed where we found shelter from the wind for some lunch. Afterwards a steady climb took us onto the summit of the second Corbett of the day, Fuar Bheinn. A gradual drop took us to the bealach between Fuar Bheinn and the Graham, Beinn na Cille, which I had already climbed. My companions today weren't interested in climbing the Graham so we dropped down to the Glengalmadale River. This descent was rather tricky as the ground was wet and slippery and there were lots of rocky outcrops to be avoided. On finally reaching the River we located the track, which was full of large pools of water, and followed it back to the start and the end of another day's Corbett bagging for my companions.
Ardgour3 and 4 September 2004On a wet and blustery morning I set off from the Ariundle Nature Reserve, north of Strontain through the forest and onto open hillside. Initially I was on a good track but once on the open ground the stalker's path is a bit churned up by cattle grazing on the hillside. At the end of the path I headed up over Druim Leac a'Sgiathain and onto Sgurr na h-Ighinn which were both covered in low cloud. I then walked out to the Corbett Sgurr Dhomhnuill where I sheltered within the circular cairn and had a bite to eat. I returned towards Druim Leac a'Sgiathain and traversed below Sgurr na h-Ighinn to the bealach between it and Sgurr a' Chaorainn. As I climbed this hill in poor visibility the intensity of the wind and rain increased. A climb between slabs of rock took me to this summit which is one of the highest Grahams. I walked out the east ridge, descending to a bealach before climbing the Corbett Beinn na h-Uamha, which is one of the lowest Corbetts. The Graham, Sgurr a' Chaorainn is shown as 761 metres in height while the Corbett Beinn na h-Uamha is 762 metres. I was now a long way from the start in very wet and windy conditions with a long walk back in front of me. This entailed a re-ascent of Sgurr a' Chaorainn before traversing to the Strontain River and the walk back through the Nature Reserve to the car park. The following day was drier and less windy when I set off from Kinlochan and walked up Glen Hurich before climbing onto Beinn Mheadhoin. This required an awkward climb through a short section of woods trying to avoid the wet rock. Once on the open hillside I continued up this ridge to the summit of Carn na Nathrach. The cloud threatened to lift all day but never cleared the summits so once again I didn't have a view. My return to Kinlochan was by the ascent route.
Moidart31 July 2004The two Corbetts planned for the day were Beinn Odhar Bheag, little dun coloured hill, and Beinn Mhic Cedidh, MacCedidh's hill. I had read conflicting reports regarding the starting point of these Corbetts but decided on the unmarked car parking area about one and a half kilometres east of Loch Eil. Here there was a large map of the area with details where stalking information could be obtained. I was pleased to note that stalking wasn't due to start in this area until mid September. Donald and I set off from here, crossed the railway line and headed up onto the north ridge of Beinn Odhar Mhor. The underfoot conditions were initially difficult through long tussocky grass and yesterday's hard day was telling a bit. It was very calm and we tried to stay on the highest parts of the ridge, firstly to get any breeze that was going and secondly to get away from the midges. Higher up it became less steep as we wound our way round numerous knolls to reach the summit of Beinn Odhar Mhor. This was followed by a drop down to an undulating and rocky bealach before the ascent of Beinn Odhar Bheag. Normally the Mhor is the higher of the two hills but on this occasion, and few others, the Bheag is the higher one. Here we had good views of the Corbetts on the other side of Loch Shiel which we had bagged the previous day and the Rois Bheinn Corbetts to the west. Ben More on Mull was a bit more hazy but at least it was clear. From Beinn Odhar Bheag a long descent led to the Bealach Choire Bhuidhe before a steady climb to Beinn Mhic Cedidh. Here we stopped for lunch, joined by the midges and a fellow Corbett bagger from the Black Isle. After an interesting chat about Corbetts we set off down the north ridge of Beinn Mhic Cedidh before picking up an all-terrain vehicle track to the Allt a' Mhuidhe. We met up again with the Corbett Bagger from the Black Isle who had parked his car nearer Loch Eil so we followed him across the burn, which was very low, and onto the main road beside his car. He gave us a lift the short distance back to our vehicle, which was very welcome as it was uphill.
Three Corbetts in Ardgour30 July 2004I was back residing at Station Lodge, Tulloch with the intention of tackling some of the more remote and awkward Corbetts in Section 10 of the Scottish Mountaineering Club List. Donald, John, Maria and I set off from the car park near Craigag Lodge on the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road and walked up the track to the cottage at Callop. The start of the path was difficult to find due to the long grass but after a while it became more distinct and muddy. At the highest point the path splits. The one leading down to Cona Glen was obvious but the one turning to the west is overgrown and and difficult to see. However we left the path here and headed down to the Cona River where we had our first break of the day. From the river we climbed a gully to the bealach and a line of old fence posts and followed the undulating ridge to the summit of Stob a'Bhealach an Sgriodain, peak of the pass of screes. An interesting point here is a double line of old metal fence posts, some twenty feet apart, which followed the line of the ridge towards the next mountain. I can only presume one was an estate boundary and other was an area boundary, but what happened to the ground in between these fences? The next section involved a descent to the Bealach an Sgriodain and a walk along the Druim Tarsuinn before climbing up to the second Corbett of the day, Sgurr Ghiubhsachain, peak of the fir wood. Here we met a fellow walker. He was 72 years of age, from London, and explained that he had set off the previous day with his son, to climb this mountain and the next one on our list but had to turn back because his 40 year old son was incapable of continuing. After lunch we descended some awkward slabs and grass before climbing up onto the final mountain of the day, Sgorr Craobh a'Chaorainn, rowantree peak. From here a descent to the path used earlier in the day led us back to our cars.
Ardgour12 July 2004The start of this walk was the A861 on the south side of Loch Eil at a hamlet with the quaint name of Duisky. The first three kilometres were over wet and tussocky ground which made progress slow and in places difficult. Reference books mention an old fence but I didn't find it until the descent as the rusty metal posts blended in well with the surrounding colours. Higher up a deer fence had to be climbed. Once up on the ridge there was a cold wind blowing but the views were good especially of the rocky corrie of Stob Corrie a'Chearcaill, peak of the circular corrie. I climbed to the summit cairn and trig point and took in some splendid views of the mountains to the west including Ben More on Mull. The descent was down the side of the old fence which was preferable to the upward route I took, but there was no trace of the faint path indicated in the reference books. There is also a gate in the deer fence which makes life easier. I had the hill to myself on this occasion and it was a good half day's outing which allowed me to head home in the afternoon.
Kingairloch10 July 2004To access these hills entailed using the Corran ferry, south of Fort William, and driving south on a single track road to the Kingairloch area. The starting point was just west of Glengalmadale and involved a steep climb up the side of a small wooded area. If I stopped to check the underfoot terrain or to rest I was immediately attacked by the midges so I tried to keep going. Once beyond the forest I entered some rocky ground where there was a slight breeze and I was thankfully able to leave the midges behind. I continued to the summit of Beinn na Cille, hill of the church, a Graham which was in the cloud, before dropping to the col and ascending the first Corbett of the day, Fuar Bheinn, cold hill. I disturbed a lot of hinds en-route and frequently heard them barking a warning to their young. I never saw any stags but they were maybe aware the stalking season had commenced!! I also spotted a Ring Ouzel (mountain blackbird). From this Corbett, which was also in cloud, I descended to the next col and climbed Creach Bheinn, hill of spoil, but once again I had no views. To the north of this summit are several stone walls and it is alleged that they were used as lookout posts during the Napoleonic wars. I descended to Maol Odhar where I had views south towards Oban and the south-east corner of Mull. Once I finished lunch I continued my descent along the Druim na Maodalaich ridge with views to my right of the cloud covered hills I had climbed. Lower down I came across some feral goats before I dropped to Glengalmadale and the starting point of the days' walk. Once above the forest this is a fine horseshoe traverse and on a clear day would give good views.
Moidart8 November 2003At the beginning of November I returned to Fort William for a weekend Corbett bagging. (mountains between 2,500 and 3,000 feet) As the sun rose on this Saturday morning I was heading west on the Fort William to Mallaig road for my starting point at Lochailort. Parking my car near Glenshian Lodge I walked past the Lodge, while the occupants were still in bed, over wet and boggy ground before finding the path round the side of Tom Odhar. Heading up onto Beinn Coire nan Gall, the Druim Fiaclach ridge looked rather interesting, so I decided to deviate from my route and drop down to its east end. I climbed up onto the ridge at the same time as the wind started to pick up. The ridge involved some easy scrambling made slightly more awkward by the strength of the wind. However the sun was still shining although further east it was obviously cloudy. Once back on my planned route I headed for the first Corbett of the day, Sgurr na Ba Glaise and a short break for lunch, once I found somewhere out of the strong wind. The next Corbett, Rois Bheinn caused me a few problems as I was being buffeted about in the wind. Hidden on the summit cairn is a watertight container containing a stamp and notebook to record your presence on the hill. However it was too windy to sit down and write anything so I continued to its west summit where I had good views of the Islands stretching from Mull to Skye. The return to the bealach between Sgurr na Ba Glaise and Rois Bheinn was difficult in the wind as was the descent to the next bealach and the climb up onto my final Corbett for the day, An Stac. The sun was now being engulfed by some cloud and it would soon be getting dark so I headed down the north ridge and regained the path beside Tom Odhar while I could still see. I tried a different route back to Glenshian Lodge but it was even wetter than the one I used in the morning.
Great Glen Way27 October 2003The final day’s walk was on the Great Glen Way so I drove, Claire, Gwen and Vera to Gairlochy on the Caledonia Canal. They walked south and I drove round to the finish of the walk at Benavie near Fort William. I walked up the Great Glen Way and met the ladies a lot earlier than expected, so they had made good progress. I accompanied them back to Benavie and the end of their fifty mile hike. Gwen and Vera took the four days in their stride and appeared to be at home in this environment. Claire due to her initial breathing problem and her subsequent blisters struggled most of the time. If it wasn’t for her determination and willpower she wouldn’t have made it. The ladies, as well as doing this walk for their President’s Award were also doing it for charity. They have already collected over two thousand Euros for their efforts. So congratulations to Claire, Gwen and Vera on their achievement. |
