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Mountain Ranges:
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Walks in Glen Affric, Glen Cannich and Glen Strathfarrar
Index to Walks in this Section
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.
Beinn na Muice29 October 2007
It was another sunny morning in Inverness with a light covering of snow on the top of Ben Wyvis. I was en-route to Glen Strathfarrar to climb the Graham, Beinn na Muice. Access to Glen Strathfarrar is from the A831 Beauly to Cannich Road at Struy Bridge. A locked gate prevents access to the Glen but a gatekeeper, who resides in the adjoining cottage at Inchmore, is employed between April and the end of October to permit access during certain days and times. Once I had received my permit and accessed the Glen I headed west with views of snow topped mountains. I parked just off the Glen road where it crossed the Allt Toll a’Mhuic and walked up the vehicle track on the west side of this stream. After around a kilometre I left the track and commenced the ascent of Beinn na Muice. The going was fairly steep over a mixture of grasses and heather avoiding some rocky outcrops with views over to the snow capped Sgurr na Lapaich and Carn nan Gobhar. During this ascent I disturbed a couple of deer. Higher up, I had views to the north of Carn an Daimh Bhain and Sgurr na Muice, During this ascent route I was sheltered from the westerly wind and this continued as I headed along the east ridge of Beinn na Muice as there was a gully on the north side running parallel to the ridge. I later climbed onto the rocky ridge and followed it to the small summit cairn with views west to Loch Monar, Lurg Mhor, Bidean an Eoin Deirg and the snow covered Maoile Lunndaidh. From the summit of Beinn na Muice I continued west along its fine west ridge with improving views of Loch Monar although shower clouds were drifting across its west end. At the end of the ridge, with views down to Monar Lodge, I commenced the descent towards the road east of Monar Dam. This descent was fairly steep and quite tricky as the vegetation was rather wet and slippery with lots of rocky outcrops to avoid. A couple of stags, who were now friends again after the rut, spotted me and ran off. It took me a while to get down onto the Glen Road which was followed by an easy and pleasant walk of around 1.5 kilometres east to my starting point and the end of a short day on a fine wee hill.
Mullardoch Munros23 June 2007
This walk involved climbing the four Munros on the north side of Loch Mullardoch and was for the benefit of Tony who had only five Munros left to climb and Kay who had only four mainland Munros to do. Unfortunately for Kay she had already climbed Sgurr na Lapaich and Carn nan Gobhar. Access to these mountains was along the unclassified single track road from Cannich along Glen Cannich to the dam at the east end of Loch Mullardoch. There was ample off-road parking just before the dam. Tony had arranged for Carl the boatman to take us along the Loch to West Benula, which is located at the junction of the streams Allt Coire a’Mhaim and the Allt Socrach. Carl was a bit concerned about the level of the loch as in ten years he had never seen it so low. Apparently Hydro Electric was reducing the level to carry out repairs to a tunnel. On leaving the boat at West Benula, in the rain, the first hurdle was to cross the soft sandy soil, normally under water, before passing the side of the remote West Benula Lodge. I think it is possible to rent this Lodge but there is no access to it other than on foot or by boat. Once beyond the Lodge we walked up the path on the north side of the Allt Coire a’Mhaim, as the first shower of the day ceased. There were a number of cattle grazing near the Allt Socrach so it is good to see that some Estates are using hill ground for these beasts which were mainly cleared from the Highlands in the late eighteenth century to be replaced by sheep. Now the sheep have also gone so that Estates can concentrate on deer. The only downside from the cattle is the deep holes they make on the paths with their hooves. After a couple of kilometres the path disappeared and we crossed the stream, then some peat and boggy ground to the south-east ridge of An Socach. This was followed by a steady climb into the cloud with the corrie edge forcing us further west until we eventually reached the summit trig point where we took our first break. However it was a bit cold on the summit so we didn’t stay long before we headed down An Socach’s east ridge, which changed direction several times and in places dropped steeply. Once at the low point on the ridge we climbed onto the West Top and the South-West Top of An Riabhachan, both Munro Tops before the easy and gentle ascent of An Riabhachan. A further cairn was located further east before the descent of Creagan Toll an Lochain. On this walker’s path I almost stood on a young ptarmigan chick which squealed and ran off down the path and into the cloud. There was no evidence around of its parents or other siblings. On the descent it appeared that the cloud may break and as it was reasonably sheltered we stopped for lunch in anticipation of some views. However we were disappointed as the cloud did the opposite and actually thickened. On finishing lunch we were in the process of packing up when we heard voices and two walkers appeared heading west. The had come up from Innis an Lochiel at the head of Glen Strathfarrar but were only climbing Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan before returning to their vehicle to get out of the glen before the gate at the entrance to Glen Starthfarrar was closed for the night. At the bealach below Creagan Toll an Lochain we commenced the climb of Sgurr na Lapaich’s south-west ridge. I think this was the hardest part of the day for Tony and Kay who required a few stops en-route to the summit trig point. The descent from this Munro was initially rather awkward as it was over some large boulders but eventually we found a reasonable path which we followed to the Bealach na Cloiche Duibhe. The ascent of Carn nan Gobhar, Tony’s penultimate Munro, was relatively straight forward and we took our final break here before crossing to a slightly lower but more substantial cairn and descended towards Mullach na Maoile. Not long after leaving this second cairn we spotted a mountain hare, a dottrel and its young and a ptarmigan before emerging out of the cloud. Here we saw another couple of walkers who were headed uphill with their backpacking gear. The descent over Mullach na Maoile was relatively easy before we headed own its south-east ridge which was fairly steep and with some rocky outcrops which were not shown on the map. Eventually we reached the rough path along the north shore of Loch Mullardch and walked long it, in the rain, to the dam and the end of the walk. There were several other cars now parked beside the dam, the occupants still out on the hills we had climbed. Tony had arranged for the boat for 8am as according to Carl others had booked the boat at 9 and 10am but from previous experience the earlier the start the better as this walk taking in all four Munros on the north side of Loch Mullardoch is a fairly long day. Tony had his last Munro in Glen Coe planned while Kay had a trip to Skye booked for the following week to try and bag all twelve Munros on the Island, which would leave her with three left to bag.
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.
Strathfarrar Four10 May 2007
Access to these Munros is normally from Glen Strathfarrar where a tarred road, apparently private, runs through the Glen to Monar Lodge. At the cottage beside Inchmore there is a locked gate which prevents public access to the Glen except at certain times. I arrived at Inchmore early to meet my clients for the day, Tony and Norman. At precisely nine o’clock, don’t expect to obtain access any earlier, the gatekeeper permitted us access and we drove to just west of Inchvuilt where we left a vehicle before returning down the Glen to east of Loch a’Mhuillidh. Although cloudy it appeared to be breaking up so I was hopeful that the forecast for better weather in the afternoon was a bit out time wise. We set off on a vehicle track up the side of the Allt Coire Mhuillidh. However the track soon became a boggy path as we headed for Sgurr na Ruaidhe’s south west ridge. The ascent of this ridge was a bit of a slog and we soon came to the cloud base and my optimism for an improvement in the weather diminished. The higher we got the windier and colder it became and there were traces of some lying snow. Before reaching the summit cairn we encountered one of those snow showers. After a few minutes at Sgorr na Ruaidhe’s summit we descended to its bealach with Carn nan Gobhar where we had a brief view into the Glen of our approach before climbing back into the clouds. Norman was keeping us up to date with our progress as he had a guide to the time it should take to climb each of the Munros. However the top of Sgorr na Ruaidhe soon put paid to reaching the summit within the stipulated time as it is covered in large boulders which were made slippery by a mixture of rain and sleet. On reaching the cairn we sought some shelter from the cold wind and the showers for a bite to eat before completing the traverse of the boulders and heading for the foot of Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais’s east ridge. A fairly steep climb soon took us to its summit which has a trig point and two large cairns. I have never been able to decide which is the highest point so a visit to all three was necessary. It was cloudy and windy with the occasional rain or hail shower as we headed to the final Munro of the day, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, over the Munro Top, Creag Ghorm a’Bhealaich. It was unfortunate that visibility was so poor as it would have been an interesting ridge walk if we had had some views. On reaching Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, according to Norman five minutes behind schedule, we dropped to the col with Sgurr na Fearstaig and followed the stalker’s path to Loch Toll a’Mhuic, where we came out of the cloud. Beyond this Loch the path is actually a vehicle track and we followed it to the road in Glen Strathfarrar where we had left a car earlier that day. We exited the Glen at the locked gate, well before the 7pm deadline.
previous ascent of Sgurr na Ruaidhe, Carn nan Gobhar and Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais 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.
Sgorr na Diollaid22 October 2006
Two lady clients joined me for this walk which had to be reasonably short as one of the ladies required to return, by bus, to the central belt in the afternoon. I selected the Corbett, Sgorr na Diollaid as it was a half day walk and if the weather was fine there are good views from the summit. The start of the walk was on the unclassified road from the village of Cannich to the dam at Loch Mullardoch at the point in Glen Cannich where the road crosses to the north side of the River Cannich and where a track leads to Muchrachd Farm. Initially we crossed some wet ground and climbed through long heather there being no path other than a few animal tracks. Unfortunately the clear weather that I had hoped for didn’t materialise and we were soon into the cloud. The two ladies didn’t seem to mind as they were busy chatting most of the time. There were several roaring stags and I later spotted a group of hinds and a stag before they ran off into the cloud. We continued heading north round several rocky outcrops and eventually came to the rocky summit which necessitated some easy scrambling. We sought some shelter for a snack and it appeared that the cloud may break up but this did not happen so we did not have the views I had hoped for. The descent was uneventful and lower down we came out of the cloud and returned to our vehicle in Glen Cannich and the lady caught her bus south.
Mullardoch Four29 April 2006
The boat from the dam at Loch Mullardoch in Glen Cannich was due to head up the Loch at 8.30am and we arrived in time to see the boat being launched. It was full and it was a pleasant sail in calm and sunny conditions to East Benula Lodge about two thirds of the way up the Loch. This is far superior to walking along the Lochside on a muddy and sometimes indistinct path which takes around two hours, as I have walked this route before. On alighting from the boat we followed the path on the north side of the Allt Coire a'Mhaim before fording this stream, crossing some peat bogs and onto the south-east ridge of An Socach. It was a steady climb on this twisting ridge but as we gained height the views of the surrounding mountains became more extensive. Higher up we crossed some snow fields and noted how dangerous the cornices were as they were cracked and ready to collapse. Just before arriving at the summit a chap, who had come up from Iron Lodge, was headed towards the summit cairn. He was one of probably around thirty people we passed on these remote hills that day. After a short stop at the summit to take in the views and some food we descended the snow covered east ridge of An Socach and climbed the Munro Tops of An Riabhachan before strolling along the level ridge to the actual summit. Beyond that there was a small knoll, with a cairn, where a few walkers were gathered. We continued to the narrow ridge of Creagan Toll an Lochan which was still covered in some deep snow so some care was required and once again the ice axes were in use. Once at the bealach between An Riabhachan and Sgurr na Lapaich we had another fuel stop taking in more food and liquid before the ascent of Sgurr na Lapaich. We were able to avoid most of the snow until nearer the summit, where again there were several walkers surrounding the cairn and trig point. I was aware that the initial descent from this summit would be a slight problem as it is narrow and was full of snow but once we were round the first rocky section we were able to descend through the deep soft snow. Occasionally it was too deep and we had to wriggle our way out. On reaching the bealach the ground was free of snow and it was a steady climb to the summit of Carn nan Gobhar. It was now getting late so we crossed over some more snow fields to the bealach between Carn nan Gobhar and Creag Dubh before descending to the path beside the Allt Mullardoch. The path was wet and boggy in many places and it took a while to get back to the north shore of Loch Mullardoch. The final stretch along the Loch's shore was on muddy paths through long heather but after nearly twelve hours we eventually returned to our cars parked beside the dam. It was the end of a pleasant but tough day on the hills with some spectacular views with the higher mountains still covered in snow.
Sgurr Fhuar-thuill23 April 2006
It was the this time last year when, with the same client, I tackled the four Strathfarrar Munros from east to west. However due to the snow conditions, which slowed us down, we only managed to climb three of them. We were now back to bag the final one, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill. Access to the Glen is restricted by a locked gate at Inchmore which is only opened by the Gatekeeper at certain times, (see The Mountaineering Council of Scotland for details) so this was our first obstacle. We arrived minutes before the nine o'clock opening time, and stopped at the gate to wait for our permit. The 'friendly' Gatekeeper came out and asked me to move my vehicle as I was obstructing anyone leaving the Glen. I would have moved if that occurred but to prevent any argument I reversed clear of the gate as she returned to her house. She later reappeared, made some comment about stopping outside her house, gave me my permit and opened the gate to allow us through. So beware, stop before reaching the house or you upset the Gatekeeper. I drove up this scenic and obviously very quiet Glen to around a kilometre west of Braulen Lodge where there is ample parking. We then headed up the track beside the Allt Toll a'Mhuic which has some lovely waterfalls. The vehicle track changed into a path and crossed the Allt Toll a'Mhuic, which was in spate, so we decided to walk round Loch Toll a'Mhuic and rejoin the track further north. We even managed a short break at a sandy section of the Loch which was sheltered from the wind. There was a lot of avalanche debris and we heard a roar and saw snow and a few boulders tumble down the side of Sgurr na Muice. It made us more aware of the dangers within the corrie and to make sure we took a suitable course. We climbed towards the path and found traces of one where it crossed another stream but it followed this stream as it headed into the Corrie. The path on the map doesn't but due to extensive snow cover it was easier to follow the stream. We soon lost this path in the snow which was soft and deep and hid everything including the stream. We were being caught by another walker but when he reached the snow he also slowed down and followed the trail I was making. The walking became very slow as the snow wouldn't hold my weight and I never knew how deep it was. It was also difficult to work out the snow banks and drifts due to the lighting. Once beyond the stream I headed towards where the path should be and the walker behind changed direction and headed towards some hanging cornices, which was a bit of concern to me especially with all the avalanche debris in the area. It was hard work climbing through the steep snow below Sgurr na Fearstaig but we eventually reached the ridge east of this mountain as the cloud descended and it started to snow. It was also windy. We headed towards Sgurr Fhuar-thuill but the weather got slightly worse and as everything round about was now white it was very difficult to see as visibility was now almost zero. Some rocks were located which helped vision and we eventually reached the summit cairn, which was surrounded by drifting snow or ice. We commenced the return towards Sgurr na Feartaig and met the other hill walker following our tracks. He did not have an axe and was just using his poles. Shortly thereafter the cloud cleared and we had some good views. It was decided that we would return down the south ridge of Sgurr na Feartaig and over Sgurr na Muice rather than go back by the ascent route. This route gave us some fantastic views of the snow clad mountains and of the contorted cornices which the other hill walker had come through. I could see his boot prints but I wasn't going to risk going too close to the edge to see how he managed to climb through the cornice. The walk over Sgurr na Muice was sometimes over bare ground or some snow but it wasn't very deep and gave reasonable walking. Once over Sgurr na Muice it was a fairly steep descent avoiding some rocky outcrops and lower down we disturbed some deer, the first we had seen on these mountains. Once below the rocks we crossed over some wet and boggy ground to the track used in the morning and an easy walk back to the start. My client found the walk very tough and said it had been one of the hardest days, condition wise, that she had experienced and she has completed over 230 Munros. For statistical details see here.
An Sidhean27 January 2006
I had arranged earlier in the week with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland for the number of the combination lock for the gate at Inchmore to enable access to Glen Strathfarrar. I was surprised and a bit annoyed when I arrived at the gate to find the combination lock I required wasn't amongst the numerous other locks that secure this gate. I was weighing up my options when a lorry driver, who was going up the Glen, arrived and permitted me entry and saved any embarrassment with my client. On the drive along the Glen there were well over one hundred stags at various locations feeding from piles of silage and this took my client's mind off my earlier problem with the gate. At Monar Dam we parked up as it was very obvious from the signs that we weren't welcome beyond this point, well not in the car. It was cold, frosty and a bit cloudy when we set off along the track to Monar Lodge, followed the signposted route round the property and towards and through a small gorge. Beyond this gorge everything was still and silent, the only noise being from a waterfall miles away. We also had views of the mountains at the head of Loch Monar including the remote Lurg Mor, although the summits were covered in cloud. The path above the north shore of Loch Monar was followed to Gleann Dubh where another path heads uphill towards our destination, An Sidhean. Once higher up we headed along the ridge Mullach a'Gharbh-leathaid disturbing some hinds in the distance. Here there were traces of snow and there was now a cold wind. What a difference to lower down. On approaching the summit we spotted a lone hind through the cloud. On the summit the cloud was trying to break up a bit but as it was cold we headed off to the bealach beside Clach a' Chomharraidh and climbed over the north shoulder of Meall Dubh na Caoidhe and out of the cloud. This was followed by a descent to a stalker's path that led to the Allt a' Choire Dhomhain and back to Loch Monar and from there we retraced our steps to the Dam and the car. During the drive out of the Glen we again saw lots of stags feeding and also spotted some feral goats. The gate wasn't a problem on this occasion as I used the combination numbers, for another lock, supplied to me by the lorry driver. For statistical details see here.
Strathfarrar Munros14 April 2005We arrived early at the locked gate at Inchmore to gain access to Glen Strathfarrar. The gate keeper allowed us through a few minutes early and we drove past large numbers of deer to just before Loch a'Mhuillidh. Leaving the car we walked up the track to the small dam on the Allt Coire Mhuillidh. We then followed a boggy and wet path to the stream flowing down from Sgurr na Ruaidhe. The stream was crossed and we climbed the south-west ridge of Sgurr na Ruaidhe, which was also wet and boggy in places. It appeared that the weather was going to improve as the sun shone on the east corrie of Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais. However it was only a glimpse as it clouded over and later started to snow. A steady climb took us to the summit cairn of Sgurr na Ruaidhe followed by a descent of the snow clad north-west ridge in poor visibility. On reaching the bealach it had stopped snowing but the low cloud and snow covered surface made it difficult to see. Beyond the bealach we climbed up to the east ridge of Carn nan Gobhar where it started to snow again as we reached the boulder strewn summit. Here walking was rather awkward with the soft snow hiding some of the boulders. The next section of the walk required several navigation legs to reach the foot of the north-east ridge. It was then a steep climb up the snow covered ridge towards the summit of Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais. Progress was slow as my client was tiring in these winter conditions and it started to snow again reducing visibility even further. The last section of the climb was over a large snow bank where it was difficult to make out what was snow and what was fresh air. We visited both large cairns and the trig point. It was decided not to continue the walk and to descent the south ridge of Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais. The descent was pleasant down soft snow and lower down we had good views of the corniced ridge. North of Meall a'Gheur-fheadain we dropped down to Coire Mhuillidh, walked round a large area of peat hags before reaching the Allt Coire Mhuillidh. It was flowing fairly fast but we needed to cross it to reach the path on the other side. My client opted for the easier option of wading the stream rather than boulder hopping. Once across the stream we followed it back to the start and the drive out of Glen Strathfarrar. We reached the locked gate with ten minutes to spare as the gate keeper finishes work at 6pm.
Re-visit Strathfarrar28 March 2005The cloud base was a bit higher than the previous day as we parked near the locked gate at Inchmore in Glen Strathfarrar. We walked up the road to the power station at Culligran, which is undergoing some work. It appeared that the power station was in fact being decommissioned. From here we followed a track along the side of the Neaty Burn and through a birch wood. On clearing the trees we commenced the climb of the south ridge of Beinn a'Bhaach Ard. It was an undulating ridge and we had to avoid rocky outcrops, peat hags and bogs as we slowly climbed this hill. The client had obviously become fed up with my conversation and dropped back to be with her own thoughts and plans probably for retribution, but only time will tell. Higher up we entered low cloud and the wind picked up so it was a slow plod to the summit trig point. This was my client's 49th Corbett and this was significant to her but I am not allowed to divulge the reason. However some of her friends will be able to work it out. The plan for this walk was to continue to Sgurr a'Phollain and pick up the path back to Inchmore but as this meant walking into a head wind it was decided to return by our ascent route. There was no improvement in the weather and we were well down the hill before we found some shelter for lunch. Afterwards we continued the descent to the track beside the Neaty Burn and the walk back to Inchmore.
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 Cannich16 February 2004The weather was fine so prior to returning home I decided to bag another Corbett. This one was only a half day of effort and would allow me to return home in the afternoon. I drove from the village of Cannich up Glen Cannich towards Loch Mullardoch. At Muchrachd I parked my car and alighted into a very still and pleasant morning. Two stags were fighting close by and were unperturbed by my presence. Sheep gathered round me hoping that I was about to feed them. Once organised I headed up the steep hillside to the summit of Sgorr na Diollaid where a little scrambling was required to reach the top. A coffee break taking in the views of the surrounding mountains was far superior to those poor soles taking their break surrounded by four walls in a canteen or at their workstation. Oh it’s great to be on top of a mountain on a fine day. Once I had my fill of views I headed over to Sgorr na Diollaid’s West Top before descending back to my car and the end of a great weekend Corbett Bagging.
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.
Glen Strathfarrar16 July 2003I had a day out in Strathfarrar in midweek. I headed for Loch Monar dam. I walked along the side of the loch before climbing An Sidhean. Just before the summit six stags, of various ages, walked across my path before sensing my presence and running off. These stags were the best of pals but that won’t last as October approaches and the rut begins.
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