Liathach is rated by many mountaineers and hillwalkers as Scotland's finest mountain, challenged only by An Teallach and the Cuillin of Skye. Its traverse is an expedition that will be remembered forever.
Summary
Well-trodden but exceedingly steep terrain throughout. There is mild rock scrambling en-route to the ridge, and awkward bouldery terrain along it. The path round the Am Fasarinen pinnacles is very exposed, requiring a good head for heights, and the descent from Mullach an Rathain includes steep scree. If unsure, hire a guide.
Terrain
NG934566
Grid ref
10km/6.25 miles
Distance
Grade
Safety warning: Hillwalking when there is snow or ice lying requires ice-axe, crampons and the ability to use them. Some featured routes can become technical ice climbs. Check out our Winter Skills information provided by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
Users'
rating
Public transport
1. Park in the small parking area a couple of hundred metres east of Glen Cottage. If full, use the car park near the bridge at NG958568 and walk back two kilometres down the road. Liathach looms high overhead from here, looking impossible to climb, but a clear path following the east bank of the Allt an Doire Ghairbh stream suggests things might turn out otherwise. Head up this relentlessly steep path.
Photo shows Liathach seen from Loch Clair
2. Once you have almost reached the great cleft in the cliffs above, the path turns to the right and has a couple of steep but simple rocky scrambles before it reaches the ridge a little southwest of Stuc a' Choire Dhubh Bhig. It is worth detouring to this easternmost summit for the stupendous view of Beinn Eighe across the deep trench of Coire Dubh, before returning to this point.
Photo © Nick Bramhall
3. Continue along the main ridge on the well-worn path, crossing the two tops of Bidein Toll a'Mhuic. These are covered with quartzite scree and boulders and the going is slow, whilst the situation is spectacular. After the second summit and descent comes the long climb up the impressive summit cone of Spidean a'Choire Leith, whose summit at 1055 metres (or the easy to remember 3456 feet) is the highest of Liathach's two Munros. The view is spectacular in all directions.
Photo © Nick Bramhall
4. On the descent from Spidean a Choire Leith, take great care in misty conditions not to end up following the ridge
which heads SSE to end in a precipitous prow which projects out from the mountain - prominent in many views of Liathach. Instead
the true route heads more southwest down an initially ill-defined ridge of steep boulders, which eventually levels off. The sight
ahead should set the pulses racing however, as the next section of the ridge is riven into the famous Am Fasarinen pinnacles.
If all these are traversed direct, there may be one or two moves of moderate rock-climbing standard and by any route they are
a hard, exposed scramble. There is a path which traverses a shelf beneath the pinnacles to avoid the scrambling, but it is somewhat
eroded, and sensationally exposed - you might be able to see your parked car when looking down between your feet! Great care
is needed where the path has deteriorated when crossing the back of a couple of gullies. This section continues for several hundred metres.
Photo © Nick Bramhall
5. The path rejoins the ridge just beyond the last pinnacle; if you have used the bypass path, its worth detouring
easily back up to the top of the last pinnacle for the view. Looking down into Coire na Caime is quite sensational. The ridge
now changes character completely and leads without further incident (albeit with huge cliffs plunging on the right) uphill to
the second Munro of Mullach an Rathain. The summit gives a wonderful view of Loch Torridon backed by Skye and the Outer Hebrides on a clear day.
Photo © Nick Bramhall
6. Continue a couple of hundred metres west from Mullach an Rathain before curving round to the left and finally descending the very steep scree slope down into Toll Ban. As a route of ascent this is very trying, but in descent you should soon be down and rejoining the path on the west side of the corrie floor. The path follows the west bank of the Allt an Tuill Bhain steeply downhill; further down it heads away from the stream to the right as it weaves and winds around to avoid the many terraces of sandstone cliffs to return to the Torridon road, two kilometres west of where you started.
Photo - Mullach an Rathain towering above Torridon village
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