Liathach ..Mullach an Rathain

[Lightfoot2017]

Looking for some advice on the above hill please.

I have a long-standing anxiety about Liathach. In 2012 I managed to bag Spidean a Choire Leith but had a serious 'incident' near the Am Fasiren Pinnacles which knocked my confidence really badly. The result was I had to back track the way I came without bagging the second summit.

I'm heading up to Torridon again next week to bag Ben Alligin. And *maybe* Mullach an Rathain.

So my question is this: is it possible to bag MaR from the west without having to traverse any razor edge Arete or ridges. I don't have a head for heights!

I feel this might be a mental block on my part. And if I get get over Liathach, I might even begin to think that I can compleat after all.

Thanks as ever for any advice and insight.

LF

[jmarkb]

Yes, no problem, just reverse the descent in the WH Walk description. Finding the start of the path is a bit of a challenge, and near the top it deteriorates into scree, but there are no difficulties or exposure.
Another option would be to start from the Beinn Alligin car park, go up the Coire Mhic Nobuill path to the bridge and then up and over Sgorr a Chadail, though the lower slopes are rough and pathless.

[Tringa]

Agree with jmaekb, although I have only come down from the Mullach rather than up, so it was straightforward.

Starting from Torridon village, once on the A896 and heading towards Kinlochewe about half a mile from the end of the Torridon village road there is a small plantation of firs on the right side of the road. The path starts more or less opposite the Kinlochewe end of this plantation.

The plantation is roughly triangular in shape and is clear on the satellite image on Google Maps.

Its going to a bit of a slog, though close to 1000m vertical in about 2300m horizontal is never going to be a walk in the park.

If you like you could extend the walk to the west end of the Pinnacles.

Dave

[Lightfoot2017]

Thats brilliant. Thanks so much both. Much appreciated.

[tweedledog]

I've done jmarkb's second option with a friend who didn't want to do the ridge. As he says, it's pathless over roughish ground so becomes a bit of a long-winded trudge. But straightforward enough.If you prefer steeper and shorter then maybe the standard descent route will work better.

[dogplodder]

I had a similar concern about Liathach and wanted to avoid a scree descent so went in by the back door. It worked really well.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75625

[Boris_the_Bold]

I ascended from the west and descended via the 'standard' path down the front - it was a while ago now, but I don't remember having any problems - though I suspect it might be trickier finding a route through the crags in poor visibility, if the OS Explorer map is to believed.

Assuming you do have enough visibility to not really notice the crags, this route is much less steep (same ascent, spread out over a much bigger distance) and allows you to enjoy the lovely walk up the Coire Mhic Nobuil path towards Beinn Alligin, both of which are sufficient to justify this route over the alternative, IMO

Enjoy!

[Lightfoot2017]

Thanks to everyone above for their insight, advice and encouragement on this one.

Quick update: myself and a couple of pals bagged MaR today. Pretty much exactly the route that Dogplodder writes about in the excellent walk report here.

My pals decided to carry onto to Spidean Coire Leith via the path bypassing the Am Fasirinen pinnacles.

But I had bagged it twice previously and didn't feel the need to do it a 3rd time. So I back tracked the way I had come. We had a fabulous day out. Amazing views of Ben Alligin, Beinne Eighe and out over to Skye and even the Western Isles.

I'm sooooooo glad to have gotten that Liathach monkey off my back!

[jmarkb]

Sounds great - glad you had a good day out!