Easiest Ben Alder route - to fulfil a life goal

[ClanMcLee]

Hi fellow climbers - reaching out for opinions and knowledge please as have a tricky ask.

My father was a keen munroist before he suffered a stroke back in 2017 when on holiday climbing in the Lochcarron area. This has left him partially sighted, however sufficiently fit enough I believe, for someone in their 70's.

It was his life goal to climb all the munro`s south of the Great Glen - with Ben Alder being the only one left to do since the stroke.

I am therefore asking for opinions and recommendations please, as thinking of liaising with the surrounding Estates to ask if there is Land Rover access / vehicle tracks to take him as close as possible prior to a climb to Ben Alder. I would be assisting him on completing this life goal.

Thinking from Corrour and an ascent from the SW, or from the NE better? Weighing up a longer, more regular path, vs. no path and boggy.

Recommendations from experience on the Ben Alder area and paths would be great please and I`ll also liaise with landowner estates to see if they can assist in this unusual situation. This would be a May/June 2022 exercise assuming Covid allows and this is achievable!

Thanks all for any input!

[jmarkb]

From Corrour the easiest way is up the path along the Uisge Labhair then up the pathless but straightforward western slopes via Bealach Cumhann - this is quite long (about 11 miles round trip from Corrour Lodge, though you may be able to get a bit further by vehicle). There is (expensive) self-catering at Corrour Lodge http://www.corrour.co.uk/cottages/ which may be open again this summer - renting one of those would let you drive there. The folk at the Station House http://www.corrour.co.uk/station-house/ may be able to give you more information or tell you who best to contact.

From Culra, the approach is a bit shorter, but the normal route is up the Long Leachas ridge - this has some mild scrambling, so may not be ideal for your father. Alternatively, you could stay on the path up to the Bealach Dubh and head up from there (again likely pathless but not too difficult). The landowner on that side is Ben Alder Estate https://www.ben-alder.com/

The shortest/easiest approach of all would be from Ben Alder Cottage - you might want to look at the possibility of getting there by boat along Loch Ericht.

Best of luck with your mission!