The Cape Wrath trail part 2 Ullapool to Glendu Bothy
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:51 pm
The Cape Wrath trail part 2. Ullapool to Duag Bridge
Link to Part 1
Map of Part 2 Ullapool to Duag Bridge
Day 9 Sun 10th Ullapool to Duag Bridge. Approx 15.5 miles
Weather; sunny, warm and calm.
It was today that I was to say goodbye to Michelle, she had less time to complete the rest of the walk, so was going to skip my next 2 nights stops, and head north straight for Inchnadamph, I would miss her company, but it was also nice to be solo again. Up at 7.30 to a lovely sunny morning, after breakfast I said my goodbyes to Michelle, and was away by 9.15am. I took the long but easy going track that leads east, past Loch Achail
& Loch an Daimh, I popped in Knockdamph Bothy (at 1.30pm) and noted in the Bothy book that a couple had stopped there last night and were also doing the CWT, so were a day ahead of me. The walking was a joy today in the warm sunshine, what a contrast from last week! After the Bothy the path leads down gradually to a river crossing which was fine today, but there were stories in book of people having to go miles upstream in bad weather to get across. At 3.30pm I reached the old schoolhouse Bothy at Duag Bridge.
A wooden building that doesn’t look like a Bothy, with double glazing, curtains & nets etc. This was going to be my home for the night. I sat outside, soaking up the sun, until it set at 8pm.
Day 10
Mon 11th Knockdamph to Benmore Approx 14.7 miles
Weather; sunny, warm and calm.
Had one of my longest night’s sleep, from 9.45pm till 8.10am, earlier on I went for a leak outside at 7am to find a crisp frost on the ground. Away by 9.15am in shorts and t-shirt, down the forest road to reach Oykel bridge by 10.30am, were the couple from the Bothy book, who had just packed up and were then ready for the off. After a chat I left ahead of them to walk up Glen Oykel, I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy the stretch that leads through the trees (I don’t like walking through forests) but it was really nice walking, with some distance views of mountains and a wide river on one side for most of the way.
I then passed Loch Ailsh and Benmore lodge,
and continued for about another mile to 329131 where there is a confluence of the rivers and a good wild camp site in between on a nice grassy spot.
So I set camp here at 2.45pm and again relaxed in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. Some time later the couple came by and camped a little higher up the river. He came down later to chat about our past weeks adventures and our plans for the days ahead. I lost the sun behind the hills by 8.30, after that it soon became chilly again, so to bed by 9.30pm and had another good nights sleep.
Day 11
Tues 12th Benmore to Inchnadamph approx 7.8miles
Weather; sunny, warm with a slight breeze.
Awoke to a cloudless sky, and so it remained for the day, packed and away by 9.15am, a track leads up the glen for a couple of miles,
then disappeared until I reached the 510metres pass at 11.30am, from there a path leads directly down to Inchnadamph, along this part I passed many heading up for Ben more Assynt & Conival. I reached my pre-booked B&B at 1pm (tried to book in the hostel about 3 weeks earlier to find it was booked up by a University group, so if anybody hopes to turn up here, they could be unlucky, try to book ahead, as it can get booked up with groups) Although about £10 more than the hostel, the b&b was great, more like self catering, the owner lived nearby, and left you alone to use the facilities:- lounge with sky TV, kitchen with washer (I washed a load), cooker, microwave etc. Fridge stocked with everything in it for a cold breakfast, (you helped/and did it yourself) I shared it with another couple who had been stopping for a few days. Again I sat in the sun, with cups of tea and toast when needed, and with the bar only yards away it was like heaven…except there was no real ale (just keg) in the bar…so only at the gates! Later I met the couple doing the CWT again in the bar, who had to camp nearby due to the “No Vacancies” situation.
EDIT April 2012 The lady in the bungalow no longer does B&B
Day 12
Wed 12th Inchnadamph to Glendu approx 16.2 miles.
Weather; sunny, windy and cold up high, warmer later.
To make my rucksack somewhat lighter (the food parcel I’d sent here had food for the best part of 5 days :- with only 1 more shop at Kinlochbervie to restock) I left some clothes I no longer needed at the hostel, as I would be able to pick them up when passing again next week, and luckily the couple stopping with me in the b&b were driving north, so would drop off a food parcel of any food I didn’t need for the next 2 days at the Rhinconich Hotel where I was due to pass in 2 days time. So with a lighter load…until later…read on, I set of at 9am up the excellent path that leads eventually to the top of the Eas a’Chual Aluinn waterfall, as I got higher even though it was sunny, it got windier and colder. I reached the high pass (630metres) at 10.45am.
This was one of my best high view points of the trip, with the excellent visibility I could look back south across mountains as far as I could see to the distant horizon, that only covered part of my trip so far, and then looking north to mountains I was to pass in the next few days, it certainly gave me a sense of the achievement that I was gaining.
The path from here led to the east, but I had to leave this path after some distance to continue downwards and then west to get to the glen, and although there was no path shown on my map, I found a good track down to the glen about 1 mile east of the waterfall, once I reached the glen there was no path, and I just followed the river passed the waterfall,
(which was also a “waterrise” with the wind today!) which eventually led to a very choppy Loch Beag, from here I followed the loch side to pick up a path that led over to Glencoul Bothy (1.15pm),
it was here that my rucksack became heavy again, as I took a bag of coal left here (there was plenty to spare, and loads of wood here) to carry to Glendu Bothy, as I knew there wasn’t any fuel locally there. After a 15min break, I headed for the path to take me over the headland to the high point at 205metres,
this path was no more than a series of sheep like tracks on very steep precarious hillside, care had to be taken here as the drop was very severe, once higher up it eased, and once over the high 205metres point I was pleased to find a good path continue (not shown on my map) down to the edge of Loch Glendu and around to Glendu Bothy, by now 3.35pm.
An hour later a couple turned up by chance, as they never knew a Bothy was here, they were fairly glad as the wind was still strong and finding a good sheltered suitable camping spot would have been a problem. We sat in the sun in the lee of the wind at the gable end, and later we had a good fire for the evening, that extra weight was now being rewarded. So we chatted into the evening, it turned out that they only lived about 15 miles away from me. During the day I had picked up a text from Michelle saying that she had been told of a big MOD/NATO exercise taking place around Cape Wrath this week and next, and would keep me posted when she knew more, not good news.
Day 13
Link to Part 3
Link to Part 1
Map of Part 2 Ullapool to Duag Bridge
Day 9 Sun 10th Ullapool to Duag Bridge. Approx 15.5 miles
Weather; sunny, warm and calm.
It was today that I was to say goodbye to Michelle, she had less time to complete the rest of the walk, so was going to skip my next 2 nights stops, and head north straight for Inchnadamph, I would miss her company, but it was also nice to be solo again. Up at 7.30 to a lovely sunny morning, after breakfast I said my goodbyes to Michelle, and was away by 9.15am. I took the long but easy going track that leads east, past Loch Achail
& Loch an Daimh, I popped in Knockdamph Bothy (at 1.30pm) and noted in the Bothy book that a couple had stopped there last night and were also doing the CWT, so were a day ahead of me. The walking was a joy today in the warm sunshine, what a contrast from last week! After the Bothy the path leads down gradually to a river crossing which was fine today, but there were stories in book of people having to go miles upstream in bad weather to get across. At 3.30pm I reached the old schoolhouse Bothy at Duag Bridge.
A wooden building that doesn’t look like a Bothy, with double glazing, curtains & nets etc. This was going to be my home for the night. I sat outside, soaking up the sun, until it set at 8pm.
Day 10
Mon 11th Knockdamph to Benmore Approx 14.7 miles
Weather; sunny, warm and calm.
Had one of my longest night’s sleep, from 9.45pm till 8.10am, earlier on I went for a leak outside at 7am to find a crisp frost on the ground. Away by 9.15am in shorts and t-shirt, down the forest road to reach Oykel bridge by 10.30am, were the couple from the Bothy book, who had just packed up and were then ready for the off. After a chat I left ahead of them to walk up Glen Oykel, I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy the stretch that leads through the trees (I don’t like walking through forests) but it was really nice walking, with some distance views of mountains and a wide river on one side for most of the way.
I then passed Loch Ailsh and Benmore lodge,
and continued for about another mile to 329131 where there is a confluence of the rivers and a good wild camp site in between on a nice grassy spot.
So I set camp here at 2.45pm and again relaxed in the sun for the rest of the afternoon. Some time later the couple came by and camped a little higher up the river. He came down later to chat about our past weeks adventures and our plans for the days ahead. I lost the sun behind the hills by 8.30, after that it soon became chilly again, so to bed by 9.30pm and had another good nights sleep.
Day 11
Tues 12th Benmore to Inchnadamph approx 7.8miles
Weather; sunny, warm with a slight breeze.
Awoke to a cloudless sky, and so it remained for the day, packed and away by 9.15am, a track leads up the glen for a couple of miles,
then disappeared until I reached the 510metres pass at 11.30am, from there a path leads directly down to Inchnadamph, along this part I passed many heading up for Ben more Assynt & Conival. I reached my pre-booked B&B at 1pm (tried to book in the hostel about 3 weeks earlier to find it was booked up by a University group, so if anybody hopes to turn up here, they could be unlucky, try to book ahead, as it can get booked up with groups) Although about £10 more than the hostel, the b&b was great, more like self catering, the owner lived nearby, and left you alone to use the facilities:- lounge with sky TV, kitchen with washer (I washed a load), cooker, microwave etc. Fridge stocked with everything in it for a cold breakfast, (you helped/and did it yourself) I shared it with another couple who had been stopping for a few days. Again I sat in the sun, with cups of tea and toast when needed, and with the bar only yards away it was like heaven…except there was no real ale (just keg) in the bar…so only at the gates! Later I met the couple doing the CWT again in the bar, who had to camp nearby due to the “No Vacancies” situation.
EDIT April 2012 The lady in the bungalow no longer does B&B
Day 12
Wed 12th Inchnadamph to Glendu approx 16.2 miles.
Weather; sunny, windy and cold up high, warmer later.
To make my rucksack somewhat lighter (the food parcel I’d sent here had food for the best part of 5 days :- with only 1 more shop at Kinlochbervie to restock) I left some clothes I no longer needed at the hostel, as I would be able to pick them up when passing again next week, and luckily the couple stopping with me in the b&b were driving north, so would drop off a food parcel of any food I didn’t need for the next 2 days at the Rhinconich Hotel where I was due to pass in 2 days time. So with a lighter load…until later…read on, I set of at 9am up the excellent path that leads eventually to the top of the Eas a’Chual Aluinn waterfall, as I got higher even though it was sunny, it got windier and colder. I reached the high pass (630metres) at 10.45am.
This was one of my best high view points of the trip, with the excellent visibility I could look back south across mountains as far as I could see to the distant horizon, that only covered part of my trip so far, and then looking north to mountains I was to pass in the next few days, it certainly gave me a sense of the achievement that I was gaining.
The path from here led to the east, but I had to leave this path after some distance to continue downwards and then west to get to the glen, and although there was no path shown on my map, I found a good track down to the glen about 1 mile east of the waterfall, once I reached the glen there was no path, and I just followed the river passed the waterfall,
(which was also a “waterrise” with the wind today!) which eventually led to a very choppy Loch Beag, from here I followed the loch side to pick up a path that led over to Glencoul Bothy (1.15pm),
it was here that my rucksack became heavy again, as I took a bag of coal left here (there was plenty to spare, and loads of wood here) to carry to Glendu Bothy, as I knew there wasn’t any fuel locally there. After a 15min break, I headed for the path to take me over the headland to the high point at 205metres,
this path was no more than a series of sheep like tracks on very steep precarious hillside, care had to be taken here as the drop was very severe, once higher up it eased, and once over the high 205metres point I was pleased to find a good path continue (not shown on my map) down to the edge of Loch Glendu and around to Glendu Bothy, by now 3.35pm.
An hour later a couple turned up by chance, as they never knew a Bothy was here, they were fairly glad as the wind was still strong and finding a good sheltered suitable camping spot would have been a problem. We sat in the sun in the lee of the wind at the gable end, and later we had a good fire for the evening, that extra weight was now being rewarded. So we chatted into the evening, it turned out that they only lived about 15 miles away from me. During the day I had picked up a text from Michelle saying that she had been told of a big MOD/NATO exercise taking place around Cape Wrath this week and next, and would keep me posted when she knew more, not good news.
Day 13
Link to Part 3