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Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig


Postby weaselmaster » Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:59 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Càrn a'Ghobhair, Cruach Doir'an Raoigh, Sgùrr Bhuidhe, Sidhean Mòr (Morar)

Date walked: 13/12/2020

Distance: 27.5 km

Ascent: 1795m

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It was with a mixture of disbelief and delight that I learned of Inverclyde's demotion to Covid Tier 2 this week. That means hills are accessible again to us:D I had imagined that we'd be shut in Tier 3 until at least mid-January, but here was an unexpected boon for getting through the short December days. I got out the maps again and thought where we might get to - it didn't really matter as long as we were out! Not having the big packs this weekend would be preferable, so I spied a little cluster of hills around Mallaig that looked like they'd fit the bill. Campsites are impossible just now - they're either shut for the winter or not taking tents, so I reckoned we'd make do at Morar Sands, which we've used various times before.

Freed from the leash of Tier Three, we headed up on Friday night. Calm conditions but persistent rain. All the snow from the last week or so appears to have melted into the wet ground - there was no sign of any white where we were - although peering over into Knoydart on Saturday we did note some snow still on the higher reaches of Ladhar Bheinn.


cruachdoir Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



We began with a little hill down on the Ardnish peninsula, Cruach Doir' an Raoigh, a pimple just under 300m. Access is via the track that leads to the (now closed) Peanmeanach Bothy, one that we'd not been to. We walked through woods of sessile oaks, the ground strewn with a carpet of umber and ochre, to an old stone bridge over the railway line (a great place to see the Hogwarts Express sail beneath you, I'd imagine) We slowly gained height along the flank of our hill before choosing a point to leave the path and head upwards. Ground underfoot wet but firm, no battling with tussocks, for which we were truly grateful. From the summit we looked out to Eigg, with cloud laying over it like a fluffy blanket. We chose a somewhat steeper route down to rejoin the track and thence back to the car. A great little hill if you were on your way to/from Mallaig, this one.

Image35593151-37AA-4565-95EF-2D060FC0A475_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageB32EAD17-EAE5-4165-93FE-244F37B32B9A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image42486612-8D6D-4F4D-B51A-C131646C2868_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageDE9AA180-6962-4E25-9FA7-003474DF169B_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Our hill ahead
ImageBF934687-2959-43A4-A006-496C21399574_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image98541945-8DA2-4C70-B51B-E21FB2B61425_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

We drove further up the road towards Mallaig, taking the small road along the loch side to Bracora, then continuing on to the very end of the road at Bracorina. There's a turning circle and a rash of signs about no camping/no fires/no overnight parking, which I guess says a lot about how popular it gets here in summertime. No-one here but us chickens today. There's enough space to part a couple of cars without causing an obstruction.


bhuidheghobhair Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



I'd chosen to do two Marilyns from up here - Sgurr Buidhe and Carn a'Ghobhair - taking a line in from the south, although there is a track that comes in from the west and would provide an alternate route. We chose to follow a track that was heading to Stoul, for no reason other than it was a track, even if at a tangent to our intended direction of travel. This was a bit at odds with the route I had planned, which had us ascending on the western side of the Allt an-t Sagairt but no matter, we could compensate for this later on.

Image0B090C19-F837-49CC-989C-2E09E161CC30_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageFC8B76C2-488D-4706-976D-EA7FC2B3B673_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

As earlier, the ground, once we had left the track, was firm underfoot and the going relatively easy. A few melancholy sheep watched our progress with vacant stares. Everything was that wonderful orange-dun colour - I surprised a dog fox lying in the grasses, with a coat of the same colour as the surrounds - he trotted off in high dudgeon after he'd been spied . We could see out first hill up ahead, with a knobby prow marking the summit. The smirry rain had abated, but we saw wisps of mist come down over the hillside, obscuring what I'm sure would be good views north to Knoydart. We gradually curved round to meet the track I'd drawn on the GPS and thence to the top of Sgurr Bhuidhe. Hill number 999 for Allison.

Sgurr Bhuidhe
Image5DF74550-4254-45B5-9F52-8953C7EC832A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Mist creeps in
Image4BA8299B-B437-4FA5-81FC-B4C911C5B1BB_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image38D52729-C882-46FE-B58F-D580DE792BD3_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Summit plug
Image6567A1B5-FBFC-4620-AF06-632CF7FCE542_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageABB6F24F-C74E-430B-A654-49307CEC311E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

We could see our next port of call due north - however getting there involved a steep grassy descent from Sgurr Bhuidhe to the shores of Loch Eireagoraidh then a climb of 350m back up to the summit of Carn a'Ghobhair. On the map the hill appears to have two names, with Sgurr Eireagoraidh being an alternate to the more pronounceable Carn a'Ghobhair. We paused at the loch for lunch and looked for the best line up. Crossing the streams that inflow to the loch was easier than I'd feared (sheep trails helped) and we were soon making our slow way up the easier slopes of Leacann nam Fuaran before heading over to the summit. 1000! Allison, as befitting one who only reluctantly climbs Marilyns, was suitably unimpressed, but I'm pleased that she got to this momentous milestone before the end of the year, something I didn't think we'd have a chance of given the circumstances. The cairn has the remains of a trig column, most of which has been exploded into fragments; a skeletal structure of iron rods with clumps of aggregate still attached - presumably lightning strike.

Carn a'Ghobhair
ImageC0C680ED-9A92-4BBE-A3DE-B611A0C412B0_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageE5234C6A-16AE-4644-B954-35831FAB040F_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image2A91BEFD-CC51-4CB2-B9AD-F50BCACAE882_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image484924DD-D9BE-455E-8AEC-0CE3006E584A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Go Girl! Upper Hall of Fame!!
ImageA39167C1-F768-460A-BAC9-E6267A75928E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

View across to Knoydart
Image2BBC40DF-08B4-4B19-8B75-FC46FCC0CA51_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

From the top I chose a steeper, quicker route down to the loch side and we picked up the end of the track that comes in from Glascarnoch. The weather was improving - a sudden burst of sunshine picked out a large rainbow over the loch. It's good to be out on days like this. We followed the track for a short way then crossed the An Leth Allt before it became too wide. My route took us round the west side of Sgurr Bhuidhe, over a succession of remarkably flat meadows until we eventually began our descent towards the road. This part of the trip took a bit longer than I was expecting and it was four pm by the time we reached the tarmac and headed back to the car, passing a farmer with a clutch of collies of all ages. Back to Morar Sands, tent up for a mostly dry night, the sounds of the surf crashing then ebbing ing along the beach music to the ears (although Allison maintained that I was hearing the sound of the River Monar.)

Image22187898-2553-410B-8A4D-1A9AA80CA69A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image24711738-8C53-45C3-960B-21D3E5B68004_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image5C1CA2F4-4F42-4B16-9525-CDCC9831185E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Sun sinking over Eigg
ImageBCD5EDFD-9B68-43D8-A043-F46BFA176277 by Al, on Flickr

Image9EAEE04A-4244-44D5-B2DA-91D54C22909B by Al, on Flickr


sitheanmor Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



I hadn't been sure what to finish our short weekend up with - there is a line of three Marilyns to the north of the A830 that needs doing, although the route I had for them was 23k, way too far for this time of year. However, we could pick off the westernmost hill, Sithean Mor, leaving an easier and shorter route for us to return to the others at some future date. That seemed like a good idea. Sunday was significantly windier than Saturday had been, and although still mild at around 8 degrees, felt colder. We parked at the beginning of a muddy track into Glen Beasdale - there's room for 1 car - and set off along the glen. Sithean Mor is right in your face from the off, and it looked perfectly possible to take a direct route up the face, provided you have visibility to negotiate the crags. We, however, preferred a gentler approach and took part of the route I'd drawn up for the trio of hills, which meant going along the glen on the track and starting up the hillside after the face has been passed by - Aodann an t-Sithein - the Big Fairy's Face...

ImageF9EA8C21-8E9E-417E-BF2C-CFA98BD0A8CA_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Face of the Big Fairy
ImageCBFCD752-6988-4AD0-AAC0-F620D5A2F02E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

I love the hills in this part of the world - so rugged and characterful. Two of my favourite Grahams - Meith Bheinn and An Stac - are just along to the east, and I could happily wander these tracks for days. Needless to say there were no people about (we'd seen no-one on any of our hills this weekend), only some deer. And we followed a helpful deer path after leaving the track, being somewhat confused where we were heading. Carn Dearg sits looking rocky and impressive, but that wasn't our objective, our route wound back on itself, coming up the back of Sithean Mor, which is thereby deprived of any grandeur. As we climbed the wind gusts increased in strength which became a little hazardous on the combination of wet rock and slippy boulders at the top. There's a cairn, with a spot height of 601m (making this a "weasel" by my own classification - I've only one of these left in Scotland now, Lady Lea Hill). We walked over to the trig column, which , my GPS told me was higher than the cairn, although that's not what hill-bagging or indeed the map states.

Carn Dearg, but we're not going there
ImageBEB47CDC-B49E-4B5A-8A24-52BA4A1BD5AF_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image451AC951-1F1F-42F9-B495-8BAC85B66DA8_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Image67099675-2D5B-46D9-8625-F6716AD13092_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

ImageDAC4AAF5-204F-4409-B8B7-5F7890128023_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Lunch was taken out of the wind - I discovered I'd left my cup and coffee in the car, so we had refreshing hot water to drink (at least it was hot :lol: ) then began our descent. Unfortunately, on the way back down, Allison slipped whilst coming down a little awkward move and twisted her arm up behind her back. I feared at first she'd dislocated her shoulder, but it may be rotator cuff injury, not what the doctor ordered, that's for sure. Our walk back to the car took a bit longer as a result. As we made it back the rain started again and it rained all the way down the road, a dreich day indeed, with a lot of places looking like they'd received much more in the way of rainfall than we did over the weekend. But to be honest, it could have been raining slates, it was lovely just to get out again.

ImageEFA5260A-3DA2-40D2-B50E-E15EB8E94C54 by Al, on Flickr
weaselmaster
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Re: Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Postby gammy leg walker » Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:54 pm

Congratulations to Sick Kid on reaching 1000 Marilyn's, hope the shoulder injury clears up soon.
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Re: Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Postby mash tun » Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:18 am

Good to see you back out again and a big well done to Allison for her 1000th. Hoping her injury clears up very quickly.
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Re: Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Postby weaselmaster » Thu Dec 17, 2020 11:58 am

mash tun wrote:Good to see you back out again and a big well done to Allison for her 1000th. Hoping her injury clears up very quickly.


Thanks, nothing that'll stop her getting out this weekend, thankfully.
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Re: Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Postby malky_c » Thu Dec 17, 2020 2:12 pm

Nice work - congratulations to both of you (well almost) 8) .

Great area - all of the hills round here are worth a visit - loads of ground that very few people visit.

Sgurr Eireagoraidh was a favourite of mine (or more specifically Sgurr an Eilean Ghiubhais just to the east) - great vantage point for Loch Nevis and Knoydart.
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Re: Cracking 1000 Marilyns in Mallaig

Postby Sgurr » Thu Dec 17, 2020 5:08 pm

Well done to Allison on the 1000th Marilyn. Hope it isn't a rotor cuff tear. Acquired one in Skye showing, and it took at least 6 months and lots of going swimming to get the water to raise it as far as chin level, lots of going walking with the pole in the unaccustomed left hand. I SHOULD have kept on with the exercises far longer than I did, and got a guide to take me up my last Graham (Stac Pollaidh) as I was scared of depending on it. Even now, I reach for high shelves with my left hand. However, she is a good deal younger and fitter than I was at the time, and it may not be that at all. I pulled mine out a second time holding on to the side of a boat as it raced across Loch Seaforth trying to beat the predicted gales.
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