Liathach, pre match nerves turned out to be unnecessary

[ScaredRidgid]

As the remaining Munro's ticked down, Liathach started to loom large in the hills to do. It had loomed large and impenetrable looking last time I had seen it on a rather windy day on Beinn Eighe.

The weather looked fine so I decided it was time.

Unfortunately, the walk, already built up in my head, was built up even more by watching a Go Pro video of the ridge and reading some walk reports.

It sounded worrying.

I contacted the crew, long term unflappable, unstoppable walking companion Bruce and my perfect cousin Kevin. They were up for it and the forecast said a cloudy start would lift to a good clear day.

The day before in Edinburgh had been 26 degrees, so I really was hoping for a cloudy start just to make walking possible.

After a fitful night's sleep, I got up and had my first failure/ refusal of the day. The buttery I had intended for breakfast was inedible cotton wool in my nervous dry mouth and ended up in the bucket.

As we were arriving from 3 different places we decided to leave a car in the Alligin carpark, one at Torridon, at the foot of the direct descent path which I had read was steep, loose and a bit nerve wracking and knee wrecking, and my car at the start - handily placed in case I decided to bail.

Liathach was almost entirely shrouded in mist. Bruce was very confident it would lift. Maybe we would even walk out the top.

Hopefully, I thought, I do not fancy the pinnacles in that mist.

At the beallach was the mist going to lift?

Still the mist made for a cooler walk up the steep but well built path to the ridge east of Spidean. I tried to think of other things and calm my worries. If you don't like it you can come back down. Kevin commented I was unusually quiet (compared to my usual non stop rambling whilst rambling).

We were approaching the ridge still no sign of the mist clearing, if anything the cloud seemed to follow us up the hill. The rocks on the path were worryingly slippy in places.

I don't think I can do this in mist I said. I had been making my excuses all morning. Despite the cooling mist I was dripping sweat. Must take a cloth with me in future I thought to mop my brow.

We reached the ridge. We had taken our time, partly me delaying the dread march and partly giving the sun time to burn the cloud away.

My cousin had a top to pick up - from where great views of Beinn Eighe might be had. Not today though. The lads set off.

I stayed on the ridge, eyeing the obvious cairn that marked the way down and my escape route.

I had a few practise scrambles on near by rocks, up the crest, turn round climb down, back up, climb down facing in. Apparently there is dreaded face in climb down involved in these pinnacles. It will be fine. It will be fine. I did not feel fine.

I heard voices approaching from the mist. The lads were back. No problems or excitement doing the top.

Let's go. I was anxious to move. They decided they fancied a snack before setting off. No hurry.

I couldn't face my piece. I tried a joob joob (jelly sweet - wine guns on this occasion - I learned the hard or rather the soft liquid soup way a few weeks ago that this is no weather for chocolate and had been walking on joob joobs ever since).

We set off up Spidean, over a minor top then things get a bit bouldery. We started to emerge from the cloud.

Have you looked over there, the lads asked. Look at Beinn Eighe emerging from the mist. I increasingly fearful and miserable was not for looking over anywhere. I was grimly looking at my feet.

peaking through the cloud

We arrived on the first top. We still couldn't see the dreaded ridge, that loomed hideous in my imagination but we could see glimpses of the fearsome Northern ridge - didn't do much to calm my nerves.

Anyone want a joob joob? Aye. The lads took theirs and I popped a wine gum in my mouth. Swallowed. The second sweet, a yellow one, I chewed and chewed and chewed but it stubbornly did not want to be swallowed. The butterflies had my stomach fully occupied.

We set off.

Oh no.

I proceeded to throw up repeatedly on to the rocks just beyond the summit. Pulling myself together we set off again and I immediately threw up again.

Thankfully my walking companions have strong stomachs and were largely unaffected by me boaking up what turned out to be mostly water - having not really been able to eat anything all morning.

Ok, I thought, now I really do *have* to do this. It will be fine. For your own sanity, you have to do it now or you'll never scramble again, and An teallach is waiting. At least you're not likely to be sick on the ridge now you've got that out of the way.

We picked our way down through the bouldery descent to the ridge. The start of it had just begun to appear.
That bit looks ok I thought and it's not that long.

Just remember, it's not that long.
Take your time.

It's not as bad as Aonach Eagach and the AE turned out to be okay. Just like eating an elephant. One bite at a time. Although having been fear chucking, maybe eating elephants wasn't the most comforting thought right now.

Only the start of the ridge was visible

I had been told - do not take the bypass path. The bypass path is horrible. This by my dad who is either fearless or daft or possibly both. He has many tales of sliding down tricky descents, clinging to pinnacles, and just taking a wander from Sgurr Banachdich to the In Pinn for a look and then strolling back.

Cripes if he thinks it was terrifying, then it could offer me no solace.

The closer we got though the more of the ridge appeared.

We'll just miss that first bit I thought. No point getting too into it too early. No need to stick entirely to the crest. There were some fellow walkers coming in the opposite direction anyway. They were looking at the down climb a little sceptically.

I wanted to ask them how it was. But then again, I didn't want to know unless they were going to say easy peesey.

The rock by this time was dry and warm at least.
The temperature was rising steadily. And now I had had my chunder I was feeling a little better.

We cut up to the ridge and attacked the second section of rock (the end of the first pinnacle). I had arranged for my more intrepid friend to go first and guide me but when it came to it I set off first. Be brave. Be brave.

So far so good. I down climbed a small bit. My companions walked round it. Still on the ridge but just skirting the small down climb.

Up again.

I think we come down the side of this bit I said.
Bruce decided to have a quick look over the end.
Yes he concluded. Maybe down the side.

An easy descent following an obviously well used route was found. Looking back at the down climb over the end it was clear if you were keen, you could, and with plenty of holds but we had no regrets over our choice.

This is ok so far. So far. I still had a lurking fear there was worse to come. But so far this was fun one (fun one - fun at the time, fun two - only fun afterwards, fun three - no fun at all).

Middle section of ridge. Nice dry rock with good holds

I hadn't been making a mountain out of a molehill. This is after all, definitely a mountain. But it seemed I made a scary mountain out of quite a good walk. I used to look for scrambles for fun but at some point, probably round about having kids and realising I was responsible for more lives than just my own, I had turned into a total bottler. With ridge walks, it's the fear that I will seize that gives me fear. Once I am actually scrambling, within limits, I am ok with a bit of exposure.

That said, when we met another walker who said it was lovely but a little airy, I said please don't say airy. Airy, as we all know, is scrambling guide euphemism for a wee bit scary / bring a change of underwear.

So far no problems though. The views over to Beinn Dearg were spectacular. The climbing was good. The alternative routes were many. The bypass path was now far below us but up on the ridge it was possible to bypass going over the head of most tricky bits. And the landing spots of any down climbs are wide and secure. Only the occasional bum shuffle required to get into a good position. No long reaches such as might be required on the AE and hand holds and plenty on the lovely rounded layered rocks. There is the odd loose rock but as soon as you detect a wobble they are easily avoided with more secure options nearby. Some care required not to loosen rocks down on to climbers below though.

Now for the main meal of the ridge. The larger pointed, final pinnacle. This one we suspected was where the turn in down climb was.

The bypass was a long way below and didn't look appealing. Narrow and winding round corners. Not so much a chicken run, as a fearless goat path. Just a much lower but no less scary route better suited to to the surefooted who like skipping along near vertical surfaces. From here the ridge looks much wider and more forgiving. Passing on the ridge is easy - just as well as everyone we met was going the opposite way. On the bypass it looked hair raising.

Another section of ridge.

We set up off the final pinnacle. Kevin came to a sudden stop. Your opinion on this Bruce. They hemmed and hawed. There may even have been chin stroking. I peered round. There was a slightly tricky step around a ledge ahead to reach a chimney with plenty of steps and holds.

Hmm.

I was thinking well, I will if they do. Looks not to bad.

But in the end we decided to descend (actually slide on our arses a short distance down a steep grassy slope dislodging gravel as we went) to get to the bottom of the chimney and ascend.

It was a longish pitch but still fine. I wouldn't really fancy climbing down this though I was thinking. I hope we are not climbing up something we can't get down.

We arrived on the top of the pointed pinnacle. So far so good. Now to descend. As we hadn't face in down climbed yet it must be here.

We sent Bruce ahead. He strolled off. We followed. The first third was visible and looked easy. Just a winding path picking through the rocks. The second section came into view. Same again.

The tricky bit must be below this said Kevin.
Shush I replied.

No perils emerged it was a stroll to the relatively safety of the ridge and on to the cairn that marks the end of the pinnacles.

Woo hoo we made it.

Looking back at last pinnacle. The bypass path low down looks no bad here.

The trickiest bits had been the bumslide down the grass and then the chimney. The chimney wasn't tricky but I am not sure I would fancy it in the opposite direction. That said foot and hand holds are numerous, the slope is ok and it runs out on to slope not a drop.

Fair pleased with ourselves we surveyed our surrounding. I had a celebratory sweet.
Torridon was now bathed in sunshine.
A few wisps of cloud clung to the slope up to Mullaich an Rathain, the second Munro.

Am faserinen

We took good time to look around. I called my dad to tell him I had made the ridge albeit without my stomach contents.

I realised with a laugh that Spidean of the spewing was my 250th Munro. What a way to celebrate.

The stroll of MaR was a pleasure and we had a leisurely look round at the glory of Torridon.

Northern ridge

Now for the descent.
I had been worrying nearly as much about this as the ridge. Therefore I was eyeing up the much gentler looking western ridge.

That said looking down the normal descent path to Torridon looked steep but not scary.

Kevin opted to go that way. Handy that his car just happened to be parked there Or was this the plan all along.

He is a fast descender. I am notoriously slow and the steeper the slope the slower I go. Hard steep paths especially with big steps are my hillwalking nemesis.

He would much much faster without me.

We said our goodbyes and Bruce and I set off to the West. The map only showed a path going to about 400m but sure it would be fine.

We were treated to glorious views over Torridon and to the West. Alligan to our right looked amazing.

The sea looked so inviting and I was thinking about the end of the day swim and how good it would be.

The inviting sea

The walking was easy. A gradual descent over soft sandy ground. With my knees a longer horizontal distance is counter intuitively faster.

However as we started getting further west without dropping much height I started doubting my reading of contours had been correct. We were going to have to loose height sometime! Eventually we started picking our way down increasingly steep slopes. Steep but grassy. In my still euphoric state I just got on with it. Nothing too tricky, just steep and pathless.

We hit a deer fence and found a stile.

It had been ok going to this point. The steep going had only been about 200 to 250 m of descent.

From here on in, unfortunately, it was a chore. Long grass hid many foot trapping hollows. Perhaps we should have cut over to the Mhic Nobaill path.

Anyway, after a bit of cursing and stumbling, we hit the road and walked back to the waiting car.

View towards Torridon village

In the end I opted for a swim in Loch Clare. A refreshing end to an absolutely perfect day.

Loch Clare