Ghosts of Glen Shiel

[scottnairn]

Munros #21 + #22 + #23, yaddah-yaddah all the way to #27!
The South Glen Shiel Ridge

A summit camp tale with Scott and Matt

A little over two weeks since an excellent and testing paddle/camp/hike on the fringes of Knoydart and clearly, the stories had got out and the hype for some big outings before the autumn nights rolled in were in demand!!!
See that report here: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=109318

The plan is always simple, until we go to enact it to the finest detail. Go to Glen Shiel, hike massive ridge on the South side with a maximum of 9 Munros (for mere mortals), camp roughly halfway along at the 6th Munro and watch our "bagging" credentials soar like a golden eagle called Icarus.

Here's how it actually went...

Much of this walk report comes on a night where I am sat reminiscing, with the Champions League football playing on a tablet beside me. Far separated interests, indeed, but don't worry; I won't bore you all with the transgressions of 22 wealthy athletes who chase the round bag of air but the footy and the tablet does tie in with a conversation had this evening with Matt T - the progression of technology, even now, becoming more and more useful and accessible - something that was not a "given" in the mountains only a few short years past, in 2017. More on the football and technology links later

Unbeknown to me, Matthew had never camped on top of a mountain before. I guess the best time to mention it would be as part of conversation on the South Glen Shiel Ridge; at least it was very relevant to events. A great many plans have been made, and successfully completed this year with the hills as the focal point. Glen Shiel's famous southern ridge holds allure for many as an opportunity for easy Munro-bagging, 7 routinely completed in a day's walking with the option to include more, energy and time permitting. I've been banging on about it for a long time, and it is usually Matt who hears me haha! So I twisted his arm to book a Monday off work so we could head up for an overnight camp above 3,000ft. His lack of hill time this year, due to home, work and other sporting commitments (he's a busy boy!!), was telling - the first Munro was a long walk in and relentless on the way up. It is certainly one hell of a workout, whether you are used to it or not! There was not a breath of wind, highly unusual and with it no respite from working up a considerable sweat. Mercy on us that no midges remained this late on in the year! A late start to the day, thick cloud and fading daylight put us roughly 5 or 6 Munros behind 'ideal planned camp-spot'. We battled on, and were graced with some moments of clarity through the clag, before settling for some less boggy grass at the foot of Munro no.3.

Quoting myself above, my ruminations from Facebook albums ring true still, but I can expand. Matt's prior sporting commitment had been a charity swim across the Moray Firth - he had been a sea kayak based marshall to aid the swimmers through the swell. The cause - a local Highland League footballer had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour; his friends, teammates and members throughout the community lending their talents to fundraise for treatment and pledging their support for the hard times inevitably to come. We are all mostly blessed with the trials and tribulations of a long, exhausting day in the hills, facing them with a wry smile, good health and the inferred promise of more days ahead. Sadly, this was an example of life's cruel twists, worse than any false summit...

Matt was available sometime after lunch, likely being picked up in a rush so we could head directly towards Kintail, two hours or so west. By the time we arrived, he was tired, hungry and probably shouldn't have been carrying all the kit for a night high above Glen Shiel - but so be it. The show must go on!

We walked from the ever-busy parking area along a track 'road', which wound up and away towards the south east, the beginning of the ridge. Frustratingly, it was good enough to drive along but our weary legs were forced to take it, a step at a time. The cloud hung just below the summits, or so we hoped; no definitive view upward showed us what lay ahead but it wasn't the most promising. I compounded Matt's woes by making him pose and wait as I took photos along the way.

Always making time for long-exposures

The face of a weary man

Looking towards an unknown challenge

By the time we levelled off and began to see Loch Loyne in the next glen, spirits were jovial enough. We found the cut off and began the climb. If you know what it is to sweat profusely, then you know what it is like to climb with camping backpacks up Creag a' Mhaim. This Munro name is now akin to a swear word in our two-man circle - for we had a hellish time of it
A light haze of bugs were assaulting Matt, yet leaving me in peace. The path was occasionally muddy and jagged side-to-side, taking the wind out of ascent. The cloud got thicker as we gained height and it acted to make a humid furnace in which we laboured! It was a kick up the backside and my vision of camping near the 6th Munro, Sgurr an Lochain, suddenly flagged as less 'improbable' as 'impossible' I had planned that campsite based on a much earlier, more energetic start. Creag a' Mhaim, the peak that must not be named, was bagged with a whimper in murky conditions.

The zig-zagging beat that energy out of us and the cloud hinted that it was going to get dark soon and leave us with not a scooby as to where we were. The map came out and we agreed our position, deciding to head onwards as far along the ridge until we ran out of light. Glimpses to lower levels came and went, which spurred us on a little and we determined, from the narrowing terrain, that we were approaching another Munro. With the timings involved, we saw a fairly benign patch beyond at the eastern end of Aonach air Chrith - surely, there would be room for two stragglers at the Open-air Inn.

Loch Loyne

A laborious ascent

The summit that must not be mentioned...

The sunset appeared and the colours delighted, a contrast from the grey trudge we had just endured. Deer cut silhouettes on the shoulder of Coire an Uisge Fhuair, a southern ledge cutting from Munro no.2 - Druim Shionnach. After Druim Shionnach fell to us, we hastened onwards. The light was racing to a finish line that we couldn't see - and hadn't planned on. With a shadow looming large ahead, we found a suitable place to stop and construct canvas caves.

Map reading can drive a man insane...!

Approaching Druim Shionnach

Deer welcome the remaining sunset

When darkness sets in the mountains, it is all encompassing, particularly if the cloud cover prevents you from seeing the moon and stars. With stags roaring through the glen and the fine mist of the cloud creating an eerie haze wherever illuminated, we sat down to cook dinner and have a well earned brew. Once that was said and done, the lack of stargazing opportunity didn't mean an early night; I decided to show Matt just how fun running along the edge of a ridge, in complete darkness, with cliffs only metres away, can be. Armed with headtorches, we made the best of it. The next summit camp will have to be on a guaranteed cloud-free night

With no wind overnight, the only noise stopping me from a peaceful sleep was initially Matt's snoring (rude!) and the sound of stags roaring through the glens (think atmospheric moo-ing). I awoke, ready to take down my tent and start the day in the cloudy haze that had also spent the night with us atop the mountains. Pleasant surprise no.1 - it was clear in all directions at 6.30am! So I set about taking photos as the sun warmed up the land. A brew and some porridge, tents packed away and we were off, to claim the rest of the ridge's Munros following the shortened day previous. More deer-stalking, without guns or pretence of stealth. Identifying hills of old, from around 3 weeks ago! and further afield the revelation of the western seaboard, the Cuillins of Skye a tearing crack along the horizon. Despite the well-worn track, it was hard-going; I'm not sure this time of the morning was invented for such exertion!

Tents are up, food is on!

Ghosts haunting the 900m mark

Picking up strange signals...

Odd goings-on, high on the ridge

Anyone with exceptional hearing and eyesight in the Cluanie Inn would have been spooked if looking into the gloom atop the ridge. Our childish light experiments would have seemed paranormal from down below - ghosts had taken to haunting a bealach some 900m above sea level the last of our energy used to run around headlessly at the mercy of the camera shutter, we retired to our sleeping bags after a full-on day. The haunting sounds were compounded by the stags bellowing below - it was new to me and until I figured it out, I was perturbed by the thought of sleeping...

*******

The parking spot was right beneath the venue; with the power of tea, we started anew and climbed Munro no.3 - Aonach air Chrith - with gusto. We couldn't get any higher, both physically nor mentally, with this summit being the highest of the lot and the views about as expansive as we had ever seen!! We got back into the rhythm of walking under weight, much easier due to a night's rest and the ridge giving straightforward walking. Without much ado, Munro no. 4 - Maol Chinn-Dearg - was bagged and used as a viewpoint for all around! The hidden back of Sgurr a' Mhaoraich, stuck between Quoich and Kintail, stood out to us as an impressive mountain amongst impressive mountains! We made steady progress, marvelling at the clear views and wondering what might appear round the corner

It's a hard life...

Image framing - not Matt's forte

Looking back over the previous day's ridge starters

4 Munros in the bag, 2 the night before and 2 in the morning. I will walk relentlessly when the mood strikes, and especially when the sun comes out and the views are everywhere! Much to Matt's dismay, there was plenty of descent followed by re-ascent to claim Munros no. 5 (Sgurr an Doire Leathain), 6 (Sgurr an Lochain) and the finale of Creag nan Damh, no. 7. The going was good but time and fatigue was telling, especially when the sun really shone - there was little chance of escape up here! Some of these shots, I feel personally, rank amongst some of my favourites of any hill day thus far. Note the lack of pictures on the trail down to the finish: we decided to descend a bealach earlier than the norm, and despite making reasonable time, it was slippery, boggy and occasionally quite dangerous. All for the memory banks though! We made it back to the Glen Shiel road and I managed to thumb a lift back to the Cluanie Inn (and my trusty Focus) with a lovely older Swedish couple who were fascinating conversation and on a wee tour of the north of Scotland

Excellent views, mountains everywhere!

Sgurr a' Mhaoraich topped with gold

Approaching another summit

Quite a final summation, but there's more! Of course there's more...
Somewhere along the ridge, between countless photographs, passing walkers (including a chap with a gigantic quad-copter drone) doing the traverse west-to-east and of course, summit celebrations, technology caught us up. Nowadays, getting 4G+ basically everywhere means you can live-stream, 'check-in', update your socials and hell, check the football scores from atop the summits. Matt got pinged first, something about getting in touch with me, from his partner. Then it transpired that the contact was for me, but from my partner... Much confusion and intermittent signal and it appeared as though an emergency was afoot and of course, I'm oblivious, up here in a signal-free, no-man's land of mountain ridges and endless views. Upon summit no. 6 - Sgurr an Lochain - I finally had enough signal to take a teary call from my then-girlfriend. We still had another summit to claim (with more delusions of perhaps adding Sgurr na Sgine and the Saddle ) and a descent plus drive - but one of the family dogs had passed away that morning. Whilst I appreciated the untimely passage as being heart-breaking, I deigned the need to contact me in a panic to pass on the information - I could hardly have been further away and less able to respond!!! Some verbal fire-fighting to quell the upset, and the summit took on a sombre tone. Onwards, I guess, to no. 7.

Some exquisite situations when looking back on what we'd traversed!

And ahead! Loch Duich

My favourite image, as the cloud vaults the ridgeline

Man from MunroMagic dot com drone team providing scale to an epic backdrop

Fisheye perspective of 'don't look down!'

We had, at long last, bagged all 7 of the South Glen Shiel Munros. We did not camp near the end. We got no starry views from our tents. We did not include the additional two Munros. We did not enjoy the descent (opting to cut a corner along the Am fas-allt... Bad idea!). We did not instantly succeed to attract a hitch-hike back to the start.
However, it had been as much of a successful outing as it had been unsuccessful.
We overcame the fatigue of a full day's hiking with packs to be rewarded with 7 ticks on the map, outstanding views and some engrossing ridgeline walking. Matt had his first summit camping experience, complete with daft light-painting, to the soundtrack of stags roaring through the mists.

Away from the worlds of football and technology, we had played our game, scored some goals and won!

Reflecting on a long day out

Lumps and bumps

Impressed... clearly(!)

7 bagged, now back down to earth

[Graeme D]

Enjoyed reading that!

[Bonzo]

A great report but the summit light show could quite easily have resulted in a call to Mountain Rescue and a lot of wasted time.

[scottnairn]

Enjoyed reading that!

Thank you, Graeme! 😊 I feel like that ridge has given many a hiker a memorable day (or two) out!!

[scottnairn]

A great report but the summit light show could quite easily have resulted in a call to Mountain Rescue and a lot of wasted time.

Thank you! In retrospect, I would agree - MRT's are stretched thin at the best of times and I'd have hated to be encouraging a call out unnecessarily.

If memory serves, we messed around with the torches on the southern side of the ridge (the Quoich facing side of the glen, far detached) for about 15 minutes then settled down - for anyone to have managed to see up, over and through the thick gloom would have been very, very unlikely!

All said, I am glad to have shown my friend a bit of the lighter side of summit camping without raising any concerns

[Sunset tripper]

Nice one Scott - a crackin report.
Cheers

[Munro22]

And what about the ghosts?
Where and what are the ghosts of Glen Shiel?

[scottnairn]

Nice one Scott - a crackin report.
Cheers

thank you! All the best!

[scottnairn]

And what about the ghosts?
Where and what are the ghosts of Glen Shiel?

Not so much historical or mythical ghosts of legend or lore - more to do with our spooky outlines in the fog and the ghoulish atmosphere we camped in. A dead silence permeated by the groans of the stags below.

Perhaps I should have explained the figurative vibe a bit more cheers