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Beinn a’ Chearcaill – a table with a view
After a long drive north on Friday night, then onwards on Saturday via a short leg-stretcher in Glen Feshie, Steve, Nige and I had arrived at Gerry’s at the start of another winter week in the Highlands. WE might have slowed down over the 3 decades since the first trip, but we still had plans for some good walking and a remote hill and bothy trip as the main focus of our week (See other report on Beinn Tarsuinn).
First though, we’d spend our traditional few days at Gerry’s hostel. Yes its hardly up to the modern standards of luxury that many bunkhouses now are, but the character of the place, and the fire, still draws us back.
On the journey north, the forecast for Sunday had been fairly poor, and Monday a bit worse. So we had no real expectations as we woke up on the Sunday morning. I was thinking of a low level walk if the clouds were down, as the wind was forecast to be strong enough that being blown around in the clag didn’t appeal. Yet as we peered out of the condensation-covered windows of our luxury penthouse suite upstairs at Gerry’s, the skies were clear. A quick check of the forecast led to a quick change of destination, as I’d had Beinn a’ Chearcaill on my list for some time, thanks mostly to Walk Highlands reports of the views from the unusual summit.
We weren’t exactly early off; I’d like to blame the large and friendly group of fellow hostellers, but they couldn’t have been more accommodating so I can only blame our own desire for a third cuppa. Still, it isn’t too long a journey round to the shores of Loch Maree these days, unlike on our first trips when it was still single-track road for most of the way. Pulling up at Bridge of Grudie there were a couple of other cars, so we expected to bump into a few others on the hill.
There’s a reasonable stalkers’ track from here up towards the hill, though oddly the first hundred metres or so are the faintest. Once you reach a couple of posts where a gate must once have stood, the way ahead is a clear path. Behind, the views of Loch Maree & Slioch were, as always, enchanting.
It’s a nice gentle climb as you walk the 2 kilometres or so in towards Coire Briste, which is the key to an easy ascent. As we walked, the heads of the great hills of Torridon peeped over the skyline ahead, whilst behind Slioch constantly looked over our shoulder.
Slioch
Ruadh-stac Mor
Sail Mhor
As Coire Briste drew closer, we were keeping an eye out for a smaller path on the right. In the end, its obvious, as a small cairn marks the spot where the trail into the corrie turns uphill from the stalkers’ track. It’s a little fainter than the latter, but pretty obvious and climbs up before contouring towards the low point at the back of the corrie.
Just to the right of the nick in the corrie rim where the Allt a’ Choire Bhriste tumbles downwards, the path, having avoided all of the minor crags and found the easiest way up, crosses the brim and the landscape changes. Ahead is typical Torridonian terrain, a terraced jumble of a shallow bowl in the hills, and the path became faint. A tiny cairn marks the spot, but from here on, we would simply pick our own way. Behind us, the giants of the Great Wilderness were now showing their heads.
Slioch with Beinn Tarsuinn and Mullach C M F behind
A’ Mhaighdean’s distant summit tower
Here, the landscape is studded with small lochans and, today, with our first patches of snow. These proved to be soft and sugary, so didn’t really help our ascent much, but its always nice to get onto the white stuff for the first time in a while. Terraces of Torridonian sandstone lay ahead, and we picked a route up and around them, having checked with a compass and mapwork to see roughly where the hidden summit lay.
We were relatively sheltered here, but could tell that ahead the wind was roaring strongly. In the last shallow gully before reaching the summit’s gentle final slopes, we stopped for lunch. This was a spot with a great view, and a requisite snow patch for cleaning our flasks’ mugs once the first rounds of soup had been taken care of.
Refreshed, it was time to make the final ascent. The upper hill is more open and the wind found us immediately, cold and blustery. The going is, though, much easier here, less jumbled, and the eye has time to wander to the magnificent mountain walls off Beinn Eighe and Liathach that rise before you as you climb.
Meall a’ Ghiuthais
Coire Mhic Fhearchair and the Triple Buttress
This is one of those truly special places. As we walked over the easy terrain towards the summit, this magnificent mountain scenery was all around us, towering walls split by icy clefts, summits climbing towards the sky. What a backdrop.
Spidean a’ Choire Leith and Am Fasarinen, Liathach
Suddenly, a final step up brings you onto this amazing summit plateau, a true table in the sky, surrounded by some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Scotland. This is an astonishing place, a veritable bowling green of the gods, perched on top of a hill. We pottered about for a while, working our way over to the summit spot whilst taking plenty of photos in an attempt to capture the uniqueness of this place. (
Click on the photos for better panoramas, it was definitely a spot for those!)
Beinn Alligin
Beinn Dearg and Beinn Alligin
Despite the strong, chilly wind, we lingered a while on the top. How could you not?
3 old crocks 😊
Eventually, we tore ourselves away and started out descent, by roughly the same route. The first section was straightforward and quick, but once we got to the steeper jumbled bits, the knee that I’ve been nursing and strengthening all winter was not happy with the steepness of the rough terrain, slowing me down a fair bit. Today it didn’t matter, but I was being extra careful not to make it worse, by avoiding twisting that leg or letting it bend too much. Luckily my mates are patient enough.
Soon enough though, we reached the lip of the coire and its little cairn, and things became easier. High cloud had rolled in, so the light was not as good as during the ascent, and I only took a few more phone photos.
The last couple of miles passed quickly and pretty easily, and soon enough we were done after a great first day. Its not just the big summits that are special in this magical part of the world, even the smaller hills of Torridon are truly spectacular, and all the better for being a little quieter than the hot spots.
The rest of the week was also excellent, especially the main bit to Beinn Tarsuin:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=111119
