Aonach Shasuinn, from Cougie rather than Affric

[gld73]

A couple of weeks ago I did Creag Dubh from Plodda Falls / Cougie (https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=111626) and from what I could see, thought that it might be good to try and do the corbett Aonach Shasuinn from this side too. Tried it today, and right enough, it was a nice walk from Cougie. So as all other walk reports cover variations of routes from the Affric side, this is just one to show a decent alternative should anyone fancy it.

Anyway, first time I've driven all the way to Cougie rather than parked at Plodda Falls to have a longer walk for the 2 hills I've done from here previously. A slow drive given all the potholes, but the track from Plodda to Cougie is certainly no worse than from Tomich to Plodda. Parked on the grassy area just over the little bridge and set off up the track alongside the Allt Riabhach through woodland.

Room to park at the start of the track

Track is good overall, but some muddy bits where the horses have churned it up. Goes through this nice wood before reaching the felled forestry area. There's a short stretch where the track was flooded, but it was easy enough to walk above it through the heather.

Track comes to this gate; on the other side I thought it would be open hillside, but you can see the trees which have been planted. An ATV track goes up right, just 40m or so after going through the gate.

Some of the forestry marked on the map had been felled, then I reached a gate at the end of the forestry area, went through that, and found more trees had been planted on what I was expecting to be open slopes. Not dense conifers, but as a sign on the gate had mentioned deer fences, I thought the young forestry area would be bounded by high fences which I'd have to climb .... so seeing a clear ATV track up the slope, I took that, figuring it might lead to a gate at the top of the tree'd area. It did ....

Having come up the ATV track, I'd got to this gate (looking back down the way I'd come). Not serving much purpose given there's no fence to either side! Rolls of fencing lying around, but no fence posts, so I don't know if they're intending to fence it in or have given up.

Now I was on to the pathless slopes of Druim a'Choilich - a mix of grass, heather and bog, but nothing too difficult to walk through. Didn't have a particular landmark I was aiming for, just kept heading up and across towards the rockier ground of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh. I stayed just on the south / east side of the top of the Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh ridge to keep out of the worst of the wind, but it was still breezy. The ground here was grassy, boggy with some hags between lots of rocky outcrops, patches of snow ... difficult to take a direct line without meandering around minor obstacles, but an enjoyable walk.

Heading up Druim a'Choilich

To the NE was Creag Dubh, the sub-2k hill I'd been up recently

Carn a'Chaochain, the graham to the south which is also a nice walk from Cougie (or Plodda Falls)

Reaching the N / E end of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh and looking back

The best part of the walk then appeared though - I took the top line of the ridge and got the view round the curving ridge to Aonach Shasuinn. This put a spring in my step, seeing what a nice walk I had ahead of me for the last stretch, easy low grass over the last couple of bumps of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh before curving round to head NW up to Aonach Shasuinn's summit.

View of Aonach Shasuinn from the top area of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh

Looking south over Carn a' Choire Bhuidhe to Ben Nevis in the distance

Just about to start curving right to take the route up Aonach Shasuinn, walking just to the left of the snow all the way up

Although the ground underfoot was easy, the wind certainly wasn't. MWIS had said it could impede walking and would be strengthening through the day ... I hadn't left the car until just after noon, so it was now afternoon and the wind at the dip between Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh and Aonach Shasuinn was the strongest anywhere on the walk (fortunately blowing me away from the snowy steep edge rather than towards it). I could still walk okay, just leaning at an odd angle! Anything stronger would have been tough.

One of these 2 small cairns marks the summit of Aonach Shasuinn, though there's the larger cairn nearby too

Bit windy to spend too much time standing around the summit area, so headed back after a few minutes there. The wind had made me re-think my vague plan of heading back over Cnap na Stri and Creag nan Calman, something I'd fancied trying when looking over from Creag Dhubh a couple of weeks ago but which was now less appealing than just dropping down to get out of the wind. My return route didn't exactly follow my way up, but was pretty similar, making my way back via Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh and Druim a'Choilich and then heading down.

Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh from the summit wind shelter

Looking along the length of Carn nan Coireachan Cruaidh

Hadn't seen any deer on my way up, but as I came back down Druim a'Choilich, saw quite a few in various sized groups

I'd made it that far with keeping dry feet, then made the mistake of walking down through the new, young, sparse wooded area on the lower slopes without taking the ATV track ... twice I ended up knee deep in holes dug for planting but not used and now semi-hidden, just filled with muddy water and waiting to catch unsuspecting walkers ...grrrr. I found the ATV track for the last 50m of descent and then rejoined the track along the Allt Riabhach back to the car.

Cougie's horses were relaxing near the car when I got back

I would happily do Aonach Shasuinn from this side again ... just a shame there are so many potholes to get to the start! Helps make it quieter than Affric though

Approximate route:

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