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Applecross adventures

Applecross adventures


Postby Yorjick » Sun Jul 24, 2022 10:28 am

Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn Bhan, Sgùrr a' Chaorachain

Date walked: 18/07/2022

Time taken: 16 hours

Distance: 28 km

Ascent: 1543m

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The forecast in England was for record temperatures of 40°C. The temperatures forecast for the northwest Highlands was much less but still a forecast was for dry weather, clear summits and no rain. So I headed off to Applecross for a Corbett - overnight bothy - Corbett trip. Applecross is near enough for a two-day (or just about a none day) trip. There were a few spots of rain but never enough to even consider donning a waterproof jacket and the forecast was so good that I did not even take overtrousers with me. It did rain good and proper during the drive home, but I did not care as I had accomplished all that I had set out to do and had a great time. The distance/ascent/time data is for the two days combined.


Monday 18 July 2022

First the Corbett, Beinn Bhan......


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There was plenty of space to park before the bridge at NG 835 422. There were no other cars parked there and I did not see anyone on the hill all day. It seems like I had the whole place to myself! Crossing the bridge, a good track/path heads north above the River Kishorn. On reaching a good bridge, I headed left, but probably should have continued further to follow the next burn up.

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Left to right: Beinn Damh (Corbett), Maol Chean Dearg (Munro), An Ruadh-stac (Corbett) and Sgurr a'Gharaidh (Graham).


It was easy to cross the burn and follow a faint (I thought it was just a deer path at first) connecting path across to the other path.

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Reaching the point seen below on the first "top" was relatively straightforward. The main difficulties lay ahead.

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Coire na Poite: I fancy a separate trip to A' Poite, which looks straightforward enough, if ascending via the slope behind the lochans​, before dropping off into the far coire and ascending up onto the ridge to camp by the lochan on the northern ridge of Beinn Bhan.

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Descending the first top was fun but easy down these rocks. Looking down the next bit looked steep but there was a path off to the right and looking back at the top later (see three photographs down), I could have descended almost any way.

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Looking back at the first top - From the bottom of the rocks, there was a path going down left (as we see it here) and back right down the grassy terrace seen below the lower band of crags.

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The final ascent was much more challenging and after starting up steep rock, I thought the better of it and downclimbed before heading left and up an easier way but perhaps not so enjoyable, but I did not fancy the direct approach without a rope and someone holding the other end.

Below: Looking back along the ridge from the top of the steep section, before the route gives way to less steep scrambling. I confess to feeling a little relieved at this point!

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The corries of Beinn Bhan are among the finest in Scotland. Irvine Butterfield's "The call of the Corbett's" has a particularly fine photograph of the corries of Bein Bhan reflecting in one of the lochans of Meal Gorm. It is one to go and try to replicate one day.

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It is a relatively easy walk to the summit plateau and its trig point well protected by a circular cairn. Many trig points are crumbling but this one looks as good as new.

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This was shot at f/13 to try to get the hills in the background reasonably in focus. I used the trig point as a tripod and used a 12 second delay. It must have been pretty still as usually the cowl on my Buff cap is blowing about at a funny angle.​


A stitched panorama pf Coire na Poite. I think I can spot a good place to pitch a tent on the "peninsula" protruding into the nearest of the two lochans and the water looks nice and clean for a quick dip.

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Sometimes the skies are as interesting as the hills and I invert the rule of thirds.


I feel that I should have followed the ridge down to the road rather than dropping off the side. The ligaments of my knees feel the strain more than they used to and I no longer trust my ankles. The descent was very slow - I used to run down terrain like this! However, I made it down without any injuries. :)

On reaching the car, I changed my footwear and headed up Bealach na Bà but had to stop on the way to take a couple of photographs of the other Chioch - of Sgùrr a' Chaorachain.

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.......Onwards to the bothy, Uags.

Beinn Bhan had required an amount of energy beyond that suggested by the raw statistics of distance and ascent, so I was running a bit low on energy. I made the decision to eat somewhere in Applecross before walking out to the bothy. I stopped at the campsite where there is a trailer serving extremely good food. I went for the squat lobster. :thumbup:

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All the photos below were taken during the return journey the next morning (very hot and sunny)
I initially thought about parking at Upper Toscaig, partly based upon comments made by the woman at the campsite takeaway. However, I had read the parking information on the MBA website and I could not see anywhere that did not have the potential to upset someone. I therefore asked a man in his garden. He told m to park at the pier and follow the river up. He told me that it only takes 5 minutes.

It took me a bit longer, as I decided to wear my old Merrell Moabs which had been left in storage for a couple of years. After about 100 metres, I noticed that the sole was coming away and as I visualised walking back in them without any souls or at best flapping about :shock: , I did an instant return to change back into my AKU boots. Lighter footwear would have been nice for what is mostly an easy walk along a clear path.

That said, there was one point where I came across some shielings in an area of nice grass that would make a splendid camping spot with a good supply of water - better than that at Uags. I headed straight across and then over some pathless terrain before rejoining the path. It was only on my return that I saw the arrow directing people rightwards (downstream). There is a footbridge shown on the OS map which could be useful after heavy rain, but on this occasion, the burn was easy to cross.

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I knew there was a work party there beforehand, but I was made welcome. Needless to say, I felt a little guilty about my flying visit while there was a work party on. Although I pay my subscription, there are those who give so much more to the Mountain Bothies Association. A chatted to one man from Sheffield who was not a member but regularly joined work parties. My days away are few and I have hills to climb so for the moment try to climb as many as I can in the time available. I hope to be more active in the MBA after my retirement.

I think there are those who enjoy the work parties and the associated craic. They are not hill walkers and the bothy is the focus of their trips to wild places. They are a different breed so to speak! And thank the heavens that they exist to maintain these buildings for all to use! :thumbup:

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​The scaffolding in the photograph was just temporary while they were lime pointing the chimney.


The day was getting hotter and my (wife's) car was a welcome sight on the pier at Toscaig. The small peak in the distance is Dun Caan on Raasay.

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I spotted the old fishing boat below while driving back towards Applecross. I tried to position myself for the best reflection and stopped down for a larger depth of field to have the foreground also in focus.

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Tuesday 18 July 2022

The Corbett, Sgùrr a' Chaorachain....

After the walk out from Uags and a bit of coastal photography and a bacon butty with tea at the Applecross Inn, I drove back up to Bealach na Bà.


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There is a large track up to the mast followed by easy walking to the true summit and back, though there is a certain amount of up and down. I passed a German family relaxing in the sun and later met the mother who was trying to get her family to do more hiking. She had not in fact reached the summit, I think because rain was forecast mid-afternoon.

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I was very interested in A' Chioch. It had always been my plan to climb this. I am now of an age where I have to accept that there are some things that perhaps I will never do, but hopefully the opportunity will arise, even if using a guide. On this site, "Alteknacker" describes a scrambling route that he successfully completed but I think I would want to do the true climbing route at VD/HVD.

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On reaching the summit, I set up my tripod for a selfie, but then heard an approaching party so decided to wait for a human bipod with greater height than my Velbon mini tripod which stands at a maximum 56cm. This is enough to raise the camera above the vegetation but does not provide the angle to include the other hills in the background, such as the previous day's hill, Beinn Bhan, here.

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I bypassed the mast on my return and arrived back at the car before the rain arrived.

Another successful trip and again, no need for my waterproof jacket 8)

​10 more Corbetts to go!
Last edited by Yorjick on Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Yorjick
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 250
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Joined: Sep 17, 2008
Location: Dornoch

Re: Applecross adventures

Postby Verylatestarter » Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:20 pm

Thank you for a very useful report on the ascent of Beinn Bhan. I have a mad idea to start at the top of Belach na Ba and walk over to Beinn Bhan, down the North coire and up your route to the summit, then back to the car via the second corbett. This was conceived when i spent a wet miserable afternoon watching my son attempt a boulder problem in the coire between the two, so maybe i was delirious.
Do you think it's feasible with sufficient time or am I being overambitious?

John
Verylatestarter
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Posts: 195
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Re: Applecross adventures

Postby Alteknacker » Sun Jul 24, 2022 10:48 pm

This brought back some good memories! Not unalloyed pleasure in the case of a' Chioch - as I did it in soggy conditions, which resulted in my pulling out of the final climb up to Beinn Bhan. But a' Cioch was brilliant, even if not up the classic rock climbing route.

You certainly drew the long straw with the weather!
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Alteknacker
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Re: Applecross adventures

Postby Yorjick » Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:07 pm

Alteknacker wrote:This brought back some good memories! Not unalloyed pleasure in the case of a' Chioch - as I did it in soggy conditions, which resulted in my pulling out of the final climb up to Beinn Bhan. But a' Cioch was brilliant, even if not up the classic rock climbing route.

You certainly drew the long straw with the weather!


Living where I do, I tend to pick my days.

I bumped into an old friend at Invergordon swimming pool the other day. He has done A'Chioch on Sgurr a'Chaorachain more than once and said that he would take me up it..... I am running out of time this summer but I will contact him before my return for Summer 2023.
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Yorjick
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 250
Munros:282   Corbetts:217
Fionas:66   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:22   Hewitts:158
Wainwrights:173   Islands:19
Joined: Sep 17, 2008
Location: Dornoch

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