free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
There was some danger that this could be the shortest report yet of Assynt's brace of Munros, since our traverse of Conival and Ben More was completed largely in mist and very poor weather, but hills being hills, there is always adventure to report. We set off from the Inchnadamph car park at 09:45, five in number. It was unusual for me to have company in the hills, and from my perspective this was good. I'd been climbing with these pals for over 40 years, and we knew each other well.
A brace o' Chrises and myself on the Inchnadamph track at the start of the walk.I had a quick chat with a ghillie in the car park who was confident that the sea trout would be running Loch Assynt for the benefit of his client. This of course meant recent rain, and although the weather forecast for the day was reasonable, events would unfortunately prove otherwise.
The Traligall Cave fork - keep straight on! Pic by Chris Hearn.We crossed the River Traligill by the main road and turned immediately eastward on the track which follows its northern bank, to subsequently cross the Allt Poll an Droighinn leading towards Gleann Dubh, by way of the cottage of Glenbain and its satellite disused livestock shed beyond. After passing a softwood plantation on the left, a track forks right towards the caves, our route was to continue straight on, above the river and up the glen.
Up the River Traligall.For the next couple of miles a riverside path accompanies the river which narrows and becomes more frenetic. Eventually around a bluff, a peaty path ascends the hill, which evolves into braided runnels which masquerade as a path. It's not easy going, loose and steep. The burn then needed to be crossed before a short and easy scramble up a wall gave some relief from the waterlogged conditions underfoot.
Pete with the view SW to the Assynt hills, all the way to Ben More Coigach.Coigach (L) to Canisp (R).Approaching the wall - pic by Chris Hearn.Looking back west, Suilven had escaped from hiding behind its larger and eastern neighbour Canisp. We could see across the Assynt hills south to Ben More Coigach, and in retrospect, these were the finest (the only?!) views of the whole day. Thereafter a gentle climb took us to the Bealach a' Mhadaidh on the edge of cloud. Briefly we saw the Ben More Assynt quartzite ridge to our left and distant, and across the bealach, a glimpse of the lochan-studded moor beyond Glen Cassley. It was to prove our last view for some time, as we entered cloud at the and didn't emerge until well below the same bealach on our descent.
Suilven eventually put in an appearance!The view E from Bealach a' Mhadaidh.The Ben More Assynt ridge from the Bealach a' Mhadaidh.From the bealach a steady climb south took us onto the summit plateau of Conival, and a rest and some group pics at the stone shelter of its summit which we reached at 13:30. We had been warned of conditions ahead, partly by the thunderous noise of the wind, interrupted as it was by the western crags of the summit ridge, and partly by summiteers returning, one of whom spoke of 'the worst winds in 30 years of mountaineering'. After our brief rest we pressed on stoically – I live in Orkney and understand wind!
Heading S along the Conival summit ridge.Summit group Conival - Les, Chris H, Doug, Pete and self. Pic by Chris Sherwin.We took a compass bearing slightly north of east and began the traverse of the Ben More Assynt quartzite ridge. This is surely one of the classic ridge walks of Scotland, and I'd only done it once before, some 30 years earlier. I was feeling somewhat let down by the weather and the forecast, because there were no views of either the Assynt hills or even of the ridge itself, which I know is resplendent come sunshine. All we could do was negotiate the sporadic path, and boulder hop the rest in thick mist. One passer-by claimed that the ridge was 'a pain' but I took the opposite view - to traverse a ridge with its narrows, its false summits, its boulders and its slabs, is what mountaineering is all about.
Cyphal growing by the summit of Conival.Les (L) and Doug (R) on the Ben More Assynt ridge heading E.By now the wind was directly behind us, but we were in the lee of Conival, and wondering what all the fuss was about. As we gained height for the final push up to Ben More, however, a more determined element gained prominence, such that on the second summit of the day at 14:45 it was barely possible to traverse between the north and south summits! The higher (southern) top and hence summit gave some shelter behind a rock outcrop. The lesser top was barely tenable and required an actual crawl to reach its summit cairn! Some interesting videos were taken of wildly flapping outdoor gear, and (sadly!) a disappearing bonnet, but not mine! We didn't hang around and reversed the ridge back onto Conival at 15:45. I was now tiring and found the huge blocks and ascent just below the peak to be perhaps the challenge of the day thus far. Somewhere about here a couple of young fell-runners went past me at some speed, adding to my psychological woe!
Summit selfie, Ben More Assynt.The day was lengthening, and there was no rest to be had back at Conival’s summit, just a right turn northwards along the summit ridge and down the shaley slopes to the bealach which remained doggedly in mist. In the event, the mist didn't clear until well down the westerly slopes, almost into Gleann Dubh. A succession of rain showers then began which added to the difficulties of the wall, the flooded path and the by now treacherously slippery lower slopes of peat. The day was morphing into an epic!
Returning along the Traligall, very enjoyable!Actually the return walk along the narrow path above the Traligill was an enjoyable part of the long day. Dippers and grey wagtails frequented the water, and best of all a skein of around 250 pink-footed geese came in high overhead, fresh into Scotland from Iceland, and a real harbinger of Winter ahead. All over Scotland the pinkies came back that day.
Almost home - looking down to Inchnadamph and Loch Assynt. A nine-hour epic!Back at Inchnadamph somewhat tired after a nine-hour day battling the elements, it only remains for me to pass on a final cautionary tale - it's best not to do the Ben More Assynt ridge in Yeti gaiters! Although I'd benefitted enormously from them on the lower slopes during the long walk in, the sharp quartzite rocks had split and damaged one rand so badly that one had become unusable. A repair job. I might have predicted such an outcome, so I was a little annoyed with myself: go carefully on that classic ridge!
With: Les Forster, Chris Hearn, Pete Howe, Chris Sherwin, Doug Wheeler and self.
