Meall Lochan a'Chleirich (Torridon) and An Cuaidh with Kids

[WalkingWithKids]

Hill no. 143 and 144 - Sub2000 no. 79 and 80

Two Sub2000s in Torridon with Kids (9, 12 yo.)


Meall Lochan a'Chleirich
Stats:
Ascent - 300 m
Total distance - 3.0 km
Total time - 3h07m
Walking time - 1h11m
Altitude gain - 285 m

An Cuaidh
Stats:
Ascent - 200 m
Total distance - 5.6 km
Total time - 2h40m
Walking time - 1h37m
Altitude gain - 192 m
_________________________

The plan for the day was:
1. Meall Lochan a'Chleirich
2. An Cuaidh
3. Rubha Réidh and Camas Mòr



1. Meall Lochan a'Chleirich

20230227-1-Meall-Lochan-a-Chleirich---Track.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

We parked by the cattle grid:

There is a gate next to the cattle grid. The gate was padlocked we had to climb over it:

The first flat section is slightly boggy, but luckily it was a bit frozen.
It was a tough walk, because there are tussocks and hidden holes full of water :

Further ahead, the ground is covered with tussocks, shorter heather and young trees. We tried to follow the deer path but it was mostly boggy so we walked alongside the path:

Finally, higher up is better ground, a bit boggy, but the higher the better:

Looking to the West:

On the hillock.
The middle one of the three hills in the back is Sub2000 Sithean Mòr (Flowerdale):

A bit of icy ground. Loch Maree:

It is not a summit yet but almost there :

Conni on the top - looking W - Isle of Skye on the horizon, on the left:

Conni on the top - looking E - Loch Maree and the munro Slioch in the back:

Loch Maree and Slioch zoomed:

Conni on the top - looking SE - Torridon:

We took a slightly different way down:

Am Feur-Loch:

Car in sight:

From here we drove about 40 minutes to the second hill.
The last 2.5 miles, from Melvaig to the parking spot, is on a really narrow road with two terribly narrow bridges .

2. An Cuaidh

20230227-2-An-Cuaidh---Track.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

We parked up on a small car park opposite to the start of the road leading to the radio masts. There is a space for two cars:

Looking back:

We left the road at the first mast:

There is a short track... (the red arrow = the trig pillar):

...and then a deer path:

There is a deer path but... firstly, it soon disappeared, secondly, the first 400m were pretty soggy and squelchy and led through a few peat hags:

Closer to the trig pillar (red arrow) we found a fine deer path leading to it:

Conni and Nick on the top - lokking E:

Zoomed:

Looking SE - Torridon:

Zoomed:

On the way back, we followed the fine deer path along a shallow ridge for about 600m:

The path above headed towards the coast and as we did not have enough time to complete the Rubha Réidh and Camas Mòr circuit, we left the path and continued along another deer path leading to the masts:

The path, of course, disappeared a few times.
If you are lucky and find a deer path, follow it as far as possible. Deer paths are usually the best way to cross the peat hags:

From the masts, we continued to the car along the road. The big sun :

The way down was much better than the way up.

The car at sunset:

3. Rubha Réidh and Camas Mòr
Cancelled.
It was too late to do it.


The coast at Melvaig:

Melvaig:

Sunset above Isle of Skye:

[gld73]

Really like your style of report, they give useful practical tips

[Katrina89]

Really like your style of report, they give useful practical tips

Would second that! Thank you!

[WalkingWithKids]

Really like your style of report, they give useful practical tips

Would second that! Thank you!

That's the purpose. Thank you!