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This won't be the best walk report you've ever read or the best photos you've ever seen (far from it!), but if it reminds even one person of the benefits of taking some simple, extra 'emergency' items along in the rucksack on a walk, it'll have served a purpose.
Anyway, the title for this walk report is maybe a bit negative ... Beinn an Eoin (the one between Ullapool and Lochinver) is a really enjoyable hill walk, lending itself to a good circular route too, with stunning views of its more famous neighbours Ben More Coigach, Sgurr an Fhidleir. Cul Beag, Stac Pollaidh, Cul Mor and Suilven. The WalkHighlands page for the hill states "
Beinn an Eoin is the neglected one out of the magnificent Graham summits in Coigach. Nonetheless it is a fine peak in its own right, with great crags to the west and a wonderful subsidiary peak in Sgòrr Tuath to the north." - a very accurate description in my opinion.
I was heading over to work in Lochinver the following day anyway, and rather than just do a hill the day after my shift, the forecast was so good that I made a late decision to head over a day early to do a hill the day before too. Having done most of the hills in the area, I decided it was about time I got the neglected one done. By the time I'd chucked all my camping stuff in the car and driven over, it was early afternoon ... but there was no rush ... conditions were good, so with sunset after 8.30pm, leaving the car at 2pm for a 12 or 13km walk I'd expect to take around 4hrs (plus time at summits enjoying the views) easily gave me enough time to do it all in daylight. Wouldn't it..?!
I parked off the side of the single track Achiltibuie road at a spot where there was room for a couple of cars off the back of a passing place, though nobody else there today. Lovely views of Ben More Coigach and the familiar pointy peak of Sgurr an Fhidhleir, and in front, the curving ridge of Coich Beinn an Eoin - Beinn an Eoin - Sgorr Deas - Sgorr Tuath, my route for today.
- View from where I parked. Sgurr an Fhiedler on the far left, Stac Pollaidh on the far right, but today I was doing the small clump of hills between them
T-shirt weather, so I put on some sunblock and set off, starting the walk by continuing down the road towards Loch Lurgainn. Just before reaching the east end of the loch there's a pedestrian gate visible in the deer fence down below the road; there's not a clear path down to it, but a rough one of sorts through the gorse at the end of the layby/passing place. Once through the gate (wellies would not have gone amiss here, though at least I was wearing good hiking boots), a trodden path continued up and across wet ground, reaching and then running alongside the south side of the Allt Claonaidh.
- Walked down the single track Achiltibuie road to the layby just before a bridge. Room for a vehicle to park here, though where I'd parked further up had more space and was well off the road. From this layby, a gate in the deer fence could be seen so I took a rough path down through the gorse to it. Very wet ground, but there was a trodden path to follow once through the gate which seemed to be heading in the right direction so I more or less stuck to that.
- Over wet ground, the faint path continued alongside the south bank of Allt Claonaidh.
- Didn't know if the path crossed the burn further up, but I found an easy place to cross so decided just to head towards the hill from there, Cioch Beinn an Eoin ahead. (The soft focus effect isn't deliberate, I probably got suncream on the lens or something?!)
- Stac Pollaidh and Cul Beag
I picked a nice easy place to cross and made my own, pathless way across towards the hill, aiming roughly for a lower point on the ridge rather than the rocky Cioch. It was fairly steep, but nothing difficult, and didn't take too long to get on to the ridge. I'm not going to claim it's the equal of the Ring of Steall as circular ridge walks go, but it was still a lovely route curving ahead and I was glad I was finally getting round to doing it.
- Taking a pathless route towards the ridge between Cioch and Beinn an Eoin
- That lovely moment when you reach the ridge and see the rest of the curving route laid out in front of you
- I've done all the better known hills in the area, but it's still great to go up a 'new' hill and see them again - Stac Pollaidh, Suilven, Cul Mor and Cul Beag all in view across Loch Lurgainn
- ...but for now, time to turn my back on Suilven and head up to the summit of Beinn an Eoin
- Summit up ahead
- Ben More Coigach and Sgurr an Fhidleir, shame the sun was also in that direction!
It was an easy walk along the wide ridge and up the slopes to Beinn an Eoin's summit, marked by a small cairn. Lots of interesting rock formations on this hill, the sort anyone who's done hills in Coigach or Assynt will be familiar with.
Quickest way back to the car would have been to head back the same way, but it was too nice a hill and too nice an afternoon to go for that option, so I continued on to Sgorr Deas. Unlike most of the route, there was a worn path visible for a stretch between Beinn an Eoin and Sgorr Deas, though on a clear day like today there were no navigational problems finding the way, path or no path.
Heading north from Sgorr Deas would soon result in being at the top of steep crags, so I headed north east, easy slopes at first then getting steeper, heading down towards the larger lochan. The short flat stretch past the lochans (large one on the right, couple of smaller ones to the left) was a bit of wind tunnel, much breezier than the summit had been. Skirting the lochan and heading down into Coire Beinn an Eoin from here would have been another possible route if I'd needed to bail out from the full traverse for any reason, but Sgorr Tuath is a great looking hill to continue on to. I went for the (optional) easy scrambling route up which was really enjoyable in this dry weather on grippy rock (options for harder scrambling or all walking were clear too).
- Beinn an Eoin summit
- Sgurr Fhidleir and Ben More Coigach to the south of the summit
- Views to Beinn Dearg and the Fannichs in these conditions
- Sgorr Tuath, Stac Pollaidh and Suilven
- About to head along to Sgorr Deas on the left, then down to the lochan and up Sgorr Tuath
For me, the walk from the western end of Sgorr Tuath to the eastern summit was the highlight of the walk (god knows the lowlight of the walk was still to come!) - lots of interesting rocks, pinnacles, great views ... one of those hills that reminds you hillwalking should just be done for the pure enjoyment of it, even without the baggable summit of a munro, corbett, graham or sub. There were lots of nice places to sit around the summit and get stunning views, sheltered from the breeze and still getting the warmth of the late afternoon sun... but eventually I decided it was time to head back to the car.
- The windiest point of the walk
- The route up to the western end of Sgorr Tuath on the left here
- Looking back to the descent route and crags of Sgorr Deas
- Stac Pollaidh and Suilven
- Stac Pollaidh is just along the road
- It might be the neglected hill of the area, but I'm pretty sure everyone who goes up Sgorr Tuath stops for the views of Sgorr Tuath's photogenic stacks
- Top of Sgorr Tuath
- View towards Enard Bay
- Cul Beag and Loch Lurgainn
I could have headed directly down from the summit - the ground was steepish and a bit rocky, but no worse than countless other hills I've done - but in descent I tend to opt for a more gradual gradient if there's one available, so I headed back along the ridge just a short distance to where a sloping stretch of ground with low vegetation headed down into Coire Beinn an Eoin and headed down there.
I could see the route ahead clearly as I started down; I'd just be heading down the slopes all the way to the Allt Coire Beinn an Eoin, crossing it at a suitable point, continuing on the rough ground to skirt around the lower slopes of Cioch Beinn an Eoin, crossing back across Allt Claonaidh, then I'd be back on the wet path back to the road and then the car. Maybe an hour? It didn't really matter, it was around 5.30pm and there was no rush.
- Car and walk start point are in the distance, a mile or two beyond Coich Beinn an Eoin. Wish I'd just headed back in a straight line from here rather than heading back along the ridge slightly first. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
- This is where I started heading down into the corrie. It looked such a benign way to go ...!
I hadn't gone far down from the ridge when I put my foot down on a small patch of mud and slipped. I hadn't been rushing (I rarely do downhill), it wasn't challenging terrain, the weather was good .... if I was ever going to get a significant injury on a mountain, this wasn't how I pictured it happening. I felt an instant pain in my right leg / ankle and just sat on the ground for a couple of minutes holding it, thinking the pain would pass. It didn't. I felt down my leg and into my boot and at least nothing was sticking out. I then tried to stand on it (I feel a bit sick even typing that now) and tried to take a couple of steps using a walking pole as a crutch. The pain was too severe to put weight on it, and I ended up in a crumpled heap. Had absolutely no desire to take my boot off for a more detailed exam as at least it was giving some support, and I'd never get it back on if I took it off, so I made do with checking the pulse on the inside of my ankle and that I could move and feel my toes. So not an open fracture and nothing limb threatening for now, it just hurt a lot and I couldn't walk.
I had the somewhat optimistic thought that if the road was walkable in an hour, I'd maybe still be able to get to it by dragging myself or crawling in the 3 hours or so before it got dark. I wouldn't be able to drive though, so I thought I'd phone an ambulance as I got closer to the road and, in the meantime, sent a text to a colleague who lives in Ullapool to ask if she was at home and if she was, was there any chance she'd be free in about 3 hrs to drive my car back to Ullapool. It didn't send (well, not then, I think she got the ones from that phone about 4 hours later
). Damn. So no EE signal. Tried sending a similar text from another phone (on Vodafone) but again, no signal, both phones just displayed Emergency Calls Only.
The coire might not have been much good for phone signal, but it was a popular spot for deer, having spotted several during the afternoon. I wasn't cold at this point, but decided a lightweight waterproof jacket in my bag might give me a bit more protection against ticks than my bare arms. I had diclofenac, paracetamol and aspirin in my first aid kit, so took a couple of diclofenac to get some pain relief into my system and leaving the paracetamol for an hour or two's time, then set off backwards on my bum. I probably got about 5 metres before stopping to see what else I could do to make it more bearable; "not much" was the answer, but using a roll of tape to splint my leg to my walking pole made it slightly easier and slightly less painful to negotiate over bumps and dips as I headed down. Gloves were also welcomed at this point, much reducing the cuts and scratches from the heather. I tried yelling out for help, but more in hope than expectation, at this time of day, midweek, on a less travelled hill.
What felt like about an hour later but was actually about 10 mins, I accepted my rate of progress meant no chance of getting anywhere near the road before it got dark. Time to accept reality and phone 999. Unfortunately the phones telling me "Emergency Calls Only" didn't actually mean they'd be able to make a call, it still needed one network, any network, to have a signal in the corrie. The lovely curving ridge was great for a walk, but not for letting in any signal it transpired, especially with Cul Beag acting as a further wall across from the "open" end of the corrie. With calls from both phones not connecting, I sent 999 texts (relieved that I'd registered my phones previously with the 999 text service), asking for the police /MRT, with a brief description of the problem and my OS grid location. The texts didn't send from there, but I hoped one phone might send eventually if I continued moving, and at the speed I was going the grid location probably wouldn't be too far out. I figured if I continued on, it would make it easier for MRT to get to me if they did get mobilised, plus moving was keeping me warm.
So that was me for about the next 2 hours. Dragging myself backwards down the hill, over heather, through bog and deer droppings, checking my phones every few minutes. When the gradient eased and gravity wasn't helping me as much, I switched to crawling, still over heather and through bog and deer droppings. The sun had dropped down behind the hill and I was in shadow, and the warm day was rapidly changing to a cold evening. Time for the fleece hoody and beanie hat to add to my layers. When I'd been rubbing in sun cream a few hours earlier, I never expected to be ending up in 2 jackets, gloves and hat, but my god, was I glad I had them with me. I saw or heard the occasional motorbike or car as dots in the distance, but flashing my torch didn't seem to get any attention. It's a quiet road and anyone on it would be more focused on the winding narrow road, the views and not being dazzled by the setting sun I suspect.
- This attempt at splinting had helped me get this far down backwards, but eventually I had to switch to crawling
- Cold shadow in Corrie Beinn an Eoin, but Cul Beag looking good in the evening sun. I had a nice view if nothing else.
The Allt Coire Bein an Eoin would have been straightforward to cross on foot, but might as well have been the North-South Korean border for all my chances of crossing safely, so I changed direction to head down towards the loch instead. I think it was about this time that I got through on a 999 call. The huge relief lasted slightly less than the length of the call; the call taker couldn't hear me asking for the police and after her asking me multiple times, either hung up or the signal was lost. I had a horrible feeling she thought I was a hoax caller and I'd lost my chance of help. It was a bit of a low point.
So cold, wet, tired and in pain; I admit I was feeling a bit sorry for myself at this point. It had been a while since lunch too. I don't generally have the best willpower with food, so anything nice like cereal bars or sweets would just get eaten as normal business and so no use as emergency supplies for my rucksack. Energy gels, on the other hand, hold no great appeal to me and hence survive quite safely in my first aid kit. A few months out of date, but the 2 orange flavoured energy gel sachets were like nectar after the energy sapping crawl and gave me a wee mental boost as well as a physical one. I saw I had a handful of texts suddenly come through, some saying I had voicemail messages, people obviously trying to call when I had no signal. I mobilised again and then heard a phone ring. It was a police officer in Edinburgh, following up either the dropped 999 call, the texts, or both. This time the signal stayed long enough for me to clarify everything, give an updated grid location (he asked if I was still up towards the ridge where I'd been when I'd sent the texts giving that OS grid ref, so I used my paper map to give the current location rather than risk fiddling with phones and losing the call). He wasn't familiar with Scotland's north west or locations of Mountain Rescue Teams, but he was going to contact MRT. Yesss!!
Dundonnell MRT called me a few minutes later saying they were mobilising and sent a text for me to click on a link to give my location (don't know if it worked or not). My friend in Ullapool had also messaged saying she could come and find me, a lovely offer, but a bit dark for it now and one which would risk leaving 2 of us with ankle injuries on the rough, pathless ground. Then another call from Mountain Rescue saying the length of time it would take for them to get to the area then walk to me would probably be at least 2 hours, well into darkness, and the distance and terrain wouldn't be safe to carry me out (very true - I hadn't been able to walk it safely in broad daylight and without carrying a casualty!) ... so they'd requested the Search & Rescue Helicopter.
- A beautiful and welcome sight (and I'm not talking about the view of Stac Pollaidh for once)
A few minutes later the SAR chopper from Stornoway appeared - I had a torch to wave (as well as the phone ones) and the foil blanket I've had knocking about the bottom of rucksacks for years finally had its moment of glory. The crew told me later they'd spotted me a mile or two away. Gusty winds and uneven ground meant they couldn't land, so I was splinted and winched up. That was the end of my walk / drag / crawl.
- Vacuum splint on my right ankle and and legs strapped together, ready for getting winched up into the helicopter
Very approximate route ...I never did make it back to the car:
Anyway, this will be my last walk report for quite some time as x-rays confirmed an unstable broken ankle and I'm now on crutches after surgery to get a plate and screws fitted. But if you've made it this far, or if you've just skimmed past the rubbish photos and dirge of a description and ended up here, the only things you need to remember about this walk report are:
1) Things would have been a lot worse if I hadn't had a first aid kit, torch, well charged phones and extra layers
and
2) This was an enjoyable walk with great views, Beinn an Eoin is an underrated hill ... I was just unlucky!
