Mission Mull Day 2: Almost Three Corbetts

[The English Alpinist]

This walk was preceded by 'Mission Mull Day 1'
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=120380

Beinn Talaidh, Mull's 'as-good-as' Corbett (like a grumpy giant with fat folded arms, daring you?).

'Almost' three Corbetts, because they are. Dun da Ghaoithe is Mull's official Corbett (and a splendid one it is too), Sgurr Dearg is a Fiona less than 100 feet shy of one, and Beinn Talaidh, well, it will always be a Corbett in my heart. I've heard it called 'Mull's lost Corbett', which is a beautiful way of saying it got relegated by the bureaucrats. I shall henceforth refer to it as an 'as-good-as' Corbett. Whilst this lacks poetry, it has truth - in form, it is indeed as good as any you will ever meet, and in effort to get up from the direction I came it certainly is on a par with any, and for views it's better than many a Munro. So, I'm going to count it as such, and suffer no pangs of conscience. Alas, though, my skills do not extend to knowing how to hack WH and alter my Corbett count, so I'll just have to informally plus one when telling folk how many I've done. Lie, I mean.

First up today was Sgurr Dearg, a Fiona.

The toughest part was linking Ben Talaidh onto things. It's quite big, as big as a Corbett really.

Basecamp. This hamlet has a name: Torness.

Glen More (running west to Iona), seen from the ascent of Sgurr Dearg.

Always they run, and I saw the same herd hours later, so they'd be well sick of me.

On Beinn Bhearnach (Fiona 'top' I suppose), with Sgurr Dearg Fiona-proper ahead.

Sgurr Dearg, with the grand-looking Dun da Ghaoithe across the valley.

This was inevitably going to be a bigger challenge than the day before, with the hardship of incorporating Beinn Talaidh. The only ways to do it were to come all the way back to the start from Dun da Ghaoithe, and ascend from the road (which was going to be my descent route), or to cut across rough country and improvise a reasonably contour-friendly way up. I choose the latter, very much disliking the idea of trailing all the way back up and over Sgurr Dearg, an opinion confirmed to me by the squelch of accessing it. That alone was worth avoiding again. Crossing the upper Glen Forsa between Ghaoithe and Talaidh seemed the lesser of two evils, and probably was. This was raw and boggy but not as bad as I feared it might be. I had a bit of fun with the second river crossing, having to use a pole-wire structure thing (totally have no idea what it was for, but I have a feeling I should, as one who claims to love the outdoors and all its facets).

Had to get down this to link Sgurr Dearg to Dun da Ghaoithe, but easy enough.

The superb Dun da Ghaoithe ridge.

On Dun da Ghaoithe, Mull's one official Corbett these days. In view is day 3 and cloud-capped Ben More.

Rough stuff; down into the Glen and by whatever means up Beinn Talaidh.

Inset: mast/wire thing by which I had to cross river. Then I went directly up that.

The tactics were to not look down, to not fall, and for future reference do not go up such contours again.

Looking back, moments after completing the gradient of no return to get on top of Beinn Bheag.

I intended to circumnavigate Beinn Bheag (Talaidh's 'left arm') to access the main mountain via either Bheag's south ridge or the Coire Ghaibhre, both of which looked practical and least exposure. What I wanted to avoid was a direct pull up the east face. What did I end up doing? A direct pull up the east face. This was because I got sick of traversing the lower slopes through channel-infested bracken, and decided to hell with this let's just get it over with and get up there. It was the build-up of frustration with Mull's incessantly rough ground. The contours had already told me what I was to find out in earnest: vertigo-inducing stuff. I instinctively coined a new phrase as I slogged or even crawled up: 'gradient of no return'. This is where the slope requires no technical climbing skill whatever, besides strenuousness, and you need only be careful of all the footplants and hand-holds (both grass and rock at times), but a fall would be unstoppable, so you must be sure not to fall. Meanwhile fatigue builds up and threatens to overwhelm, so patience and composure was called for, not without a few expletives internalized or uttered. The only little error of an otherwise grand trek.

'This walk is followed by 'Mission Mull Day 3: My Fiftieth (Munro, that is)'
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=120419

2,500 feet (622m); was relegated from Corbett status. I'm not accepting it.

The upper slopes of Beinn Talaidh, as approached from the east, and rainbow on descent.

Great views, nasty underfoot. That's Mull.

Today I got there in time.

Everything was eaten apart from the toughest parts of the fat.

No food connection; just a Mull native.

Come on then.

[R1ggered]

Most enjoyable report and the effort put in to both the hiking and editing. Not long had my tea but looking at your gammon /egg and chips starting to feel a little peckish. .