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Munros: Moruisg.
Corbetts: Sgurr nan Ceannaichean.
Date: 30/09/2023.
Distance: 12.5km.
Ascent: 990m.
Time taken: 6 hours, 30 minutes.
Weather: Overcast and calm
We attempted to get up early today due to a half-decent forecast but in the end motivation was lacking. We drove out west to the most likely-looking area with a few plans, finally settling on that old fallback of of Moruisg and Sgurr nan Ceannaichean. I say that like it is a regular haunt for an easier day but in fact I have only been up each hill once, way back in 2006. Jackie's previous visit had been at the tail-end of an absolutely ridiculous 6 Munro / 2 Corbett round in 2016 where these hills were just a couple more bumps standing in the way of bed. Despite being thought of as boring by many people, they are only really lacking in interest compared to their immediate neighbours. I'll agree they are quite a slop by the standard bagging route though!
Somehow managing to avoid swimming before we had even started, we left the car at 11:30 and dived straight into the slop. This got worse after the river and railway crossings, although I naively assumed it would get drier as we climbed a bit. Nice views across the top of Glen Carron though.
Fuar Tholl
Beinn na Feusaige
Beinn Eighe and Slioch If there was a path here in 2006 then I missed it, having followed the edge of the next burn to the west previously. There is a pretty obvious route etched now though and once up the steepest section it crosses the burn and things level off a little. Although the weather appeared worse in most of the adjoining areas, we were treated to a view out across to Skye and some brighter hills towards Torridon and Fisherfield. We had been just ahead of another couple on the way up and we met them at the summit cairn - they were from Skye and had come east to avoid the worst of the weather!
Loch Sgamhain and Fisherfield
Down Glen Carron
Meall a Ghiubhais and Loch Maree
East from Moruisg
Coulin hills from Moruisg
Liathach and Beinn Eighe
West from Moruisg We had lunch at the top before deciding to carry on (a quick out-and-back had been an option). This side of Moruisg is the nicest, with a steep drop into Coire Toll nam Bian and a good view of the more spectacular Sgur nan Ceannaichean.
Sgurr nan Ceannaichean from Moruisg
Maoile Lunndaidh
Back to Moruisg and Coire Toll nam Bian We were passed by a hill runner somewhere between the two hills. The steep final nose took us onto the summit of Sgurr nan Ceannaichean whose cairn is perched spectacularly on the edge of a crag. Bidein Coire a' Sheasgaich looked particularly good from here with Eigg poking out behind. While these summits were clear on my last visit there had been a thick haze so I hadn't really been able to appreciate the view.
Last ascent to Sgurr nan Ceannaichean
Through Srath Mhuilich from the summit
Back to Moruisg
Bidein Coire a' Sheasgaich with Eigg in the background
Jackie on Sgurr nan Ceannaichean
Bidein an Eoin Dearg and Sgurr a Chaorachainn We retraced the final steep section before dropping down the west side of Coire an Toll Bian - again there was a trodden path I have no memory of. There may have been a couple of ways we could have varied the route but I had promised to stick to the straightforward way this time!
Strathcarron and Coulin hills Down in the corrie, the path is pretty poor. However it does follow the bank of an attractive burn and pass through some lovely woodland. Unsurprisingly Jackie found a pool we could swim (well at least dip) in so we did that - it was like an icy Jacuzzi. The walk back from here to the car was deceptive and took a good 20 minutes longer than I estimated. Still, we were down at a sensible hour.
Quick dip in Alltan na Feola
Alltan na Feola