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Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
We were at the end of a 10 day trip enjoying the Western Isles from Barra to Harris and now we had only two days left based at Ardmair near Ullapool. Despite it being mid November, it had been amazingly dry with plenty of sunshine, albeit cold (hardly a complaint given the time of year ! ) The day before, we'd enjoyed the most spectacular ferry crossing I’ve ever experienced, sailing from Stornoway on one of those absolutely cloudless, crisply clear days when you can see for miles. Standing on deck the whole time, me dressed like Nanook of the North, we’d watched the Assynt peaks loom larger as the mainland neared.There had been plenty to see in terms of wildlife too with two separate schools of Common Dolphins making an appearance - one of around half a dozen, the other easily two dozen, leaping at pace through the water and clearly on the hunt.
Common dolphins by
Anne C, on Flick
That had been a thrill but capping it all, the scenery had been out of this world. Quinag, Suilven, Cul Mor and Cul Beag, possibly Ben Hope and Foinaven - famed mountains of the far north west, all set out on the horizon.It had been mesmerising.More distant views at first...
Assynt peaks from the ferry by
Anne C, on Flickr
Getting closer...
Suilven from the Ullapool ferry by
Anne C, on Flickr
Stac Pollaidh and Cul Mor
Cul Mor and Stac Pollaidh from the ferry by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suilven and Canisp from the CalMac ferry by
Anne C, on Flickr
They were etched sharp as diamonds against the lemony blue sky. I couldn’t take my eyes off those vistas the whole journey.As we neared Loch Broom, the Loch Seaforth swept slowly below the massif of Ben Mor Coigach.It had been two decades since we'd been up there, truly ridiculous for such a stunning mountain.
Ben Mor Coigach by
Anne C, on Flickr
With a great forecast for most of tomorrow before solid rain was due in, our planned walk had to be Ben Mor Coigach.
At 7.45am next morning, we set off from our Airbnb at Ardmair Bay on a very chilly, frosty morning, just as the rising sun was beginning to put colour into the eastern sky. I could see our objective across the bay, a solid black, steep wall rising out of the sea. It looked so near but the Achiltibuie start we planned meant about an hour's drive on a big loop out west. Not a hardship, as it’s a stunner of a drive along Loch Lurgainn. In fact, we stopped many times to admire Coigach and Assynt’s unique inselbergs, their summits turning pink then fiery orange as the sun climbed higher.What a landscape...
Ben Mor Coigach with Sgurr an Fhidhleir's sharp summit clear on the right...
Views from the Loch Lurgainn road by
Anne C, on Flickr
Coigach peaks from near Achnahaird by
Anne C, on Flickr
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
Stac Pollaidh, Achiltibuie road by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suilven by
Anne C, on Flickr
Quinag, early morning by
Anne C, on Flickr
We were the only car at the parking area at Culnacraig, where the views over the sea, the Summer Isles and Wester Ross were already gorgeous.
Got the gear sorted and boots on (solid and frozen as I’d left them in the car overnight😫) then a walk down the tarmac road towards the cottage before branching off on the obvious grassy track which marks the start.
I vaguely remembered this first bit, a climb up a steepish bit of moorland to the 300m mark, though the pathless ascent has been replaced by a very eroded, braided series of tracks – I suppose a sign of how popular hill walking has become.
Hike up to the 300m contour by
Anne C, on Flickr
It was great to have this but it was down to the boggy black peat in many places and slithery. Felt a longer slog too (mind you everything is these days😀) and I was quite relieved when the angle eased off and the long, very gradual ascent to Sgurr an Fhidhleir came into view.
Sgurr an Fhidhleir ahead by
Anne C, on Flickr
Looking back, the views were so beautiful...
Looking south from the 300m mark by
Anne C, on Flickr
It was difficult to make out Speicein Nan Garbh Choireachan(peak of the rough corrie)which lay to the right because the sun was still so low in the sky but the slopes looked dark and ominous.
I was glad of the now very gradual ascent on an excellent path. I’d had Norovirus during the first day of our trip (lucky white heather
) and although that was now nearly a week ago and the stage of actually being sick hadn’t lasted too long, my appetite had been really poor all week.I’d been surviving on soup, chocolate and fruit.Once home I found out that I’d lost half a stone which might be why I made such heavy weather of the ascent today.
Sgurr an Fhidhleir ahead by
Anne C, on Flickr
Chris pushed on up the very gently rising, excellent path through Coire Reidh and I lumbered in his wake, feeling exhausted. The Fiddler’s Peak ( as it translates from the Gaelic) looked quite close but it never actually seemed to get any nearer and I found myself fading a bit in motivation and energy.
I asked Chris for a break and slumped down at a cairn, gulping some water and munching half heartedly on an apple. From that long ago last hike up here, I remembered the other summits around us being very easily ascended but right now, shrouded in darkness, they looked steep and unappealing.
Mumbling to Chris that I’d be happy to reach the first summit then call it quits( actually to be honest, I felt like turning back right now) he never gets very het up about what we do or don’t do and said that was fine by him – no point in not enjoying the day. We could stop off at Achnahaird beach instead, a big favourite.
It feels so rubbish not to reach ONE summit, so I was determined to plough on. I recalled it offered the best views of the whole round so I convinced myself that we wouldn’t be missing too much by leaving the other summits out. I did feel like an ungrateful wretch in many ways, in this amazing landscape but at that point, not connecting with it somehow.
Two hours after setting out, we finally pulled up onto Sgurr an Fhidleir’s fairly roomy summit and - wow!
Amazing Assynt (and Coigach) spread out before us, breath taking, almost no words to describe it really.So unique, so ancient, the mountains like great dinosaurs rearing out of the knolly, lochan - strewn moorland.
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
Stac Pollaidh Suilven and Quinag to the north by
Anne C, on Flickr
Away to the south rose a snowy An Teallach…
An Teallach by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suilven with Quinag behind...
Assynt landscape by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beyond Cul Beag to Ben More Assynt...
Towards Ben Mor Assynt by
Anne C, on Flickr
Cul Mor from the summit by
Anne C, on Flickr
Stac Pollaidh looking completely unassailable as it always does to me from a distance...
Stac Pollaidh by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suilven and Quinag by
Anne C, on Flickr
Towards Achnahaird...
From Sgurr an Fhidheir's summit by
Anne C, on Flickr
After finally sitting down to have some fruit, I felt a renewed sense of energy, lifted considerably by the grandeur all around.
It wasn’t a spot to leave quickly and we sat snacking and admiring the views for half an hour or so until the chill in the air meant we really had to get on the move again.
Decision time….head back or head on?
Head on! I’d see how things were once we descended to the great rim of the steep corrie headwall below The Fiddler.
The walk back down beside the impressive corrie...
The void below by
Anne C, on Flickr
I had thought that the best of the views of the day might be behind us but those vistas along the edge of the corrie were astonishing.
Loch Tuath below by
Anne C, on Flickr
4 stags were making their way slowly along the shores of Loch Tuath, a lovely sight...
Stags crossing Loch Tuath below by
Anne C, on Flickr
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
No way was I leaving the mountain when the views were this good! Onwards and upwards!
There was an on and off path up the next rise taking us onto the main ridge which leads to the summit of Ben Mor Coigach itself. It was only 150m of ascent but felt harder, my legs still a bit weak.
The path to the next summit veered off to the right but we stayed deliberately left to reach a spot at the 700m mark.
The ascent up to point 700m by
Anne C, on Flickr
Cul Beag and Cul Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
Stopping part way up, I looked back to see a Golden Eagle sweeping across the void, heading our way before disappearing below the ridge itself. Its great golden head was clearly visible in the sunlight. Appropriately, it had come from the direction of Beinn an Eoin - the Hill of the Bird.
Golden eagle flying over us by
Anne C, on Flickr
The prow of where we had just been, such a distinctive outline, was now very clear...
Sgurr an Fhidhleir left by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beinn an Eoin...peak of the birds by
Anne C, on Flickr
Zoomed to Ben More Assynt which years ago, I'd nearly got blown off, the winds were so strong.
Ben Mor Assynt by
Anne C, on Flickr
Suilven continually drew the eye...
Suilven and Quinag by
Anne C, on Flickr
In 20 mins or so we reached another stunning spot, the angles different now with views opening up to the south.To have missed this - it’s just as well photos are digital now because I would have run out of film! To see it all in such weather, in those tawny, late autumn colours which are probably my favourite of all, was a joy.
It was gorgeous territory, a joy to wander around and there was hardly a breath of wind.
We now had fine views south over the Beinn Dearg group and across Loch Broom to a snowy An Teallach. Further south again, on the coast, layer upon layer of Wester Ross mountains seemed to go on forever.I don’t remember being on this corner of the hill which gave a stunning view too of the sharp looking summit of Speicein Coinnich and the alternative route up from Blughasary.
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
An Teallach by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beinn Ghoblach mid distance left...Torridon beyond by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ben Mor Coigach's Ardmair bay side by
Anne C, on Flickr
Looking over Loch Broom by
Anne C, on Flickr
As we made our way out to the summit of Ben Mor Coigach itself, there was quite a bit of frost and icy rocks on the now slightly more broken ground so a bit of care was needed. Anything still in shadow was quite slithery.
Heading for Ben Mor Coigach summit by
Anne C, on Flickr
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ben Mor Coigach itself was another wonderful summit with great views over the bristly, steep ridge of Speicein nan Garbh Choireachan. I knew Chris fancied descending that way and suggested he should do that and we could meet back at the 300m mark. But after checking it out, he decided everything was a bit icy plus he had a ‘dodgy’ wife today and better stick around.😊
Looking south over Speicein nan Garbh Choireachan by
Anne C, on Flickr
Returning from the ridge by
Anne C, on Flickr
Early afternoon and the sun was lowering already in the sky, the light changing all the time.
Summer Isles by
Anne C, on Flickr
Towards Sgurr an Fhidhleir by
Anne C, on Flickr
Chris checking out the sharp descent ridge by
Anne C, on Flickr
Trotternish on Skye by
Anne C, on Flickr
A breeze had picked up now and heavier cloud was starting to build to the south, a forerunner of the projected rain coming in tonight. I felt lucky that we’d been given this window of perfect weather for what in many ways is a perfect mountain.
Chris was ready to head down pretty quickly but I really needed an extra 5 mins sit down here, just for a breather.
The thrills of today weren’t over yet because as we finally headed off back down the path, there was sudden movement ahead of us amongst the rocks. Ptarmigan!
There were four of them, flying off briefly but given they need to retain energy to survive in this harsh environment, they landed a very short distance away. I really love seeing them, these wild birds of the high places (that said, in Iceland, we saw them as tame as pigeons at sea level.)
Ptarmigan by
Anne C, on Flickr
From that last summit, it took us 90 mins or so to return to the car, soon picking up the excellent track down Coire Reidh (the appropriately named Corrie of the Slopes.)I must admit, there wasn’t much left in my legs at this point, I felt quite tired but so pleased we’d explored most of the mountain.
An Teallach a bit out of focus by
Anne C, on Flickr
Six hours on a fantastic hill and one which must also be good in snow with mostly wide, benign slopes (except for the Choireachan ridge which can be avoided.)
The next day was as dreich as the Met Office had predicted so that had been a very fortunate window in mid-November. Reading Jaxter’s excellent report last month of an incredible winter camp , I had been very struck too by her mention of ‘The Power of Awe’ – I’ve felt awe on most hill walks and perhaps that’s why getting high on a hill (literally!) becomes so addictive.That sense of wonder was certainly very real for me during today’s walk on Ben Mor Coigach.
