Munro Two Hundred and Fifty Seven

[Chris Henshall]

Sunday, 26th. May, 2024:
After some light overnight snoring in the Saddle Mountain Hostel in Invergarry, Chalky, Lu, Tommy and I headed along the UK's longest cul de sac to Loch Cuaich (Quoich) and the foot of Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich. The plan was for three of us to head over to Shiel Bridge (via Ben Sgritheall and the Suardalan Bothy) during the next two and a half days while, after climbing Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich, Chalky would head round to camp in Shiel Bridge and then climb The Saddle before joining us at Suardalan. The first part of the plan functioned pretty well and we enjoyed a very pleasant wander up the south ridge of Sgurr a'Mhaoraich before, predictably, the clag closed in...

Deer on Sgurr a'Mhaoraich (26.05.2024.)

Tommy and Lu heading up Sgurr a'Mhaoraich.(26.05.2024.)

Chalky duly turned back while Tommy, Lu and I headed north and then west onto the subsidiary top of Sgurr a'Mhaoraich Beag before a demanding and little travelled descent to the south into the ravine of the Allt Ban. After a bite to eat by the burn, we headed down the south side of the ravine - staying high - and then descended to an easy crossing of the Allt Coire Sgoireadail before following the obvious fault line responsible for both the ravine of the Allt Ban and a series of valleys running to the north west. This was interesting and lonely terrain (which I had last passed through in terrible weather towards the end of a long trek with my brother in 1982) and it was enjoyable to feel the terrain unrolling beneath our feet and gradually bringing new hills and valleys - new landscapes - into view. At any rate, we wandered along for a while until we descended into the quiet and sylvan glen of the Abhainn Ghleann Dubh Lochain - an ideal campsite except, perhaps, for the intrusive note struck by the line of pylons carrying electricity from the large hydro power station near Invergarry via Loch Cuaich to Kyle Ria and eventually to Skye. (That said, the story of the construction of this power line is worth a few minutes of anyone's time. Go to https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/news/news--views/2017/3/over-the-hills-to-skye/ for a classic 1970s film in which health and safety standards are notably lower than today!)

Camp site on the floodplain of the Abhainn Ghleann Dubh Lochain (26.05.2024.)

Camp site and pylons adjacent to the Abhainn Ghleann Dubh Lochain (26.05.2024.)

The route over Sgurr a'Mhaoraich towards the north west (26.05.2024.)

We finished the day with the usual mix of dehydrated food (although, being vegetarian, Tommy and Lu were unimpressed by my standard chicken noodle soup) and we turned in well before the rain started beating down relentlessly on our tents for hour after hour.
Next Report: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=124597.