Finishing the Munro Tops on Liathach and Beinn Eighe

[weaselmaster]

Another weekend we were pencilled in for Skye, another weekend where that was cancelled due to the weather, principally the wind, once again. We had a think about what to do instead - Torridon looked a bit better than Skye - would it be good enough for us to do the two outstanding Tops both of us required - me to finish off round two; Allison to set up a combined Tops and Munros finish on Skye, if we ever get there... Of course, one of the Tops was the slightly challenging Meall Dearg on Liathach, supposedly the most challenging of the mainland Munro Tops. Last time round we ended up getting a guide to help us with that one...

We drove up on Thursday night as usual, with the amuse-bouche of Fuar Tholl to do first of all, my penultimate Corbett. Friday was supposed to have higher winds, so it made sense to defer the Tops for a day. We headed for Achnashellach, parked across from the station and emerged into midges. It was a dry evening and we blithely expected to find somewhere to camp on the route in. Never that easy in Torridon...Fortunately we did find a spot a kilometre or so in and spent a quiet night preparing for the morrow.

IMG_2784 by Al, on Flickr

Packed up the tent and set off up the path towards Coire Lair, at around 9, following the standard WH route. Pleased to see the tops were clear, the odd wee shower of rain, but mostly dry. Had the weather been better we might have added in Sgor Ruadh/Beinn Liath Mor too, but they are too good just to do in poor weather for the hell of it. We dumped our packs by the lochan in Coire Mainnrichean and sauntered up the path through scree to the summit. First time we came up the south-east slopes of Fuar Tholl; second time we ice-climbed up Access Gully - today's approach was by far the easiest Over to the west were the three summits I have lined up for my completion: Maol-Chean Dearg, An Ruadh-stac and Beinn na h-Eaglaise. Clag came in as we rounded the Mainnrichean Buttress and stayed until we'd descended to the coire; typical...

IMG_2787 by Al, on Flickr

Beinn Liath Mor
IMG_2790 by Al, on Flickr

Mainnrichean Buttress
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My three planned completion hills...
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IMG_2795 by Al, on Flickr

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One Corbett left...
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We walked back the way we'd come in, arriving back at the car at about 3pm. Then we drove around to the car park for Beinn Eighe near the Ling Hut. No more encounters with "Pointy" the stag, who we used to see here and who was euthanised earlier this year. We sorted our stuff out and set off into Coire Dubh Mor, one again with an expectation that we'd find somewhere to pitch. I remembered noting there were pitch spots up in Coire na Caime, but that was really too far to walk tonight - it would suit us to find something near Loch Grobaig, which would be where we turned off the track for Meall Dearg. Passed a couple from Scarborough with their 3 Jack Russells, who had gone up to Coire Mhic Fhearchair but ended up getting soaked and blown about, with clag stopping them getting a view. Nae luck...

IMG_2801 by Al, on Flickr

Meall Dearg
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IMG_2806 by Al, on Flickr


We struggled to get a spot that was free from tussocks, dry enough and not full of rocks. Allison found one on a small hummock not far from the path and we decided it would be good enough. Pitched and another quite late evening meal. The wind kept midges at bay apart from a few intrepid ones that took shelter in the tent frame. Great views all around - Beinn Eighe, Liathach and Beinn Dearg - can't ask for much more. Didn't get much sleep overnight - some rain fell on and off. We were hoping for the tops to be clag free if nothing else in the morning...

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It didn't look too bad when we got out of the tent - there was some clag, but fairly high up. We roughly followed the Allt a'Ghlas Thuill up into the coire, taking deer tracks when available. Up by the outflow from the large lochan, then keeping to the right-hand side of the coire wall where we could. We reached a grassy flat area high up inside Coire na Caime where we ditched our packs, had a bar and put on our helmets - advisable given the really loose condition of the sandstone up here. I was feeling alright about what was to come - we had enough visibility to see where we were going, which was important, and I reminded myself that the summit was only a short distance once we got to the notch in the ridge. The notch is really the key to this approach - there's a very steep grassy pull up to the ridge itself, with some deer tracks to assist. At the notch I parked my poles and waited for Allison to join me.

Morning view
IMG_2811 by Al, on Flickr

IMG_2812 by Al, on Flickr

IMG_2814 by Al, on Flickr

Lochan na Caime
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IMG_2819 by Al, on Flickr

The notch
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The first section is the most difficult: - there's a narrow section up to the top of the first pinnacle which we both crawled over From there it's straight forward - keep to the crest, descend to another dip then climb up to the summit marked with a small cairn. Relief! We headed back to the notch, without any further difficulty, and headed steeply back down to where we'd left our packs. One to go!

First narrow bit
IMG_2825 by Al, on Flickr

Descent to the first dip
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Top!
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IMG_2838 by Al, on Flickr

On the way out of the coire we found a good deer path that hugs the wall and avoided most of the boulder-fields. Made our way slowly back to the tent where we had a coffee and decided what to do. It was about 10k there-and-back to Sail Mhor - I reckoned we'd be done and dusted in 5 hours. Today or tomorrow? The forecast for Sunday wasn't great and I really wanted to get done and dusted today. We set off across the rough ground for the path up into Coire Mhic Fhearchair. As we neared, the rescue-copter flew right over us and into the coire, circled around once, came out for a wide loop then went back into the coire before flying off. Not sure what it was up to.

Sail Mhor from the track
IMG_2839 by Al, on Flickr

IMG_2840 by Al, on Flickr

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The cloud was above the tops as we walked around the loch, sticking to the north shore rather than making the mistake we did last time and trying to find a way around the southern shore. There is a path, with a few cairn markers, that heads up to the bealach between Sail Mhor and Coinneach Mhor. As we climbed the rain came on heavily and the clag came down - typical weather for a completion As we neared the bealach the rain stopped and the sun threatened to come out It's another 120m from here to the summit, but there's a clear path over the broad ridge. Up to the summit - completed round two We sat for a bit, shared a wee nip of Campbeltown Harbour before setting off back along the ridge. The clag did lift as we were heading back, revealing stunning views of the whole of Beinn Eighe and Liathach. I could hear a chick call from somewhere- I looked over the south edge of the ridge and saw a golden eagle fly out, presumably from its eerie somewhere in the crags and loop back around. I don't think I've ever seen one close from above - the spread of wings was immense, the colours brilliant. I stood for a bit with my finger on the video button of my phone waiting for it to re-appear, which of course it didn't

IMG_2849 by Al, on Flickr

IMG_2850 by Al, on Flickr

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We headed back down the inside of the coire, pausing for a quick look at the Lancaster wreckage. A pleasant stroll back round the lochan and to the tent where we enjoyed a well earned evening Huel.

Fuselage gully - with debris lodged inside
IMG_2857 by Al, on Flickr

IMG_2858 by Al, on Flickr

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Another night with not much sleep - it rained heavily at times and the wind got up considerably. As we were having breakfast Allison told me that a big furry friend had come into the tent to see me. Being in Torridon, I naturally assumed she was meaning a capybara, but instead it was a furry Fox-Moth caterpillar hiding from the elements.

IMG_2870 by Al, on Flickr


Sunday morning was a bit miserable - windy taking the tent down; I was more than glad we hadn't left Sail Mhor for today. Met a guy who'd camped along the track and who was heading for the pinnacles of Liathach today - we wished him well, though it wasn't a great day for it, with the winds forecast to rise more as the day went on. We also met a woman who was heading to Beinn Dearg to do some surveying. She didn't say what she was surveying, but I have a suspicion she was off to count capybaras.

Capybaras, somewhere in Torridon
IMG_2872 by Al, on Flickr

One of the sand-worms from Dune?
IMG_2871 by Al, on Flickr

Back at the car before lunch - had it been a better day I might have thought about climbing Beinn Dearg from where we were camped, heading up Carn na Feola. But as it was, we drove home, mission completed. Hopefully we might get our hills on Skye done at some point over the next fortnight

[rockhopper]

Well done both
But.....capybaras in Torridon

[clivegrif]

Good effort indeed!