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Another WR that I never got round to writing up at the time, this
... this was one of a few walks that I got in during a lovely weeks' weather while staying with family and friends in Lochcarron in early June 2023 (needless to say, we went back almost exactly a year later and got a shocking week
!).
Actually it was almost too hot, although who's complaining? We don't often get a Scottish summer like this, sadly
!
It's not too long a day, so thankfully didn't require a terribly early start, particularly since I was staying quite nearby. I nabbed a parking spot at the parking bay near the start of the route off the A890 at Coulags, and set off in high spirits.
The well-engineered path up the east side of the Fionn-Abhainn made for rapid initial progress, and before long I came to the wee bridge across the river.
Not much further up the glen, there's a nice memorial plaque set into a rocky outcrop to the side of the path - a beautiful spot to be remembered.
The next Feature of Interest was the Coire Fionnaraich bothy; there was a fairly big group in residence by the looks of it, but they were only just getting up and about so I didn't stop to chat.
There's a nice rocky outcrop just past the bothy, known as Clach nan Con-Fionn (Rock of Fionn's Dog) - the name comes of course from the giant Fingal's habit of using it to tether his dog (presumably not a chihuahua!).
Slightly further on, a cairn marks a left (westward) turn to begin the ascent proper.
There was an impressive view of the slabby eastern side of Meall nan Ceapairean, which despite looking very impressive from thjs angle, is actually only a sub-peak of the even more impressive Corbett, An Ruadh-Stac.
The path heads uphill round the northern side of Meall nan Ceapairean to eventually reach the bealach between An Ruadh-Stac and the Munro. The heat was really building by now, and I had to stop regularly for water.
Soon I got my first proper look at the Munro itself - easy to see how it gets its Gaelic name, since it really does have a big red rocky dome reminiscent of a Balding Ging-er.
Up at the bealach at last, and An Ruadh-Stac was looking a tad Serious from this angle
. I'd initially hoped to take in the Corbett as well, but it was bakingly hot by now, and tackling all that scree in today's heat didn't fill me with any enthusiasm whatsoever. Although I'd regret it later, I decided to chicken out and just do the Munro.
The next section involved tackling an unpleasantly loose ascent path in searing heat... I just plodded away though, and I got there eventually.
At least as I got higher up, increasingly fabulous views started to open up by way of distraction. This was the view back down to Meall nan Ceapairean, looking decidedly tamer when viewed from above.
An Ruadh-Stac, however, was not looking any tamer whatsoever
!
That famous big bald red-bouldered summit dome was dead ahead now:
At the cairn at last! Now, it's been years since I've had much colour in my hair, but I think it is fair to say that I'm not at risk of going bald anytime soon... Hairy Grey-Head meets Bald Red-Head.
Despite a bit of heat haze, the views were something else. This shot is of the nearby Fiona, Meall na h-Eaglaise, with the Torridon peaks in the background:
That somewhat under-sung Torridon Corbett, Beinn Damph, was looking unexpectedly impressive from this angle, with Meall na h-Eaglaise just to its east.
The Grey One inspiring fear and trembling!
A zoomed shot to Beinn Alligin and its famous horns, with h-Eaglaise in the foreground and an insect photo-bombing the shot rather alarmingly to the left:
Liathach again as seen from the cairn, with Beinn Eighe to its right:
Beinn Damph from the cairn:
And finally, a lovely view northwest towards Beinn Liath Mhor and Sgorr Ruadh:
I eventually managed to tear myself away from the summit and headed back down the way I'd come up, needless to say with countless water stops, since the day just got steadily hotter and hotter
.
A very fine hill, this one ... and those views
!
