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As a hill rated purely upon its own merits, Conachair would struggle to attain 2 stars. It is grassy, the walking route under foot is nondescript and uneventful and the lowly summit at 1411ft is scarred by MOD paraphernalia. Yet I and another Walk Highlander rate it as 5 star. Climbing Conachair is an event, taking in far more than the ascending its steep slopes. For most people it is a once in a lifetime experience. You climb it for where it is rather than what it is.
This account is from my visit 3 years ago. Some of the detail may be sketchy but the overall memory will live with me for ever. Planning the trip is important and for most people means you have to be on Harris or North Uist to start with. The weather is the next big issue: you don't want to go to St Kilda on a misty day, and if like me you are a poor sailor, you need favourable sea conditions.
So I found myself in the Tarbert information centre on a Monday afternoon to find that Angus Campbell had a couple of seats left for St Kilda the next day on his Orca 11 cruiser (
http://www.kildacruises.co.uk/). At £140 each (now £190) I had to think twice, but this was a lifetime ambition, the weather was set fair and it had to be done. It turned out to be the best money I had ever spent.
The boat leaves Leverburgh at 8.00a.m. for a journey of approximately 44 miles and the challenge starts almost immediately. Winding through an archipelago of islands the cruiser begins to lurch as a tidal race is encountered. People are throwing up over the side and we are barely 20 minutes out from the jetty (remember - this is a really good weather day so goodness knows what a bad day is like). I sat calmly in my seat, feeling queasy but maintaining my dignity and we at last cleared the archipelago. We settle in for what seemed like a long haul. Sea birds skim the waves and new islands appear, floating on the southern horizon.
- Map of St Kilda - Conachair is on the island of Hirta
After about 2.5 to 3 hours St Kilda appears ahead and excitement builds. Half an hour later it seems to be no closer but there are more birds now so we must be making progress. I am on deck now and suddenly it starts to loom closer - nearly there.The boat moors up in Village Bay (Loch Hiort) and we go ashore by a small inflatable.
- Orca 11 in Village Bay
The jetty steps are incredibly slippery and on jelly like legs I feel insecure. Fifteen minutes are needed to recover from the journey before I can start climbing. I can see the steep SE slopes of Conachair but the view is spoiled by the ugly grey buildings close at hand and the access road up to Mullach Mor which is used by the military.
- Conachair's "corrie" from the Village
Nearly everyone is content to mooch about the Village but I know the best views are to be found higher up. Very soon I am walking past cleits, the small stone stores in which the villages kept food (principally fulmars).
- Cleits - bring your own lunch as there are no fulmar drumsticks left
Climbing higher, the line of the old street becomes clearer and the Soay sheep are left to graze pastures below.
- The Street
I was keen to take in as much as possible in the limited time available and made my way to the summit of Oisebhal which lies close to sea cliffs.
- Western cliffs of Hirta
The descent from Oisebhal to The Gap opens up breathtaking views.
- Boreray and Stac Lee
- Conachair from just above The Gap
- Stac Lee with Boreray right and Stac an Armin behind
- No Morrisons for the Villagers - this is where most of the fulmars were caught on Hirta
- The view to the Boreray group evolves
From The Gap easy climbing leads toward Conachair but attention is fixed upon the Boreray group and the western cliffs of Hirta, close at hand to the right. As the summit gets closer, the line of sea cliffs draws the eye to Soay (of sheep fame), Britain's western most island of any size.
- Soay
- A last glimpse of Boreray from Hirta
The summit is reached but all attention is on the expansive views but there is no time to linger. Steep slopes lead back to the village, the last part of the descent utilising the military road.
- Village Bay from "the corrie"
Back at the village there is just enough time to wander around the deserted houses before meeting the boat.
- Village House
Since the weather was so good, Angus took us for a trip around the Boreray group. The boat was heaving about and photography was challenging but I managed a few shots.
- The Gap
- Soay
- Boreray and Stac Lee
- Hirta from the Boreray group with Stac Lee centre and Soay far right
The journey back to Leverburgh is over all to quickly and the bouncing over the waves seems insignificant.
This is not a cheap trip. There are other operators from other starting points but I do not know the fares. However, if you can find the cash it is well worth it and you will not regret it.