The brilliant Ben Mor Coigach circular
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:34 pmI took dad and mum on holiday to Achduart for a fortnight. Right at the back of the house is the magnificent Ben Mor Coigach. It calls your name night and day. It was a pretty easy decision to climb it.
I decided to do a circular route to take in the not so well-known Conmheall (541m)(NC065055) and Beinn nan Caorach (649m)(NC081053) before going onto Sgurr an Fhidleir and Ben Mor Coigach itself.
I started off from the car park (NC060043) after a lift round from dad at around 0715. The weather was a bit 'mingin' but was scheduled to improve later on. There is no path so it's a case of head for the ridge (approx NC069056). I'd suggest a liberal coating of nikwax to your leather boots or hopefully you have goretex linings because this is a really wet walk. The midges are out as well so don't forget repellant. It's not a exciting walk up to the top of Conmheall but the views from the top are great although mine were intermittently obscured due to a low cloud base. I got to the top at around 0830.
From there you back track a bit, following the ridge down to a col at NC073054 (the 475m spot height). I headed approx SE to reach the ridge of Beinn nan Caorach for and then the summit for 0930. There is a false summit which got me nice on the video I took and will post a link for when I get a minute.
You get a good idea of the remainder of the walk from here. Head ENE down the ridge for around 500m and then ESE for another 250m or so to grid ref NC088055 which is the col before the climb up Sgurr an Fhidleir. Take some time to enjoy the view - I did - but careful not to get too close to the edge! From here it's a steep but dry (eventually) walk up Fhidleir. The views are stunning - I never tire of them. I summited around 1030.
From here, the route is obvious, but as before make sure your navigation is spot on if you are caught in the mist. Too far to the left and it''' be 'good night Vienna'. I decided to attack Ben Mor Coigach by sticking to the left(ish) and aiming for the summit ridge at NC103046. From here it's a simple walk along (again gorgeous vistas) and then strike out WNW to the summit of Ben Mor Coigach at approx 1145.
By now I was feeling a bit tired and had a quick bite of my good ol' Ritter Sport choccie bar. I now had to face the walk out to Garbh-Choireachan. Well maybe I didn't 'have to' but I certainly wanted to. This is a spectacular ridge. Not all of it is traversable and you do need to climb along the side of it but when you pop out at grid ref NC085036 and stand on that big table of rock in a howling gale then you really can appreciate the mountain and the walk. Really - go and do it. I mean, I may have nearly pooped by pants but it really is fantastic stuff!
So now for the downhill part. I always find this as hard as going up, especially at these gradients. There is a path leads off the summit but once again I couldn't find it so I back tracked along the ridge no more than 75m to around NC086036 and then went straight down. Sometimes on my bum, sometimes almost head over fecking heels (much to the amusement of the local black sheep), ploughing through a scree/sand/heather mish mash. It is steep but you do get down in a hurry. So headed down to approx NC082039 where I then struck out for the side of the gorge and followed this down. There is a path at this point and a fairly easy crossing. Then it's an heather bash back to the road at Culnacraig. Thankfully dad came and picked me up and even seemed to kow to drive down the hill to the bottom car parking area which is not long stay. Amazing - saved me a slog up the hill.
All in all a lovely, if hard walk. Would do again but this time anti-clockwise.
I decided to do a circular route to take in the not so well-known Conmheall (541m)(NC065055) and Beinn nan Caorach (649m)(NC081053) before going onto Sgurr an Fhidleir and Ben Mor Coigach itself.
I started off from the car park (NC060043) after a lift round from dad at around 0715. The weather was a bit 'mingin' but was scheduled to improve later on. There is no path so it's a case of head for the ridge (approx NC069056). I'd suggest a liberal coating of nikwax to your leather boots or hopefully you have goretex linings because this is a really wet walk. The midges are out as well so don't forget repellant. It's not a exciting walk up to the top of Conmheall but the views from the top are great although mine were intermittently obscured due to a low cloud base. I got to the top at around 0830.
- Conmheall summit
- Conmheall
From there you back track a bit, following the ridge down to a col at NC073054 (the 475m spot height). I headed approx SE to reach the ridge of Beinn nan Caorach for and then the summit for 0930. There is a false summit which got me nice on the video I took and will post a link for when I get a minute.
- Sgurr an Fhidleir from Beinn nan Caorach
- Slopes of Beinn nan Caorach from Sgurr an Fhidleir
- Ben an Eoin from Beinn nan Caorach
You get a good idea of the remainder of the walk from here. Head ENE down the ridge for around 500m and then ESE for another 250m or so to grid ref NC088055 which is the col before the climb up Sgurr an Fhidleir. Take some time to enjoy the view - I did - but careful not to get too close to the edge! From here it's a steep but dry (eventually) walk up Fhidleir. The views are stunning - I never tire of them. I summited around 1030.
- Stac Pollaidh from the slopes of Sgurr an Fhildleir
- Looking down to Achduart Cottage
From here, the route is obvious, but as before make sure your navigation is spot on if you are caught in the mist. Too far to the left and it''' be 'good night Vienna'. I decided to attack Ben Mor Coigach by sticking to the left(ish) and aiming for the summit ridge at NC103046. From here it's a simple walk along (again gorgeous vistas) and then strike out WNW to the summit of Ben Mor Coigach at approx 1145.
- Ben Mor Coigach and Garbh-choireacha
- Garbh-choireacha
By now I was feeling a bit tired and had a quick bite of my good ol' Ritter Sport choccie bar. I now had to face the walk out to Garbh-Choireachan. Well maybe I didn't 'have to' but I certainly wanted to. This is a spectacular ridge. Not all of it is traversable and you do need to climb along the side of it but when you pop out at grid ref NC085036 and stand on that big table of rock in a howling gale then you really can appreciate the mountain and the walk. Really - go and do it. I mean, I may have nearly pooped by pants but it really is fantastic stuff!
So now for the downhill part. I always find this as hard as going up, especially at these gradients. There is a path leads off the summit but once again I couldn't find it so I back tracked along the ridge no more than 75m to around NC086036 and then went straight down. Sometimes on my bum, sometimes almost head over fecking heels (much to the amusement of the local black sheep), ploughing through a scree/sand/heather mish mash. It is steep but you do get down in a hurry. So headed down to approx NC082039 where I then struck out for the side of the gorge and followed this down. There is a path at this point and a fairly easy crossing. Then it's an heather bash back to the road at Culnacraig. Thankfully dad came and picked me up and even seemed to kow to drive down the hill to the bottom car parking area which is not long stay. Amazing - saved me a slog up the hill.
- Garbh-choireachea from Achduart Cottage
All in all a lovely, if hard walk. Would do again but this time anti-clockwise.
