After some more or less rainy days in Torridon we had moved on to Ullapool and on Sunday, 13th July 2008 we saw the chance for a real classic! The BBC morning news forecasted showers along the north west coast from 2 p.m. on (without internet access we couldn't have a look at a proper forecast), so we entered the supermarket some minutes before 9 a.m. to buy some bread and water and at a quarter to 10 we reached the car park 250m east of Dundonnell hotel (there was only one car when we arrived there, whereas the car park at the start of the other route near Dundonnell house had been quite crowded when we had passed it).
And off we were, accompanied by blue sky. Unfortunately we didn't notice where the old path up the ridge left the newer path round to the Allt a Mhuillin, so we ended up on the latter path - this seemed to be the more popular route and it wasn't too boggy taking the rain in the days before into account. At a quarter past 12 we rejoined the other route near Sron a Choire and caught the first glimpse of the main peaks of An Teallach.
At 12.55 we arrived at the summit of Bidean a'Ghlas Thuill, the first munro of the day. The views towards Sgurr Fiona and the pinnacled ridge was absolutely breathtaking (even more than the steep climb which was behind us)! We could also enjoy the views into the other directions as there were only some high flying clouds. As we were not the only ones on the summit we had a nice chat with a young Scottish lady and a couple from Northern Ireland (if I remember correctly) who were walking in the opposite direction - one of those international "gatherings" we like so much in Scotland. They told us that the pinnacled ridge was not too bad even if they normally find exposure to heights quite scary.
Despite of that we didn't change our destination which was Sgurr Fiona. We arrived there at a bit after 2 p.m. having taken the direct and steep route along the ridge which was alright for us. The summit was fairly crowded but we found a place for lunch where we could also enjoy the views all around. Suilven in the north was recognizable very well, and Ben Hope and Ben Loyal even further north could also be seen. Somewhere in the south there was Beinn Alligin which we would have liked to climb in the days before, but this will have to wait till another year.
Sooner or later we had to walk back the route of ascent. We noticed a group of five other people who bypassed the summit of Bidean a'Ghlas Thuill on the way back. They walked along its slopes and stayed at a height of about 900 metres, but I don't know if this shortcut is to be recommended. At a quarter past 4 it started to rain, but when we arrived at our car at half past 5 our waterproof clothing had been dried again.
To sum it all up: a great day and an extraordinary walk which I will remember a long time.
Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning
Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.
An Teallach, Dundonnell
An Teallach, Dundonnell
by Dirk Winter » Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:56 pm
Route description: An Teallach, Dundonnell
Munros included on this walk: Bidein a'Ghlas Thuill (An Teallach), Sgurr Fiona (An Teallach)
Date walked: 02/08/2008
Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).- Attachments
-
- view to the south from Sgurr Fiona
-
- a steep but not too intimidating climb
-
- international gathering on Bidean a'Ghlas Thuill
-
Dirk Winter - Posts: 59
- Munros:54 Corbetts:9
- Grahams:5
- Joined: Aug 31, 2007
- Location: Mainz, Germany
Re: An Teallach, Dundonnell
by canisp » Sun Aug 03, 2008 10:03 am
Enjoyed your description of An Teallach, possibly Scotland’s finest mainland Mountain, with a great shot looking up Gleann na Muice.
Definitely a hill to save for a good day weather wise, if that’s not asking to much in Scotland.
Definitely a hill to save for a good day weather wise, if that’s not asking to much in Scotland.
Re: An Teallach, Dundonnell
by goth_angel » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:13 am
That's a wonderful looking mountain. Probably a bit beyond me at the moment 

Re: An Teallach, Dundonnell
by Paul Webster » Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:38 pm
If you go the way Dirk went I'm sure you'd make it. The mountains in the Northwest mostly look very different to the southern Highlands, but an ascent to the main summits only of An Teallach isn't really so much harder than elsewhere (though it does start at sea-level). When I first started hillwalking I was very intimidated by photos of mountains like An Teallach in the books and thought I'd never be able to do them.
Re: An Teallach, Dundonnell
by streap » Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:07 pm
Great discription of my favourite mountain. I like the route starting from the other end and going over Sail Liath then over Corrag Bhuidhe to Sgurr Fiona then onto Bidein a'Ghlas Thuill before coming down near the Hotel and getting a cool drink. Have done this route numerous times in all different conditions and loved it every time.
Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
5 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Walkhighlands community forum is now advert free
We need help to keep the site online.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and the online community by setting up a monthly donation by direct debit?
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests