free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Liathach has had me intrigued and excited me for years, and on Monday I discovered the finer detail of just how amazing these monumental mountains are! Gordon was joining myself and Valerie for this one, and we all were to be well amused at the contrast of the massive reality of these "mountains" to our simple description of it's "steeply up, along for a bit and back down again". I hope the pictures do justice to whole setting of Glen Torridon and Liathach
Valerie and myself, Gordon and Julie, and Keith and Linda are all cosied up in our lovely wee Plockton holiday cottage as I write this report. It just seems important to me to crack on and write this as Liathach is a definite post for me, no holding back on sharing my views of this serious and wonderfully special mountain day. One to savour and plan again and again
- Strolling along the road in Glen Torridon after leaving the car at the foot of the descent path was a grand idea. Then as we went staring up at the spendour above we were soon past Glen Cottage, and standing at the base of the path following the Allt an Doire Ghairbh rising directly up the mountainside.
- On the path up about 340 metres above sea level.
- An exciting and a times technical route :)
- The grandeur and glamour of Coire Liath Mhor with Valerie and Gordon standing proudly! All of us delighted to see the earlier mists clearing away. Were we to be treated to the views north once joining the ridge?
- Yasssss! And there we are, Sail Mhor on the westerly end of Beinn Eighe presents itself and the corbett Beinn an Eoin some 7km away :)
- The impressive north side of Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig.
- Valerie and Gordon following closely behind me, now approaching towards the 960 high cairn after we joined the ridge below at 833 metres above sea level.
- Beinn Eighe streches out to east with its endless and fancinating ridge line :)
- The wondrous lands to the north that I so wanted us all to see :) They never cease to amaze me!
- Tom na Gruagaich and Sgurr Mor (Beinn Alligin) to the west. My favourite earliest munros :)
- Now on top of Spidean a' Choire Leith, after considering stopping here to today and retracing our steps, I looked ahead to see Am Fasarinen (the pinnacles) and Mullach an Rathain. Conditions under foot were tricky, but time was on our side, the sun was melting the southside and we were re-ighted as if that was even necessary on such an amazing day! All together happy with sticking to our original plan we were soon down over the tricky boulder field and up to the view point just 200metres short of the first pinnacles.
- Beinn Dearg there viewed through the first gulley overlooking Coire nan Caime.
- There's me having shot up onto the viewing level at the 958m spot height in just a few seconds.....not bad for a big lad! (Cheers Gordon for the photo)
- Well this pictures says it all! Scotland's finest, many they might be, but I was awe stricken!!! The Liathach pinnacles damp and layered with fine snow were challenging to the full, and satified my scrambling lust very quickly. I knew of the by-pass option, but feared that would not be the best option. Today however it was, I had more than just myself and Valerie to think about and did not wish to strike a fear into Gordon.....to be completely honest I was more than satisfied with the mental high I gained on the initial edges......striking and smacking me in the gut saying "cross us at your peril". Perhaps on a dry summer's day I may have adjusted my thoughts (and that day will come), but on Monday there, we needed our focus to be on safely and quickly reaching the broader ridge line on to Mullach an Rathain.
- Back down into Glen Torridon.
- An easier section of the by-pass route :)
- Cracking and never failing wondrous sights to see :)
- Mullach an Rathain and Coreag Cam! Meall Dearg dropping off to the right.....
- Looking down Meall Dearg northeast of the summit :)
- The happy gang! The day just got better and better :)
- Loch Torridon and the route home! :)
- Cheers Gordon,lovely photo of us descending back to the glen. Glorious autumn colours now blending together :)
What a day it was, sneaking off oot the door to the pub noo without the lassies knowing
