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After one awful March with bins flying all over, there came a BLISS!!! The best Easter ever!
I remember, last year we spent the whole Easter time at home, listening to the rain knocking on the roof - tap tap! What a difference in 2013
Four days off turned into four crazy days of hillwalking, really an experience like never before. It might have been cold and some moments were windy, but my oh my... I can't complain.
After four trips into the snowy Scottish Wonderland, I still have a huge smile glued to my face
and the adrenaline is still rushing through my veins...
GOOD FRIDAY, 29-03
The BLISS started on Friday. We didn't really expect the great white & blue to last through the whole Easter time, so we wanted to grab the opportunity and visit a mountain, even if the forecast was a wee bit windy.
Following the sunny spells, we travelled west to Glen Shiel area, where A'Ghlas Bheinn looked like a good target. Last year in July, when we climbed the neighbouring Ben Attow, we spent too much time on the latter to include A'Ghlas Bheinn, and with Kevin suffering from allergic hayfever, we called it a day. Even though I felt I still had enough power in my legs to visit the second mountain - well, sometimes patience is needed
The wait was worthwhile, and returning to the area in early spring to climb A Ghlas Bheinn in white & blue was not only a BLISS, but a BLESSING as well
Kevin had done this Munro once, many years ago, accompanying his parents when they were on their way to complete the M mountains. Sadly, weather was rubbish, thick cloud, they just about managed to find the summit cairn, no views whatsoever. So, Kevin was more than happy to repeat this hill, if only for the sake of enjoying the panoramas...
![1993c_0078.jpg]()
- Spooky Bealach an Sgairne - Summer 1993
For me, this was going to be Munro No. 95, only five away from ton now and I can hear the clock ticking
Tick-tock, tick-tock, the 100th one is coming!
The walk starts from Morvich, the National Trust for Scotland countryside centre:
We followed the track first, then the path signed "Falls of Glomach":
The good path runs alongside Abhainn Chonaig and when looking back, one can see Morvich and Loch Duich:
In front of us, A'Ghlass Bheinn was rising steeply...
We turned right (east) on the path into Bealach na Sgairne. There was some ice on the ground, but generally it felt like proper spring... At last!
From the narrow glen, A'Ghlass bheinn looked incredibly steep:
Meall a'Bhealaich. Very moody fellow! I remember descending from this one on the way down to the bealach, after climbing Beinn Fhada. One steep b$%^&, I must say, and in wet weather it was a nightmare to pick the route down the slippery grass. Not a good memory!
Luckily, this time we would be turning our backs on Meall a'Bhealaich
Let's just hope that the lower neighbour will not be just as bad!
Half-frozen falls in the river:
We encountered a few impressive frozen streams crossing the path...
... not to mention the main one coming down from Fhada - Allt a'Choire Chaoil:
At this moment we were sheltered from the wind and with the sun shining, conditions were better than I had expected
Time to meow? Not just yet. Wait till the summit's in sight, girl!
I was already overwhelmed by the majestic peaks around me - the walk to the bealach by itself is a fantastic (fhada-stic???) experience, and we were only on the very beginning of our adventure - heyyy!
The rocky ridge of Miss Fhada:
Looking down into Gleann Choinneachain:
More snow appeared now but it was all soft, slushy stuff, no crampons needed just yet:
Bealach na Sgairne always gives me shivers. Maybe because it is so deep and narrow, hidden in shadows...
Looking back down the bealach:
As we reached the highest point of the crossing we were hit by the wind, not too bad, most likely about 20-25mph, but very cold at this height
Yet the views to the other side were already impressive and when I thought about what still waited for us higher above, I felt more excitement than fear.
The top of the passage is marked by a large cairn, and it is here where the path climbing A'Ghlass Bheinn starts. You can see the path just behind me:
We had a short hydration break on the col and then continued steeply up the slope. Some useful information about the ascent: no proper scrambling, the path is a bit tumbly in places and there are a few boggy bits to cross (thank heavens it was all frozen solid for us). Very steep and annoying, but no technical challenge, even in winter weather. It was windy now so we kept pushing, just to keep ourselves warm.
One has to be said - the views are superb from this moment on!
Looking south-east to the peaks of Glen Shiel, Loch a'Bhealaich in the middle:
The North Face of Meall a'Bhealaich, looking like mini version of the Eiger
Something emerging on the horizon... Could it really be...my favourite island?
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan group:
It may look daunting but all the obstacles can be easily avoided even on this steep face:
I found it surprisingly easy, with the path obvious most of the time:
...but even though it wasn't a great challenge physically, I kept stopping just to take photos and enjoy the BLISS:
Back to Beinn Fhada, it was now feeling like an alpine adventure!
The acute angle eases off on the first of many minor tops (marked on 1-25k map at the height of 758m). From here, one can at last see the rest of the traverse to the summit - or one should think so...
The little lochan marked on the map was frozen solid:
The Cuillin ridge:
The wind was bitterly cold, but dressed in many warm layers, we simply couldn't resist taking another break here, just to make the BLISS last longer:
The summit of Beinn Fhada:
The ridge of A'Chralaig and Mullach Fraoch-choire:
Enjoying the BLISS moment:
Looking west to Loch Duich and Sgurr an Airgid (to the right):
The wind was hauling some moody-looking cloud from the eastern side, as we continued climbing up the ridge:
We decided to take lunch break just below the middle top (marked as 806m), where we found a sheltered spot with a good rock to sit on. There was very little chance that we would be able to get a better place to rest on the summit.
Even from here, views were as good as one could get:
Down to Morvich:
Eventually, we moved on. There was still a Munro to climb!
If there was a competition for the hill with the most false summits, A'Ghlass Bhein could easily win it. As we climbed higher and higher, there was another lump in sight... aaah, that must be the top... so we pushed up.... grrrrr!
there is another one just a few metres away, and that has to be the true summit! We got over that one, no, not yet! Another one, ten minutes away
Cloud was definitely coming now and sadly we were losing the white&blue conditions on the eastern side:
Views to the north showing up:
Beinn Fhada ridge still basking in sunshine:
Ever-so alpine views:
Zoom to Skye: Glamaig, Beinn Deargs and the bridge:
The Cuillin ridge behind Sgurr an Airgid:
Ahhhhhhhhh! This must be the summit at last!!!! It has a cairn on top
I run forward across the last snowy patch, a bit fed up with the false tops experience and here it was. The summit of A'Ghlass Bheinn! Raise your glass, here we are! No. 95 ticked!
Panoramas from the summit. Enjoy the BLISS with me
:
Zoom to Beinn Sgritheall:
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and its two outliers are the last trio of Munros in this area, I still haven't done. Should really get them under the belt this year. We'll see.
A similar photo, but I would like to highlight the smaller mountain in the middle. Looks very unimpressive and overshadowed by its big neighbours, but it is actually a Corbett, Sgurr Gaorsaic. The best route to climb it would be, I guess, to cross Bealach na Sgairne and tackle the western slopes of this mountain. Another good walk goes on my "to-do" list
Torridon from the south, Liathach taking the centre stage:
Zoom:
Looking north from the summit:
Applecross cliffs:
Ahhh, Beinn Fhada... Just couldn't take my eyes of her...
Kevin on the summit:
The wind was real cold so having enjoyed the BLISS to the full, we started the descent. The idea was simply to follow the ridge north and down to the lower top, Creag na Soabhie. But after descending maybe 50-60m I was totally and utterly fed up with the slow progress we were making. The northern side of the mountain was very snowy-icy, the ice melting in the sun, rocks covered with the slippery stuff, grrrr! Each step we had to double-check, and we moved slower than two snails in the garden
I suggested putting crampons on, and it was the saving grace for us both. With the spikes on our feet, we moved from the rocky ridge to the left, into a snowy gully. The snow was very hard and we had to kick crampons into it, but my oh my, I never had more fun in my life!
From below, the descent route doesn't look too scary:
There was no point to climb back up to the lower top so we traversed below it, using snow patches in steeper places. Lower down, the wind eased, and we slowed the pace again just to make the BLISS last...
Descending from A'Ghlass Bheinn:
Eventually, we could take crampons off and enjoy the final walk down to the Bealach na Sroine path:
Having arrived on the path, we considered the detour to the Falls of Glomach - we still had 3.5hrs of daylight so we could easily fit it into the schedule. But Kevin noticed that we lost the good light - dark cloud has arrived and the day looked gloomy now. So we decided to leave the falls for another visit - it's such a fantastic area that the walk to the falls by itself can be a great adventure
We returned back to Morvich along the path, which soon turned into a track through the woods:
We managed to drive back home before the day died out and celebrated Good Friday by serving scallops for dinner
Yummy...
So that was the first day and the following three walks exceeded my wildest dreams - stories will follow soon. Meow! I'm truly a wild creature now
