free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
So this weekend, the weather looked rubbish almost everywhere, but there was a glimmer of hope up in the North West, so Assynt seemed like the place to go.
The long drive had me arriving at our usual camp spot at around 8.30. The moon was bright, and the winds were light – a truly beautiful evening.
I set up the tent and awaited Dougie’s arrival. It was serene - looking out at the stars, the moon’s reflection on the loch and snowy summits with tea in hand. I was almost sad to have my peace ruined
We discussed what we could do over the weekend, I fancied Canisp, as it looked feasible to walk right from the tent. In the morning, a couple of folk parked at the car park and passed by the tent – seemed like we were actually on the main baggers route
We set off at about 10, the going initially quite boggy, but once we were on the hill, there were enough rocks for there to always be a stepping stone. No real path, but a few cairns en route to mark the way, and a scattering of faerie knowes to fire the imagination.
We could clearly see the our objective ahead though, the top coming in and out of the clag. We went over a wee hillock and could see a well defined path below, which took us to a rather fun section up a wide slab.
Views were opening up of the Ullapool hills and across to Conival & Co. but the tops were firmly veiled in Clag..
We wandered a bit higher, before we came across a sheltered spot – too good an opportunity to miss, so we stopped for some refreshments, knowing we had ample time.
From there the ground was frozen hard, and all the rocks were covered in a very slippery coating of frost.
The wind was cold, but at our backs, so we got a wee hand up slightly steeper slopes.
Up at the shoulder, we suddenly had a jaw dropping view down to Suilven – well it was always going to be the star of the show!
So then we were stopping for photos every 2 minutes until we finally hit the clag line, not far from the top. The summit was frost encrusted and very slippy . It was bitterly cold up there, but we hunkered down in a fine shelter at the summit, hoping that it would clear, as it had a few times..
Unfortunately, we only got a few fleeting views – too fleeting to get a camera out, but I was happy with that
Eventually we left the summit, the wind getting stronger, and the clag thicker.. We were head on into the cold wind now, and it really was freezing. I was well wrapped up, but I could feel my tears freezing in my eyes, and 3 pairs of gloves, including a top layer of dachstein, just wasn’t effective..
We ploughed on at speed, head down into the wind, until eventually it eased as we dropped altitude.
We had nothing to get back to the tent for, so we found a sheltered spot again, where we havered on to each other and chain smoked for a good while.
The merriment was interrupted by a sudden darkening of the sky – time to get going again – and some angry spots of rain.
We had our stomp on though, and after a bit of wandering to find the top of the slabby bit, we rocketed down the hill, the weather getting worse all the time.
The last 20 minutes were extremely windy and wet, but it was so nice just to flop into a ready pitched tent and get the brew on without any faff, the bad weather was soon forgotten..
Throughout the night, the tent was buffeted by high winds and heavy rain – enough to wake me up a few times which means it must have been pretty awful. We hoped it would all blow over by morning..
The morning came, and the rain was pretty much off, but the wind was still mental – the airy ridge walk we had intended didn’t sound like much fun.
So we decided to go for the other thing Assynt is good for – caves
About 25 years ago I had been for a memorable days caving, just up the glen from the Bone Caves.. There weren’t any caves marked on the map there, but I could vaguely remember the location and what the entrance to the cave looked like, so we set off..
A pleasant path took us up the glen past a waterfall.
The river is very interesting, as not very far up it mostly runs underground, with a huge dried up river bed above ground. The springs lower down the glen are very impressive, with a big river just appearing out of a shale bed.
The rocky outcrop of the bone caves looked imposing up above, but we ignored the path for this, and carried on up the glen.
We were soon off the main path, but it was obvious this way was well travelled - gave us confidence we were on the right track.
A multitude of wee winding paths saw us up the glen, in parts just 6 inches wide, with some very steep drops to the side. Rather unnerving when a strong gust catches your rucksack
We passed a bonny waterfall, which I didn’t remember from before, and went up to the next rocky outcrop, which looked just like I remembered the entrance to the cave..
We didn’t find it though, so we paused for a snack and contemplated. We were quite near the head of the glen and it didn’t look like the cave could be any further up.. So we turned back, knowing that there was a gorgey bit by the waterfall we hadn’t fully investigated...
That wee gorge was surprisingly difficult to get to.
All the paths seemed to go upward at that point, so we carefully descended, the going near vertical in places. The gorge was really bonny, and the waterfall breathtaking.
I thought I could see the cave as I remembered it, but we searched all orifices in the cliff faces methodically, one by one, until we got to it. Sure enough, a tight squeeze behind a rock saw us in the cave
A very dark narrow passage off to the right - a lot smaller than I remember - but then, I was just a wee nipper last time I was here... Oh if only I had a helmet I would be back down there in a flash - not too far down - but I remember the first chamber being a dazzling sparkly wonderland, so it would have been good to get that far.. Dougie was less keen when he saw the size of the hole we would have to squeeze through! Good just to find the cave and revive some memories of a braw day half forgotten imo..
A few more caves and dark recesses were explored before we headed back down the glen. Still plenty of the day left, so the bone caves seemed inevitable.
There is a well made path from the fork in the glen that took a very easy zigzag up the hill to the caves.
They are crackers, and I can see why they are so popular, what an amazing location!
Bone caves explored, we sheltered and had lunch before heading back reluctantly. There were still really strong winds but the sun had come out so a right bonny day to not be up a hill..
