Glenfinnan Corbetts

[weaselmaster]

Part 2 of my week in the hills saw me on my own, resident in Loch Linnhe Caravan Park (probably the best showers of any caravan site) and intending to do some Corbetts. Sleep had been hard to come by on Tuesday night due to works going on in the nearby Industrial Estate until after 3am - what on earth were they doing until that time? Anyway, up early and one of the blissful showers (my first since friday...) and off to Callop to climb 3 relatively unpronounceable hills: Sgorr Craobh a'Chaorain; Sgurr Ghiubhsachain and Stob a'Bealach an Sgriodain (to give Druim Tarsuinn its proper name). Parked by the river in the parking area and set off to walk to the hydro station past a field of horses. Mountain tops were covered in cloud but it was dry and fairly warm. At the end of the proper track there's a muddy path that leads uphill to the R, signposted for Glen Cona. Through a gate, a little way along the hillside then a stick marks the start of the steep pathless ascent of Meall Cuartaige. Straight on, over increasingly rocky ground to the first summit, SCaC. Some care was needed in the clag to avoid crags immediately west of the summit, and the first 50m descent is steep scree. I could make out a grassy spine stretching to the NW and followed this, picking up a faint path. Ahead I could see the slabby face of Sgurr Ghiubhsachain looming through the mist. Some easy scrambling led to the summit cairn, then I followed the SW shoulder to Meall nan Creag Leac, where I met Richard coming in the opposite direction. He was raising money for prostate cancer by climbing 150 Munros and Corbetts over the next 2 months and playing a tune he's composed to each hill on his fiddle on the summit - as his plans include the InPinn it should be interesting! You may encounter him between now and July http://www.justgiving.com/FiddlingTheMunros

Anyway, after a chat we went our separate ways and I dropped down to the bealach before Druim Tarsuinn where I found a sheltered spot for some lunch. Moving on I followed thefence posts, almost getting lost and following the southern spur to Teanga Corrach before correcting myself and heading for Sa'BaS - dropped my pack at the bealach and headed up another steep rocky slope to the cairn-less top. Rather than continue along the ridge eastwards I decided to descend from the bealach back into the glen. There are some steep sided gorge areas to avoid to the E and I made for the river, more by accident than design crossing just where the track on the other side begins. It was hard work keeping sight of the path as it disappeared into bog or heather and it included an annoying amount of re-ascent as it skirted up to pass round Meall nan Damh. Eventually it became more distinct, if no less waterlogged and returned me to the stick marker and the approach route. By this time the rain had started to become persistent and I abandoned any thought of going on to do more hills that day. I headed to the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre thinking I might get a quiet cup of coffee, but it was hoaching with coaches and cars so I about turned and returned instead to my tent for a wet, cheerless evening.

Start out
P1010456 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010457 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Track
P1010458 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View N
P1010459 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top SCaC
P1010462 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Towards SG
P1010464 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top SG
P1010467 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Loch Shiel
P1010470 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010471 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View to SG and SCaC from bealach sgriodain
P1010474 by 23weasels, on Flickr

SaBaC
P1010476 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit #3
P1010477 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Back to the glen
P1010478 by 23weasels, on Flickr

stats
P1010479 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Time 7h 38; Distance 24.3 Km; Ascent 1720

Callop (2).gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Day 2 of the Corbetting adventure saw me move west to Inverailort to climb the circuit of 3 Rois Beinn hills. I'd read about the great views off to the west coast and was a bit dismayed by another cloudy morning. Arrived at the estate at around 7.40 and got set to go, the first move being to skirt round an enormous Marine Hatchery building. I followed the track past Glenshian Lodge, beside the river up to Tom Odhar. a muddy, churned up ATV track heads for the Allt a Bhuiridh and I set off across the pathless hillside, through heather and bog. The SMC guide recommends taking a bearing for the wee lochan north of Beinn Coire nan Gall, which is what I did - the going quite steep up the hillside. I was now exposed to the full force of the easterly wind and icy cold it was too - 4 layers of clothing, 2 pairs of gloves and the weasel hat were required, the memories of scorching on Slioch just a couple of days before seemed distant now.

A clear path now took me up to Druim Fiaclach - the "toothed ridge" although it was the other, SW ridge that I'd take off the hill to an t-Slat-bheinn. Bits of scrambling over rough rocky outcrops disturbed a raven from its spied and it croaked a greeting before flying off. The wind wasn't lessening any and I was glad I'd kept warm clothes in my kit. I could now see the first Corbett, Sgurr na Ba Glaise, ahead stretching along a grassy ridge and with a little effort the summit was reached. This had taken about 4 hours. I found a sheltered spot on descending to bealach fhiona and had lunch, before pressing on west to Rois Beinn, with views of Rum & Eigg ahead, Skye mostly obscured by cloud. Following the drystane dyke up to the true summit cairn, I dropped my pack and headed on to the western top with its large cairn, where views out to sea and south to Moidart were superb. On returning to the bealach I headed down from the large cairn marker, but probably should have just followed the steeper line of the wall as less height would have been surrendered. It was still a steep and slippy path down to around 500m before starting to climb again to the slopes of the third Corbett, An Stac, another 300-odd metres of ascent. Again there were great views from the top, even a bit of blue sky. I then picked a path northwards off the hill, going round crags and outcrops and heading round the E side of Sean Chruach to rejoin the ATV track I'd come up on. Must have gone astray at some point as I followed this track northwards toward the Allt an-t Saigart, passing a quaint castellated family burial ground for the Cameron-Heads then through the grounds of Glenshian House and back to the car. Sun was out now and I fancied a wee drive up to Mallaig (never been before) via a stop at the sands of Monar. Enjoyed a cracking fish supper from Jaffy's on the rocks by the harbour, looking out to Skye and thinking that all going well I should be out there in a month's time.

Beginning of walk
P1010480 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View back to Lochailort from Tom Odhar
P1010481 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010482 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Ascending the hillside
P1010484 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010485 by 23weasels, on Flickr

RB & AS
P1010486 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View to Druim Fiaclach
P1010488 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010490 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top Druim Fiaclach
P1010492 by 23weasels, on Flickr

The three Corbetts
P1010495 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010496 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit SaBG
P1010500 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Wall up to RB
P1010502 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Cairn RB
P1010504 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View from W Cairn RB
P1010505 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Back to SaBG
P1010506 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sweet beach
P1010507 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Ascending An Stac
P1010509 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit AS
P1010510 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010511 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Skye
P1010512 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Crawlie
P1010514 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stats (guess who forgot to switch on til 500m up the hill!)
P1010515 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010516 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sands of Monar
P1010517 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1010518 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View to Skye from Mallaig
P1010519 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Time 7h30; Distance 19.5 Km; Ascent 1321m

[Collaciotach]

Ah Dúithaich Dhia ....... Gods country

[bairdo boy]

Wish it was me out there. Well done, great pics as well

[Johnny Corbett]

The An Stac trio bring back the memories for me in what was probably my best walk yet. Cheers