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3 Approaching Torridon

PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:26 pm
by steven65
I`ve not done a proper trip report for ages and was saving this to submit with fotos - as it was excellent and a route not too often taken ? - well I had difficulty in finding many - if any TR`s covering this route .
But our home PC is playing up , has been for a while now - so unfortunately I`m putting it on via work PC without any fotos . I did put some on at the time via TH on FB. The route map attatched is pretty accurate to the one I took with Viewranger.
I hoped for an early finish but didn`t get one - pah ! So after work I picked up Oskar at home and arrived at Coulags at 9.30pm after a quick change we were off away , I spoke to some Dutch /German guys who had just finished putting their tents up near the park area -they knew that Coire Fionnaraich Bothy existed but thought it was much further up the glen - I said that's where we were bound for , they thought about continuing on to the bothy but decided instead to stay in their tents , cheerios said me and Oskar moved on. It was a lovely night for the 1 hour walk up the glen and still very light when I got to the bothy at 22.44 . It was empty , clean and in very good order - I opted for the downstairs L/H side room - unpacked my stuff , had a can of cider , put my curry supper on the gas - lit my dozen or so wee tea light candles and enjoyed a remote and quiet night at the bothy . I was up very early on Saturday morning after a decent but shortish sleep - I don`t use a roll mat - I could sleep on barbed wire :lol: I wanted to enjoy a full day out.
After coffee it was time to hit the trail - I was under way at 05.10 , I stopped along a wee bit at the stone obelisk "Clach nan Con-fionn" and took fotos as Oskar posed proudly on this fictional / historic piece of folk lore. The route on up to Bealach Choire Ghairbh was easier than some of the descriptions of it that ive read ! Moving on up to Maol Chean-Dearg itself the views were fabulous - An Ruadh-Stac being very impressive - as if it were made back in time by layers of toffee solidifying to vast plates of rock - lovely to gaze on quite different to other hills !!!! Coffee time again on top of M.C.D. & a well earned break here .
I wasn`t sure until I topped out as to the exact route I`d take down to Bealach na Lice - I`d saw a route (Scoob`s ? ) down to Loch an Eion - but I didn`t like the look of it in real life :shock: So instead I took the route shown on my attatched map. It led to a very strange stone circle arrangement where the 4 stalkers paths converge at the bealach below Meall Dearg . It was now quite hot , I pressed on , gaining ground leading to Bealach Ban - here a cairn marks where to turn right at wee lochans , then bears continually right on a decent path leading to Coire Grannda - it is stunningly beautiful with awesome views over to Torridon / Liathach /Beinn Eighe & Upper loch Torridon -simply amazing - you`d need to see it yourself !!
I had a quick break here before continuing up towards the rocky face below the 769M spot height , it is quite rough in places here , the track below leading to Loch Coire Laie being clearly visible. Once over here another lochan appears before you , then a short steep gully / chute which needs a tiny bit of scrambling to get over - then huge
stone plates which dip a wee bit , leading onto a series of zig zags climbing through bright (quartz?) stone boulder fields to the summit of Beinn Liath Mhor. I didn`t stay too long at the top just a foto or 2 then off again , I`d left my rucksack at the bottom of the gully/ chute beside the lochan & was looking forward to a drink. From the bealach it was a short steepish climb towards the 785M point and the ridge up to Sgorr Ruadh . I had to put my berghaus on mow as drizzle came through with low cloud & 2 rainbows , the ridge had 2 ( I think ?) false summits as I moved up in the clag - reaching the top was a blessing as I needed a rest. The hardest part of the walk now lay in front of me - the walk out down towards Loch a` Bhealaich Mhoir was often over very rough broken ground with a frequently disappearing track , it was hard work despite being mostly downwards & took a fair bit of time. I struck straight down to Clach nan Con-fionn rejoining the track there to the bothy. Someone had been in there as the darts in the board were in different beds.......... I picked up my gas stove , sleeping bag & bits n bobs I`d left during the walk & headed out , stopping to chat to 2 young ( i`m getting older ) mountain bikers who were heading to Torridon & their camper van . From the bothy it took me longer to walk out than the 1 hour I took to walk in -it had been a big day , but I`d thoroughly enjoyed it ! Sorry no fotos just now .............. but this is an excellent route !!!

Re: 3 Approaching Torridon

PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:21 pm
by AnnieMacD
Really enjoyed that - wish you had some photos!

There are an amazing number of paths in the area where the three hills 'meet'. Your descent route from Sgorr Ruadh does look pretty steep and probably no paths?

Re: 3 Approaching Torridon

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:45 am
by steven65
Annie , it was steep coming down & hot too - I`ve got lots of fotos , if I can put them on from another PC I will, I could try & use our home tablet thingy - but I`m no i t guru :lol:

Re: 3 Approaching Torridon

PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:42 pm
by MBaillie
Do you think it would be possible to camp at Loch an Eion to cut the route in half? trying to plan a summit at sunrise. What did the terrain look like?

Re: 3 Approaching Torridon

PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 12:47 pm
by steven65
Sorry MBaillie - just noticed your comment now - camping would be ok -but you might have a better night in the bothy followed by an early rise ?
If possible I`ll try to send you fotos from my old I-phone.........