free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Corbetts: Aonach Shasuinn, Carn a'Choire Ghairbh
Date walked: 10/05/2009
Time taken: 6 hours
Distance: 22 km (walking), 5 km (bike)
Ascent: 1400m (walking), 50m (bike)
Weather: Sunny, warm, clear.
Route should have been 25km and 1300m ascent but had to backtrack to find dropped map.
I haven't written any reports for a bit, and since I've not been up anything this weekend, I thought I'd write up another oldie. Glen Affric is a great spot, probably my favourite area within a 40 mile radius of Inverness. Having done most of the Munros a couple of times, I fancied exploring some of the less visited hills on this visit. My circuit of these two Corbetts seems to follow approximately the route that most people take.
The bike isn't a massive time saver on this route, but I decided using it would give me an extra half hour on the hills. As it turned out, I needed it!
I pedalled the short distance to the old right of way approximately opposite Affric Lodge. The path was very vague, and most of the footprints went up the opposite side of the Allt Garbh to the mapped route. I followed these through lots of bog. A couple of options were available to reach the first summit of Carn Glas Iochdarach - a stalkers path up the nose or a line up the southern slopes from the Choire Gharbh bothy. As I was on the wrong side of the burn, I chose the latter.
Allt Garbh lower down:
Looking back to An Tudair and Mam Sodhail:
The path re-appeared and took me boggily up to a more substantial track - you could cycle from Cougie on this for an alternative start. I followed it into the locked bothy at Coire Garbh. This corrie has a very different atmosphere to Glen Affric despite being only a mile away. Quiet and remote.
Looking up Coire Gharbh to Aonach Shasuinn:
Scenically the best route up onto Carn Glas Iochdarach is probably right up the nose, but my route was easier, following grassy slopes to the summit. My dad took a route up the nose a couple of months later and said it was pretty rough.
Back down Loch Affric and Loch Bheinn a Mheadoin:
Views from the summit were pretty extensive - across to Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail, and up and down Glen Affric. The walk to Carn a Coire Ghairbh was straightforward over grass, with only a short boggy section at the col. Iron fence posts led the way.
Mam Sodhail and Carn Eighe:
Up Glen Affric towards Beinn Fhada and Sgurr nan Ceatheramhnan:
Fhada and Ceatheramhnan from Carn Glas Iochdarach:
I'd missed out Carn a Coire Ghairbh previously on a horseshoe of the Munros around Gleann na Ciche, despite only being 15 minutes from the summit. Daft, but I was there now.
Mullach Fraoch Coire:
From the summit of Cairn a Choire Ghairbh to the large cairn:
Descent from Carn a Coire Ghairbh opened up the views into the Gleann na Ciche horseshoe - doing these hills from upper Glen Affric is definitely much better than the there-and-back routes from Cluanie taken by most. From here, another good route over A Chioch becomes apparent too. One for the future, hopefully!
Tigh Mor na Seilge, Sail Chaoruinn and Sgurr nan Conbhairean:
Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and An Soacach:
A Chioch and A Chralaig:
Re-ascent towards Tigh Mor na Seilge started off steep, then levelled off a bit, following a burn for a bit. At this point, I was all ready to include Sail Chaorainn as the day was so great. I reached for my map (which I had stuck into a side pocket of my bag) to see how long it would take, and it wasn't there! A bit of a bugger. I debated carrying on, as navigation wasn't going to be an issue, but my cheapskate gene kicked in and I decided to go and find it. Last time I remembered looking at it was on the summit of Cairn a Choire Ghairbh, so plenty of terrain to look at, particuarly as I wasn't sure exactly which route I'd followed. I eventually found it just as I was about to give up, a short way back up Cairn a Choire Ghairbh. I'd forgotten my watch, but I estimated that I'd wasted 45 minutes or so by the time I was back to my previous high point.
Sgurr nan Conbhairean:
A Chralaig again:
Sail Chaorainn was out of the window now, but I still wanted to take in Tigh Mor na Seilge (most people tend to skirt around this judging by other reports). This took me just above the snow line and gave great views into Coire Mheadhoin. The next ridge south (leading onto Sail Chaorainn) looked worth future investigation too. A quick descent over snow took me past Loch a Choinich and onto the steeper spur of An Elric.
Sail Chaoruinn from Tigh Mor Seilge:
Back to Mullach Fraoch Choire:
Sgurr nan Conbhairean:
Across Loch a Choinich to Mullach Fraoch Choire:
Back to Tigh Mor na Seilge and Sgurr nan Conbhairean:
It does seem to stand out from every part of the walk:
A steep grassy descent took me to Bealach an Amais. The stalker's path up Gleann Fada has been extended up to this col as a muddy vehicle track.
Next summit: Aonach Shasuinn:
Zoom to the Aonachs and Ben Nevis:
Conbhairean again:
Steep grass took me to the final summit of the day. The weather was still great and I was enjoying myself, but I knew I was running late now, despite not knowing the precise time. I left out the eastern tops which I had planned to traverse and descended steep rocky terrain due north.
Summit of Shasuinn from west top:
Another photo of
it 
:
Rough heather and bog took me back to the Coire Gharbh track I had started on. The route from here retraced my earlier steps.
Back down to Glen Affric:
Views over to Sgurr na Lapaich were great on the return to the car park. This must be the best summit in Glen Affric.
The great Sgurr na Lapaich:
Lapaich zoomed:
River Affric from the bridge near the car park:
A great day among the lesser known hills of Affric.
