free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
This had originally been Plan B for the weekend before, but laziness on my part had seen it relegated for something closer and easier.
But now it was definitely Plan A, B, C, etc……
I’d seen the route described in a handful of walk reports on WH, starting and finishing on the B road just off from Inverailort. I parked up in a drawing-me-in just into the minor road to Glen Shian. It really was a beautiful morning as I set off up the tarmac track that runs up to some cottages alongside the Inverailort House, if a little hazy.
At the cottages it’s a sharp left and then a long straight grass track through a couple of gates, signposted to Druim Fiaclach.
P1110087 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
All was well with my world up to a couple of old outbuildings. It turns out they were built during World War II when the area was commandeered by the War Office as a training centre. What I apparently should have done here was follow the track (now faint) off to the left and then it would have curved from left to right round a thicket of trees and bracken. This I only discovered on my return of course
For now I headed in a line which was taken me in the direction I wanted to go……..just through a thicket of trees and bracken
P1110089 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Eventually though I reacquainted myself with the track, which was now developing into a good path as it made its way up a very short incline and then headed into a sheltered basin of grass, trees and shrubbery. There is a short section over some rocks where the path became perhaps a little indistinct, but that was short lived. It was a bit overgrown too in places as it wound its way up and over to the Allt a’Bhuiridh.
Possibly the most unimpressive point of the walk greeted me here, as I was confronted with a nasty scar of a track
Looks like pipes are being laid, but the resultant track that has been cut is hideous in what is a super spot……….an area of otherwise outstanding natural beauty hidden from civilisation, even though civilisation itself is less than 30 minutes away.
P1110090 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Despite its ugliness the track did provide easy walking to the point where I dropped down to pick up a bridge over the Allt a’Bhuiridh . Views to the third Corbett of the day, An Stac, were opening up nicely here, although even at this close proximity I was seeing that the day was set to be hazy despite the blue, almost cloudless sky I was enjoy the whole day.
P1110093 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110095 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110096 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Having crossed the bridge my Corbett guide suggested abandoning the landrover tracks early on and heading for the open hillside. I won’t lie. I found the pathless climb up onto Beinn Coire nan Gall painfu
P1110100 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Initially I had headed up an easier slope to my left, even though I was sure I was needing to go for a full frontal attack up a steep sided slope which would eventually bring me out just north of Beinn Coire nan Gall. I could probably have continued on my easier ground and given myself a big right handed loop to the same place, but in the end I decided to go full frontal. B*gger me, I toiled. Huffed and puffed, stopped and started. Repeated said huffing, puffing, stopping and starting at regular and irregular intervals until I got on to the ridge
I found it a real pig of a slog to get up the side and onto the easier going of the ridge
P1110113 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Eventually though the route was starting to open up as I gained height and the gradient eased
It had all taken its toll though, as my legs felt pretty heavy for much of the rest of the day as a result
P1110118 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110119 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110123 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110125 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110128 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110134 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
But after a bit more of a climb (looked worse than it was) I was eventually on the summit of Druim Fiaclach - or should I say the former Corbett Druim Fiaclach. A super view point for the rest of the route, with the three Corbetts all in full view.
P1110145 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110149 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110153 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Sadly the haze that persisted all day took away from the more distant views. It’s seems churlish, but that would be my only downer on the day…….the lack of extensive views due to the haze. It was sunny, warm and with little breeze, so I shouldn’t really be complaining………Oh, hang on. There was the plague of Deer Keds I was to suffer all day. A justifiable reason to complain I would suggest. I mean, what is their purpose in life……….other than to annoy the life out of me
P1110156 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Deer Keds aside the walk from Druim Fiaclach across An t-Slat-bheinn to the first Corbett Sgurr na Ba Glaise was brilliant
By now the route was benefiting from a path and so progress was much, much more pleasant. It was a super little stroll up and over the various lumps and bumps. As seems often to be the case in the hills there were some lovely high level lochans on this part of the route too, providing some great photo opportunities
P1110167 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110172 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110184 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110190 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
I think anyone who has walked in this area, or toward say the rough bounds of Knoydart will appreciate that the hills in these parts don’t necessarily yield as easily as you might imaging. They’re hills of knobbles and bumps, rocks and lumps. They make you work for it, but if you persist the rewards are definitely worth it and easily outweigh any aching joints or muscles
My Corbett guide suggested 5,300 feet of climbing for this route and I’d say that felt about right. Certainly by the time I was at the summit of Sgurr na Ba Glaise my legs knew I was on a walk
P1110203 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110207 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
And I still had two more good climbs to go
Stunning views of Rois-Bheinn from the first Corbett, with the dry stone wall in view all the way to the top
From the summit it’s an easy drop down to Bealach an Fhiona and the dry stone wall, which I followed all the way to the top of the second Corbett.
P1110210 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110225 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110231 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Arriving at the Rois-bheinn summit cairn (a bit totie
) the western top just looked to me to be so much higher, even though I knew it wasn’t. And it had such a much bigger cairn atop it too. Well, I just had to go over and take a look, despite the unnecessary loss of height and climb back up (to be repeated on return) this entailed.
P1110240 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
I’d also heard the views from the western top were worth the little bit of effort anyway. Sadly that old Devil called haze put paid to any such views for me, which was a bit of a shame. But hey-ho, you can’t have it all.
P1110244 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110246 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110252 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110254 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
So now my attention was on Corbett number 3, An Stac.
It looked steep. Short, maybe….……but steep, definitely.
P1110263 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110264 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Looking at it I wasn’t oozing enthusiasm either, as my legs were really feeling it by now. But it stood between me and my car, so there was nothing to do but get on with it. Up and over Rois-bheinn’s summit and then I followed the dry stone wall until it sort of fell to bits soon after arriving back near to Bealach na Fhiona. It was then a sharp left here down some steepish, rocky ground in the direction of another dry stone wall. The sort of terrain that could catch tired legs and body unaware if you’re not careful.
P1110268 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110270 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110271 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
Eventually the ground levelled off and I took a right over pathless ground and headed toward An Stac. My guide suggested picking my way up through the crags on grassy rakes. I’ve got to say, a hill that had looked awful steep from a distance became not too bad to climb actually, as I picked my way through the rocks
Don’t get me wrong…….I was knac***d and my legs and knees and feet and toes were all sore. But this wasn’t the purgatory I had imagined it to be when viewing the hill from a distance.
P1110279 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
It was on this climb that those pesky Keds really got my goat though. If they had been annoying before, well they were @$@!ing annoying now
Lots of “toilet talk” was loudly uttered and would have been easily heard had anyone been in the vicinity as I impolitely asked them to go away
(the Keds that is, not other people
) They ignored me
It was probably at about this point in the day when the haze also subsided a little. Views out to sea on the climb up and at the summit seemed clearer (if only a little) from those I hadn’t really had on Rois-bheinn. And generally it seemed that views in all directions were a little clearer and crisper than they had been.
P1110283 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110292 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110302 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110311 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110315 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
It’s a nice steep drop down off An Stac, but luckily there is a pretty good path picking a way through all the crags. I thought it looked impressive looking down at where I was heading
P1110317 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
It also looked pretty good looking back up the way I’d come too
P1110323 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110325 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
By the time I was heading down off An Stac all my drinks had been consumed, so I was now keen to find a burn somewhere to fill up at least one of my water bottles. Of course, having no fluids meant it played on my mind from that point onward until I was off the hill and eventually found a water source I was happy enough to drink
The final drop down to the land rover track was a bit chore. Pathless, lumpy terrain. The sort that seems to go on for longer than it should in my book. Once on the track it was then a fairly quick walk back to the car. Some nice views toward Loch Ailort toward the end, as I made my way back
P1110330 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110333 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
P1110337 by
Riedel2012, on Flickr
All in all a great day out. Certainly a day when the legs know they’ve had a work out, that’s for sure. And it took a tad longer to do than I had planned too. Even with the extra time and effort required though and with the haze I had experience these are still three superb Corbetts. Anyone who thinks Corbetts are “girlie” hills, all I can say is come and give these three a try. They might give you a whipping……..hey, you might even enjoy it