Little time, Little Wyvis
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:08 pmCorbetts: Little Wyvis
Date: 20/12/2014.
Distance: 9.5km
Ascent: 675m
Time taken: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Weather: Windy, occasional showers, some sunshine, snow from 400m upward.
Work over for the year, and a fairly uninspiring weather forecast ahead for the weekend. Cold and windy on Saturday vs. warm and wet on Sunday. I decided on a short local walk on Saturday. I decided to take the more southerly approach to Little Wyvis, which I'd not done before. Pre-access legislation, this route was forbidden, and I thought the landowners were still a bit obstructive of this route. I didn't see any issues today - no locked gates or particularly misleading signage.
I parked at the Silverbridge carpark and crossed the Ullapool road. There is a road dept depot just off the main road and a high gate next to it. Round the gate and up the track, passing a fair amount of dumped rubbish on the way. Given that the gate is locked at the bottom, most of this must be dumped by the estate.
Black Water:
Silverbridge, Black Water:
This is the gate you want:
Strathgarve from the upper section of the ascent:
After a couple more gates, it was into the new snow. The weather was way better than expected so far, with views over the Strathfarrar hills and the east end of the Fannaichs.
Rainbow:
Meall Ruighe an Fhirich from the ascent:
As the track zigzagged up the eastern slopes, it filled up with drifts of soft snow. I cut a few corners higher up to avoid the deepest powder, and was soon on the summit ridge. This is where the wind really got up, although it wasn't making walking too difficult.
South from near the summit:
An Cabhar and Ben Wyvis from the summit
Some snow starting to consolidate:
I didn't hang around at the top, and dropped off to the south. There was some Christmas shopping on the agenda later on, so despite thinking of heading over to the radio mast on Meall Ruighe an Fhirich, I dropped down to a closer track crossing Bealach Beag for a shorter cicuit.
Loch Luichart, Fionn Bheinn and the Fannaichs:
SW face of Little Wyvis:
Good views to the Fannaichs as I rejoined my outward route and dropped back down to Silverbridge.
Eastern Fannaichs:
Garbh Choire Mor and An Coileachan:
Back to Little Wyvis:
Pond on the way down:
Silverbridge from the carpark:
Little Wyvis from Strathgarve:
I had planned to go up Little Wyvis via a longer route from the Rogie Falls, but this was a pleasant alternative to the usual route from Garbat.
Date: 20/12/2014.
Distance: 9.5km
Ascent: 675m
Time taken: 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Weather: Windy, occasional showers, some sunshine, snow from 400m upward.
Work over for the year, and a fairly uninspiring weather forecast ahead for the weekend. Cold and windy on Saturday vs. warm and wet on Sunday. I decided on a short local walk on Saturday. I decided to take the more southerly approach to Little Wyvis, which I'd not done before. Pre-access legislation, this route was forbidden, and I thought the landowners were still a bit obstructive of this route. I didn't see any issues today - no locked gates or particularly misleading signage.
I parked at the Silverbridge carpark and crossed the Ullapool road. There is a road dept depot just off the main road and a high gate next to it. Round the gate and up the track, passing a fair amount of dumped rubbish on the way. Given that the gate is locked at the bottom, most of this must be dumped by the estate.
Black Water:
Silverbridge, Black Water:
This is the gate you want:
Strathgarve from the upper section of the ascent:
After a couple more gates, it was into the new snow. The weather was way better than expected so far, with views over the Strathfarrar hills and the east end of the Fannaichs.
Rainbow:
Meall Ruighe an Fhirich from the ascent:
As the track zigzagged up the eastern slopes, it filled up with drifts of soft snow. I cut a few corners higher up to avoid the deepest powder, and was soon on the summit ridge. This is where the wind really got up, although it wasn't making walking too difficult.
South from near the summit:
An Cabhar and Ben Wyvis from the summit
Some snow starting to consolidate:
I didn't hang around at the top, and dropped off to the south. There was some Christmas shopping on the agenda later on, so despite thinking of heading over to the radio mast on Meall Ruighe an Fhirich, I dropped down to a closer track crossing Bealach Beag for a shorter cicuit.
Loch Luichart, Fionn Bheinn and the Fannaichs:
SW face of Little Wyvis:
Good views to the Fannaichs as I rejoined my outward route and dropped back down to Silverbridge.
Eastern Fannaichs:
Garbh Choire Mor and An Coileachan:
Back to Little Wyvis:
Pond on the way down:
Silverbridge from the carpark:
Little Wyvis from Strathgarve:
I had planned to go up Little Wyvis via a longer route from the Rogie Falls, but this was a pleasant alternative to the usual route from Garbat.
Wish I'd had the time for this hill when on its bigger brother 
- cheers 