free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Alarm set for 4am (amazing how easy it is to get up at this time in the morning when heading for the hills) and parked up and leaving the car park at Achlean for 7am on a beautiful morning with not a cloud in the sky.
It took me a long time to discover Glen Feshie but I seem to be making up for it now and this was my 4th visit in the last twelve months and today I was looking to climb the two Corbetts Leathad an Taobhain and Carn Dearg Mor.
The walk along the glen floor was just a brilliant start to the day as I headed past Achlean Farm heading for the bridge that spans the River Feshie.
![1.jpg]()
- Leaving the Achlean car park and heading up the road towards the farm
![2.jpg]()
- River Feshie from the bridge
![3.jpg]()
- River Feshie from the bridge - looking back towards Achlean
Once over the bridge I was quickly back on tarmac as far as Glenfeshie Lodge. The views of the river and the hills beyond were still terrific.
![8.jpg]()
- The big hoose!
Just before the lodge I took the left fork on to a track which headed past the front of the lodge and on up the glen then after just under a mile I took the right hand track to head up into The Slochd Mor.
Now the climb starts albeit on a good track. The pass is narrow and steep sided and is a complete contrast to the more open glen I've just left behind. It's a fair plod up to Lochan ant Sluic which would be a good destination point for a short walk and a place I'll definitely come back to.
![12.jpg]()
- Heading up
![13.jpg]()
- Looking back and over to the track up to Mullach Clach a' Bhlair
![14.jpg]()
- Lochan ant Sluic
After the lochan the track splits, the right fork is part two but first the left fork and there is still quite a long walk to the first Corbett.
The track does a bit of meandering now round the sides of a couple of hills and the gradient is easy before it lifts again as it heads up close to the top of Meall an Uilt Chreagaich where the clear track ends at a turning point.
![16.jpg]()
- Finally, my first clear view of the final climb up to the summit of Leathad an Taobhain
There is a narrow path starting at a small cairn which heads over to the southwest and down to an old ruin - slightly frustrating to be losing height at this stage but the climb back out of the bealach and up to the summit is easier than it looks. There is a bit of snow still lying beyond the bealach on Leathad an Taobhain but it doesn't mean a change of route.
Three and a half hours and I'm finally standing on top of target 1 and the views are fantastic. The sun is still shining but the wind is stronger on top and it's cold enough for thin gloves if stopping for a bit.
![17.jpg]()
- Leathad an Taobhain summit
I headed back down to the bealach and out of the wind and in full sun it was a real sun trap to spend a few minutes in.
On the way back I diverted off the track a massive 40 yards and climbed about 6 feet to take in the top of Meall an Uilt Chreagaich.
![19.jpg]()
- Looking over to Leathad an Taobhain from the top of Meall an Uilt Chreagaich
It's now time to retrace my steps back to the fork in the track above Lochan ant Sluic.
![20.jpg]()
- View towards Carn Dearg Mor
![21.jpg]()
- Carn Dearg Mor getting closer
After turning left by the lochan there is a short drop down before it is time to get the head down and grind my way up the track. I stayed with the track till I was within about 50 yards of my right turn when I decided to take a more direct route up the hill on a feint path through the heather. Once on the wide ridge I picked up the main track again and followed it up to the summit.
![22.jpg]()
- Final climb to the top of Carn Dearg Mor
![23.jpg]()
- Summit of Carn Dearg Mor
By now the wind was stronger and with fairly extensive cloud cover it was also a lot cooler. I spent 5 minutes on the top (mainly trying and failing to get my digi radio to pick up Radio Scotland to get the football commentary for company on the way back).
I chose to retrace my steps back to the lochan (rather than continuing along the ridge line as per the WH description) as I wanted to take a few more photos as I walked through Slochd Mor.
Once back in Glen Feshie it was a long but fairly flat walk back to Achlean.
My longer return from Carn Dearg Mor meant that my distance covered was 22.1 miles rather than the 20.75 miles on the WH walk description.
Really enjoyable day and as an added bonus a new pair of approach shoes gave me a blister free day which was a bit of a surprise.
