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In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:08 pm
by Holly Harlow
81 Shenavall.JPG

Five days of walking to cross the heart of Wester Ross!

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I started from Strathcarron and its excellent pub, after a visit to the lovely Attadale Gardens where I saw this nesting thrush...
05 Attadale.JPG

I walked up into Coire Lair, under the crags of Fuar Tholl, and then took a rambling course to the summit of Sgor Ruadh and, a bit later, Beinn Liath Mhor. A great viewpoint.
22 Beinn Liath Mhor.JPG

I bivvied the night in Glen Torridon...morning brought this view of Liathach The Big Monster from my bivvy bag...
28 view from bivvy.JPG

I wasn't going to tackle it however. Instead I followed a nice path up into Coire Laoigh and onto Beinn Eighe's summit ridge, where I found the famous Pipeworm Fossils -
39 Cambrian pipeworm fossils.JPG

I walked eastwards along the ridge, with great views on all sides, including this one towards the Wilderness - skyline of A'Mhaighdean, Ruadh Stac Mor, An Teallach, Slioch and the Mullach and its friends, and then the Fannaichs over on the right.
40 Beinn Eighe ridge 1.JPG

Ahead loomed the Black Carls, which looked quite Fierce from this angle
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The summit of Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe gave me a great backward view along the ridge to Liathach
42 Beinn Eighe ridge 3.JPG

The Black Carls were a bit tricky with my backpacking rucksack, but soon over with, giving me a glorious view ahead of the Creag Dubh ridge and its curving cornice
43 Creag Dubh.JPG

The next walking day was to take me deep into the "Great Wilderness" from Kinlochewe - up to the Heights of Kinlochewe, then to Lochan Fada. Pouring rain and thick mist all day. Early afternoon saw me setting up camp in a sheltered gully on the slopes of Beinn Tarsuinn - just enough room by the stream for my bivvy bag...
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And just enough room on a boulder IN the stream for the stove...
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After lunch, I went to the top of Beinn Tarsuinn, which has a nice summit ridge, then a steep descent to a bealach made of squidgy squelchy peat hags ...
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but somehow, it didn't seem that long before I reached a hallowed spot for Baggers - the summit of A'Mhaighdean. I'm not a Bagger, but it felt like a special place.
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Back to the camp. The next morning was suitably brooding for a day in which I was to cross the Wilderness in search of ... a library.
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After crossing a pass and passing lovely Loch an Nid, and hearing the first cuckoo of spring in a hillside wood, I caught my first sight of Shenavall.
80 First sight of Shenavall.JPG

First news on getting inside was not good. The Shenavall bar promised more than it could deliver...all bottles empty...
83 The Shenavall bar.JPG

Never mind. The Shenavall Library was well worth the walk.
84 The Shenavall library.JPG

Plus, nice evening sun over the two Beinn Deargs -
89 Sun over Beinn Dearg Mhor.JPG

And a short distance away, this seldom-seen waterfall above Loch na Sealga
90 Waterfall in Strathnashellag Forest.JPG

The next day I went up An Teallach. There are many better photos on this website of the ridge, Sgurr Fiona, Toll an Lochain etc so I will just put in this one of my rucksack on the top of Bidean a'Ghlas Thuill. Distant hills are Beinn a'Chlaidheimh and the Mullach & Co and the several pointy summits of Beinn Eighe.
97 Bidean a Ghlas Thuill summit.JPG

Then on down to Dundonnell and a glorious sunset...
102 Sunset at Dundonnell.JPG

In fact, so glorious I've put it in twice.
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Re: In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:25 pm
by jacob
Hadn't read this at the time. Seeing it now after you've linked it in general discussion.
Quite an achievement, with some pretty nice pictures to show for it. Well done. :clap:

Re: In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 1:12 pm
by Mal Grey
Also missed this. What an excellent route, taking in some of the most magnificent and wildest country and mountains in the Highlands. Nice one!

Re: In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:58 am
by Holly Harlow
Thanks guys! - appreciated! XX

I was lucky with the weather! jsut one wet day when sadly i missed the view from A'Mhaighdean.

I enjoyed planning the route as well as walking it. It was surprisingly easy on public transport although I did have to spend an unplanned night in Inverness at the beginning due to a delay in my flight from London - went over to Strathcarron next day. So i had to modify my route, leaving out Liathach :( but i did get to see the Attadale gardens which was a nice contrast to the mountains. I'd do it again but I think take a couple of extra days and begin by doing Lurg Mhor and that Cheesecake hill on a walk from Attadale to Achnashellach, there is a bothy out in the Attadale Forest I think.

Holly :D

Re: In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:33 pm
by Borderhugh
That looks an epic trip Holly and looks like you got a lucky break with the weather. Great piccies. Looking fwd to doing this overland stuff once I have got this damn bagging lark out of my system. :clap:

Re: In search of ... the Shenavall Library

PostPosted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:46 pm
by dogplodder
Fantastic route and some great photos! :D