free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
They say every cloud has a silver lining , well I’m not so sure on that. But events of the past month had left me with a sense of bewilderment, disbelief and plans that had been in the calendar would have to change. I should have been elsewhere this weekend joining in celebrations with good people, but knew some weeks back that I couldn’t
The silver lining came in the form of an offer from Donny, following my post regarding the feasibility of canoeing from Kinloch Hourn into Barrisdale. He offered to take me across in his RIB to Barrisdale for the weekend, a very kind offer indeed, restoring my faith that I’m a nice bloke and Donny certainly was too
. Plans were set and I made my way to Arnisdale to meet up ready for the trip across the water into Barrisdale Bay.
I had walked into Barrisdale from Kinloch Hourn some weeks back, but the mind was mush and the legs were like jelly when needing support, and like lead on the several uphill sections
I only made it to the beach at Barrisdale and returned back, taking all my effort to reach Kinloch Hourn, a mere 5 miles each way, what had happened ?
Time and tide wait for no man, and tides dictated the departure from Arnisdale, where I met up with Donny, boat already prepared and ready to go. I had the exact same RIB some years back and always remember how small it looked when in the sea compared to how it looked when at home, thoughts of that film….’we’re gonna need a bigger boat’ sprung to mind
But have no fear, it was bit choppy on the way over, but quicker than canoeing and couldn’t have been more than 20 minutes and we picked out a spot on a wee spit of land that was on the west side of the bay and gave us a perfect flat spot where we could unload the boat given high tide, with a huge effort to cart our gear the 20 yards to base camp.
The weekends plans were to walk Luinne Bheinn and Mheall Bhuide on Saturday and Ladhar Bheinn Sunday, although Donny had done Ladhar Bheinn already and would decide after day 1.
The midges came and went, dinner cooked on the trusty old Trangia, and once suitably fed, much enjoyable blethering, sharing walking, climbing adventures and life itself, round the fire
The Saturday morning we were awake in good time, breakfast put away, the hills shrouded in cloud to the summits but the forecast was promising better. Pic of our campsite, the bothy etc behind the tents some way off, but a smile on my face
The ascent would take us up to Mam Barrisdale on an excellent path, and on reaching the top we headed round the return path beneath Luinne Bheinn with views down to Loch an Dubh Lochain, the ‘usual’ route in from Inverie.
The path along the side needs to be left fairly soon to make an ascent of Luinne Bheinn and we headed up with sporadic views opening up through the clag.
Despite the height reached at Mam Barrisdale, its still a stiff climb to reach Luinne Bheinn’s summit, but on fresh legs it passed fairly comfortably and both cairns passed, but the views were teasing us, we got glimpses here and there.
On descent from the first summit a rain shower came over, heavy enough to dig out the waterproofs, but within 10 minutes it had passed and the scenery began to appear, I love days like this.
A shot of the lochans below Luinne Bheinn, which we would be visiting later. Donny had questioned this route back with a retired Mountain Rescue gent, who didn’t recommend it if visibility was poor, cripes
But if possible it avoided much re-ascent, so we would see later, fingers crossed.
With the shower gone, the clag lifted and after confusion when viewed from Mam Barrisdale as to which hill was Mheall Bhuide, caused by the knowledge it is further than it looks, it appeared, with the twisting ridge before us, it didn’t seem so far now.
The waterproofs were left on for a while just in case but as we descended to the ridge the weather improved further still and Meall Coire Gaoithe’n Ear the next top, with Drum Leac a Shith off to the left, with Mheall Bhuide behind now clear, stunning stuff
This weather provides simply stunning atmospheric shots, the Coire Gaoithe’n Ear and its lochan of the same name.
View out to Loch Quoich, no swimmers today (sorry Mountainlove, couldn’t resist), with Ben Aden on the right, Sgurr Mor behind and Gairich in the distance, all familiar friends to me now.
Waterproofs packed away, Donny leads off towards Meall Bhuide directly behind.
Across to Mordor, Sgurr na Ciche, breathtaking views.
Looking, hopefully, at our lochans below, with Luinne Bheinn right, and Beinn Sgritheall, centre.
Panorama of Meall Bhuide left and Ladhar Bheinn on the right, doesn’t get much better than this
Ben Aden, with Sgurr na Ciche now clear and distant peaks of Loch Quoich lined up behind.
We reached the summit of Meall Bhuide having seen it clear almost all the way in, but were hit with another squall on the summit, so denied of views there, but again it cleared on descent and the waterproofs would stay packed away for the rest of the day. Now to find our link route across to the path, beneath Luinne Bheinn.
On descent looking back towards Luinne Bheinn and the switch back ridge, a delight to walk. Our target lochans nestling in the arms of Luinne Bheinn and the route out, the obvious line running left from the lochan.
Taking it all in, a man and his lifetime passion, looking across to Sgurr na Ciche and remembering the keds which came out in force as I ascended its rocky gulley, and Sgurr Mor which I added into that day, a hill too far as I recall, but superb just the same, apart from the road out, jeez. Fantastic memories of these long walks, no singles while the daylights there, fill the day
We had only seen another group of three when we descended Luinne Bheinn, who seemed to stand for a good while on the return route, possibly having come too far and wondering where the summit was, they would have had a good climb from that position. But as we dropped off Meall Bhuide a couple of guys appeared ascending. Our lochans, the key to the route across visible below.
The plan was to look for a route to descend safely to the lochans, this area is covered with flat slabs, ominous drops all over, so I descended to check out a possible route roughly from Bealach lle Coire. I reached a point that appeared to offer a good vantage point to view all the way, but it only gave me a view to another ominous band, but on reaching that I could see a gully to the right that we could follow to reach those lochans and called up for Donny to join me. The descent was straightforward with the visibility but could prove treacherous without, there didn't appear to be any other way, but we reached the first lochan with Donny debating if we can follow the right hand side past the band of rock, left was longer.
Panorama back to Meall Bhuide, Loch an Dubh Lochain and the sloped leading to Ladhar Bheinn on the right.
The lochans were passed, the first on the right, the second on the left as a larger rock band barred the way and a likely dip had we attempted it. We ascended the ramp behind and a short distance beyond the top, picked up the traverse path beneath Luinne Bhienn back to Mam Barrisdale, where the late afternoon sun now picked out the rock strata above the head of the pass.
We descended from Mam Barrisdale back to Barrisdale Bay in the evening sun, via the bridge by the bothy and our distant tents visible on our wee spot of land on the left and views across Barrisdale Bay to Beinn Sgritheall, simply a stunning spot.
After a 10 hour day back at base camp, with the receding tide. Our camp spot with Luinne Bheinn on the right and Sgurr a Choire Bheithe to the left in full sun.
Nothing left but to smile with a cuppa soup and look back at a fantastic walk in a stunning area, with great company, starting from what must be the best place to walk these hills, in my opinion of course.
I hope the photos do this stunning area justice, I took 240 photos over the two days, but I know what its like looking at someone else's holiday snaps, especially if they're rubbish
