walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Amazing day in impressive Beinn Liath Mhor

Amazing day in impressive Beinn Liath Mhor


Postby Spanish Highlander » Fri Mar 04, 2016 10:20 pm

Route description: Beinn Liath Mhor, Achnashellach

Munros included on this walk: Beinn Liath Mhòr

Date walked: 15/07/2015

Time taken: 7 hours

2 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Which hill could we do without driving or cycling? It´s so nice when, after a day on the hills, you just get on the train, lay back and relax not worrying about anything! When someone takes you back home while you chill, enjoying the evening light over the landscape or having a look at the pictures of the day…

That’s what we wanted that day. And the three hills of Achnashellach (Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgorr Ruadh and Fuar Tholl) seemed ideal for that. We would catch the train in Inverness at 8,55 am to arrive in Achnashellach at 10,37 to start the walk straight away. Given that the train back would leave Achnashellach at 18,06, that would give us roughly 7,5 hours to complete the walk, superb!

Beinn Liath Mhor was the chosen one. We had been before to Sgorr Ruadh and got fascinated by that long white ridge, so was included in the to-do list. Knowing how often I like to stop to take pics and just admire the scenery, we decided the best option was not trying to attempt any other hill that day. It turned out as the right decision later when running down Coire Lair not to miss the train :lol:

The walk starts straight from Achnashellach and follows a pretty good stalkers path up to Coire Lair. We had walked it before, so climbed it quite quickly intending to have more time for the ridge. To be said, Sgorr Ruadh was my first hill ever in Scotland, and Coire Lair really impressed me that time for its glacial-shaped look that I wasn`t used to in the Spanish mountains.

The visibility at that moment was pretty bad, even with some light rain, so didn’t bother with photos. The fun started when turned left in the main path and began climbing the steep slopes of Beinn Liath Mhor. It felt really steep, and the predominant scree on the path added to the difficulty. But the steeper, the sooner the views start opening in front of your eyes…

Climbing up to Beinn Liath Mhor on scree, view back over Loch Dughaill and the river Lair
Image

These scree slopes are the most difficult part of the day. A few steep zigzags that really make you sweat. The good news is that they don’t go for too long. Once you pass them, the grade eases and the ground is grassier, making the walk up to the first summit in the ridge much more pleasant. Also the views start to be breathtaking…

Fuar Tholl, Loch Coire Lair and Sgorr Ruadh seen from the approach to the first summit of the ridge
Image

On our way to the first summit, the visibility improved significantly. There were still a lot of clouds, but the sun broke through them magically lighting the scenery

View over Coire Lair with the zigzagging path up the bealach, Sgorr Ruadh on the left and a dark Beinn Damh in the distance
Image

Fuar Tholl, Loch Coire Lair and Sgorr Ruadh
Image

Another shot of Sgorr Ruadh
Image

From here, looking right, one gets extensive views over the Torridon mountains. Sadly, I didn’t manage to take decent photos as there were too many clouds partially covering them. Next time! However, in front of us, the ridge…

Sgorr Ruadh, Coire Lair and the ridge ahead of us
Image

The views from this ridge, no matter where you look, are simply impressive. Sgorr Ruadh and Fuar Tholl to the south, An Ruadh Stac and Maol Chean Dearg as well as Beinn Damh and Loch Torridon to the west, and the Torridon Mountains to the north. And if this was not enough, in my opinion the ridge itself is quite easy. Wide, clear path, no difficult passes and although there is a lot of scree in places, is relatively pleasant to walk. There are a couple of rocky outcrops but they present no problem at all. As I often say, so much reward for not that much effort. You receive far more than what you have to put in. So, once on the ridge, it is just about walk and enjoy!

Some rocky outcrops in Beinn Liath Mhor
Image

Insignificant on the ridge…
Image

Climbing up the second summit of the ridge
Image

Views over An Ruadh Stac (L) and Maol Chean Dearg (R) in the distance
Image

Lochan Uaine and Torridon mountains covered in clouds
Image

Another view of Lochan Uaine and Torridon mountains
Image

The last stretch up to the third summit was not as easy as the rest of the walk before, though equally enjoyable. At that point, some clouds approached from the west, making the sky quite dramatic. It didn’t take too long until the summit was completely covered in fog and strong winds, which obviously wouldn’t stop me from having my lunch sitting on the summit cairn. Traditions are to be kept at all times 8)

Clouds approaching the third summit…
Image

Pretty clouds developing on Sgorr Ruadh
Image

It was time to descend back to Coire Lair, a considerably difficult stretch ahead of us. Initially there is a steep descent in scree where extra care is needed. After that, all the way down remaining to the bealach in Coire Lair is rough and pathless at times, where I basically found my own way, taking longer than expected and making us rush on the way back as usual. It wouldn’t have been a good idea to miss the train in Achnashellach… Therefore I hardly took any photos, it was time to run!

Looking back over Coire Lair while descending
Image

Fuar Tholl under the evening light
Image

Finally and happily we managed to get to Achnashellach a few minutes before the train departed, uff!! Once in the train we could chill, relax, look at the pictures and refresh all the amazing scenery we had walked through. If I had dared to include some other hill in the walk, I better had found some bothy for that night… 8)
Spanish Highlander
Scrambler
 
Posts: 10
Munros:23   Corbetts:8
Fionas:5   
Joined: Dec 1, 2015
Location: Inverness

Re: Amazing day in impressive Beinn Liath Mhor

Postby jacob » Fri Mar 04, 2016 11:09 pm

Fantastic photos. Very impressed.
User avatar
jacob
 
Posts: 521
Munros:19   Corbetts:9
Fionas:4   
Hewitts:19
Joined: Mar 4, 2015
Location: East of Felixstowe ;)

2 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: catwalker, Collaciotach, davyrowan, Millipede1969, Walkerzz and 80 guests