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The plan to do the Mullardoch Round had been long in the hatching. I'm very fortunate in usually being able to take leave at a few days' notice, but Duncan's holidays are fixed by the hospital rosters, and so we ended up with booking the week before the May Bank Holiday.
As the week grew closer we were both anxiously scanning the forecasts as well as petitioning the weather gods with prayer. Sadly, it became clear by the preceding weekend that it was going to be somewhat inclement: snow showers, significant wind, and very cold. Duncan has very little winter experience, and none with crampons, so when he arrived at my place late on Monday night from Brighton, we reluctantly agreed that it didn't make sense to continue with our original plans; and after considering a variety of alternative locations, we opted to start at Torridon, either remaining in the area, or moving on, depending on the weather.
After an 11 hour drive from the Midlands (1 hour longer than it should have been because we are alternately yakking and gawking and so miss the A832 turning to Torridon, only realising our mistake when we are nearly at Ullapool
. But it does mean we get some magnificent views
).....
20160426_185034. Looking North West across Loch Glascarnoch towards the hills around Auchindrean (Braemore Forest on the left, Beinn Dearg/Inverneal Forest on the right, I think).
20160426_201040. Unmistakable! The wonderful Liathach! We're heading in the right direction at last!!
.....we arrive at a very boggy campsite in Torridon and pitch the tent. The weather is clear and sunny, and the hills around look just magnificent. The Beinn Damh ridge is showing to particularly spectacular effect in the evening sun, and I have a long-standing date with Beinn Alligin... Choices, choices.... But given the weather forecast, we determine to postpone the decision until the morrow, when we can see how the weather is shaping up.
It snows pretty heavily during the night, and I am woken regularly by the sound of quantities of snow sliding off the arched tent roof and down the side.
But the morning, when it arrives, looks very fair - generally clear, with a just a few clouds on the tops; and so we decide to go for the Beinn Damh ridge, as much as a gentle warm up as anything else, but also because, whilst the summits on Liathach and Alligen are shrouded in cloud, the Beinn Damh ridge is clear.
This pic (taken from Torridon looking South) captures perfectly why we wanted to do the ridge...
The sun is blazing down as we set off on the woodland path that runs parallel to the Allt Coire Roill; and in no time at all we're baking hot and stripping off layers of clothing...
20160427_122805. About 500m up the path we strike off right up through the trees and out on to open country. Looking back, Liathach is looking - as always - magnificent, albeit with the top ridge in cloud.
20160427_122817. It's so hot now that Duncan has to keep stopping to wipe the condensation from his specs - not bad when we had originally expected mainly snow!! But the day is still young....
20160427_125138. Looking back (due North) towards Beinn Alligin on the left, the summits enveloped in cloud.
20160427_125144. And up ahead the bealach between Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire [to the right] and Meall Gorm [to the left] towards which we're heading. The goal is the small snow field, where Duncan can try out crampons for the first time.
Although it's not strictly necessary, we don crampons at the start of the snow field, and Duncan is immediately impressed with the massive improvement in stability they afford. It turns out that this is also partly due to the inordinate flexibility of his boots (the like of which I've never encountered before - pretty much as flexible as trainers), which make getting a sound step in snow excessively difficult. So we get up the snow field easily, and then tackle the short, slightly steeper ascent to the top of Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire.
20160427_142022. Dr Duncan on the summit of (I think) Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire. The skyscape is changing all the time, but the views are without exception brilliant in every direction.
20160427_142125. Looking North, the summits of Alligin are clear now...
20160427_142128. While panning round, there's still some cloud on Liathach's peaks.
20160427_142139. And looking South along the ridge, with what I take to be Maol Chean-dearg partly shrouded in cloud on the left hand side.
20160427_142144
20160427_143800. Descending back the way we had come into the bealach between Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire and Meall Gorm, we're treated to a terrific view of the rough and gruff North face of the Graham Sgurr a'Gharaidh (Loch Damh to the right).
Sgurr a'Gharaidh (zoomed)
20160427_144312. From the bealach it's very straightforward walking along the ridge up to Meall Gorm.
20160427_145225. Beinn Damh pictured from Meall Gorm, looking pretty dramatic in the sunshine.
20160427_145216. Looking in the opposite direction, back towards Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire.
20160427_145407. Can't stop snapping Alligin and Liathach...
20160427_154205. Looking back towards Meall Gorm, with Sgurr na Bana-Mhoraire in the background. The sky is growing increasingly threatening over Liathach and Alligin, presaging the snow showers to come.
20160427_160311. The start of a localised snow shower on the ascent to Beinn Damh summit.
20160427_160458. Dramatic local snow shower between Alligin and Liathach.
20160427_162214. Approaching the summit of Beinn Damh. Slower going through the rocks than without snow cover.
20160427_163057. The summit of Beinn Damh.
20160427_163511. And really dramatic scenery from the summit - this view looking more or less East.
20160427_163550. And this looking South towards Spidean Coire an Laoigh. It seems quite arbitrary that Beinn Damh is the Corbett, when this peak is higher, and certainly more dramatic.
After this, quite a heavy snow shower arrives, and it persists until we reached the summit of Spidean Coire an Laoigh. Visibility was pretty low, so no pics.
The original plan has been to descend to the glen to the East from here, but for various reasons - not least the wonderful views - we change plan, and determine to walk back along the ridge. So back we go.
It's interesting to note that the small amount of snowfall we've had, coupled with the strong wind that accompanies each shower, has all but obliterated our tracks of just 45 minutes earlier...
20160427_172305. Once we've made the decision to return back along the ridge, rather than descending into the glen (Drochaid Coire Roill) East of Spidean Coire an Laoigh, and are well down the descent, the snow shower begins to abate.
20160427_172617
20160427_173316. Of course, once we get to the bottom of the peak, the sky clears completely.... This is what it should have been like when we were on the summit!!
After this it's back up to Beinn Damh, and along to the main bealach - all pretty straightforward.
On the way across the flat stony area I lose concentration, and next minute my crampons have caught on my gaiters and I'm flat on the ground having cracked my knees hard on the stones. Both embarassing, and damned painful - some hours previously I'd already warned Duncan about this risk ...
20160427_185445. We follow the path - more or less visible - from the bealach to the South of Meall Gorm, back down towards Glen Torridon. Rough, but straightforward walking.
20160427_191916. As evening falls, cloud enveloping Alligin affords a dramatic spectacle.
And as we approach the road, the sound of the flowing Allt provides a gentle soundscape to accompany the end of the day.
20160427_194314.
My knees are quite achy from the fall, and the decision to immediately repair - without cleaning up or showering - to the establishment of cultural, architectural and historical interest that is located a couple of hundred metres along the road from the bridge for a half of shandy...
IMG_2605
....is easily made...
