An Teallach

[fitsat]

On the day of friday 13th august the weather looked promosing, so that evening we drove to Garve and camped overnight. The following morning we drove to Corrie Hallie, our starting point. Early morning mist was still quite low so we took a leisurly walk in and by the time we reached the summit of Sail Liath the mist had all but cleared.
From the Summit of Sail Liath we made our way along the ridge to the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles, this is where the fun starts! We stuck to the skyline all the way along, scrambling, downclimbing and teerering along narrow sections until we reached our first munro Sgurr Fiona, from here it was on to Bidean a Ghlas Thuill and north to the col before turning east to drop into the corrie and follow a burn which took us past some fine waterfalls. The last part took us through overgrown Rhodiedendrums on a boggy path and out on to the road about 1k from the car. Drinks and food at the Aultguish inn before driving home.

[walk aboot]

Yikes, great report and photos, fitsat...the only bit that didn't scare me was the drinks in the Aultguish Inn afterwards .

[skuk007]

Nice pictures fitsat. Is any of that scrambly stuff on the ridges technical? I see you had a rope on some bits. Also looks like there's a path lower down to avoid pinnacles?

[houdi]

Enjoyed the pics, fitsat. I did this route last June on a fine, still day and this report brought it all back. Difficult to say whether the pinnacles rate as technical or not as everyone has different scrambling abilities. I did them end to end and, as I remember, the only one which proved slightly tricky was climbing up the end of the first one (from Sail Liath). Apparently, this is the one which causes problem in downclimbing if the ridge is done in reverse. Bear in mind that this pinnacle can be climbed from the other end as the path passes between the first and second pinnacles. Actually, there are numerous routes up onto all the pinnacles as people have tackled them from various points. There are easier lines everywhere. And, yes, there is a path which avoids everything and has limited exposure, if any. Coming from Devon, I found the pinnacles relatively easy as they are structured in layers exactly like the Dartmoor Tors and I have bouldered climbed just about every single one of those. It's purely a personal opinion, but I prefer An Teallach to Liathac. I guess you get a better feeling of satisfaction after the long walk in.

[trickeyja]

Great pictures from a fine mountain... another for the list

[houdi]

They're only a Grade 1, surely?

Close your eyes and you could be on Striding Edge!

[mountain coward]

Is that bypass path on the last pic continuous (i.e. without doing any pinnacly stuff?) - I ask as my bypass path went wayyyy below that one!

[houdi]

When you approach the first pinnacle from Sail Liath the path is lower down. I originally left that path to tackle the first pinnacle from the side and I climbed up onto another path just below the pinnacle. The rock was wet here though, so I backtracked along this path and climbed the pinnacle from the end. This higher path passes between the first two pinnacles and, as far as I can remember, then switches back to the other side. Everytime I climbed down the ends of a pinnacle to approach the next one I was on a path so it definitely avoids all the pinnacles. It must join the path you were on somewhere along the ridge but I'm afraid I didn't notice. Too busy trying not to take a nosedive into Loch Toll an Lochain

[mountain coward]

Okay thanks - if I do the peak again with Richard, I'll try to follow the higher path instead while he has fun on the Corrag Bhuidhe!