A Week in South Uist part 2 - Beinn Mhor

[petelynn]

Usinis. I woke in the tent to no sound of wind but I didn't get the implication until I put my head out - into a huge cloud of midges waiting for me. At this point the bothy was a godsend as I ran for it and slammed the door on them to have a leisurely breakfast inside. I forgot to mention that the previous evening I had removed two ticks from my legs and would come to see them as a greater menace than midges. I tucked my trousers into my socks, put on waterproof overtrousers then gaiters but still manged to get one or two a day until I left the east coast heather fields.

Today I was going to leave most of my gear in the bothy and go relatively lightweight over Ben Coradail and Beinn Mhor. Forgive me the odd inconsistency in spelling as everything round here has two spellings - a Norse/English version and a Gaelic one. It was difficult to tie up the bus timetable (fairly anglicised) with the ordnance survey map (resolutely Gaelic). Before setting off I put my midge head net on and pulled up a load of nettles. Then Danny and I set off - Danny to head home.

BenCorodale_BenMor.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Off into the heather again

Benmor1 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

At the bealach betwen Hecla and Ben Coradail I said goodbye to Danny and set off up towards Ben Coradail.

Looking back to Loch Coradail

benmor2 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Ridge up to Ben Corodail
benmor3 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

As often on bealachs there were quite a few lochans and small crags to negotiate.

Bit closer

benmor4 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Making progress

benmor5 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Loch Coradail and Usinis Bay

benmor6 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

I checked at this point with the walkhighlands route saved on my iphone to see if I was really meant to traverse this very steep grass slope below the crags - and I was. So I did. Just after taking the photo below a white tailed eagle came flapping around these crags from right to left and the disappeared over the ridge left. It was about 200 metres away.

Crags below summit

benmor7 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Looking back to the steep bit

benmor8 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

It was now just a short loop back to the summit cairn.

Summit Ben Coradail

benmor10 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Shoulder of Beinn Mhor and coast south from Ben Coradail

benmor12 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

I then followed the recommended route down the SE ridge before cutting back to the bealach between Ben Coradail and Beinn Mhor. By this time cloud had come down on Beinn Mhor and sometimes Hecla and Ben Coradail too.

NE ridge up to Beinn Mhor

benmor13 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr


Heading up the NE ridge of BeinnMhor I was overtaken by a collie and a friend of Danny's who after saying hello disappeared into the mist. There was also another party with a dog heading up behind me. It was just a matter of following the broad ridge upwards into the cloud. The ridge got narrower after a while and there were a few rocky towers with bypass paths.

Narrow bit of ridge

benmor14 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Finally the path just petered out and, because I had read the route notes, I knew I had to do a U-turn to reach the actual summit. Visibility was about 20 metres. A strange summit shelter with no entrance so I had to climb over the stone wall to get in.

No view so just me - summit of Beinn Mhor

benmor15 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

I then reversed my route meeting a couple of parties on the way down the main ridge before cutting across to traverse the shoulder of Ben Coradail to reach the bealach between it and Hecla. Then it was down past Loch Coradail again and into the heather hell

Back to cloud shrouded Beinn Mhor from shoulder of ben Coradail

benmor16 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

It had been raining on and off so I decided to take my tent down and sleep in the bothy. I went down to the peat cutting to get myself some more peat and had a good fire again to accompany my expedition food. I took a couple of sips from the half bottle of Laphroaig which I had decanted into a plastic mineral water bottle but on my own it seemed a bit pointless, I guess it needs company to share it with. So it was an early night with a good sleep undisturbed by rats. Tomorrow I'd be heading south into what was billed as very difficult territory.

[Sgurr]

We did these in three expeditions and Hecla gave us far the best weather, though for us it actually rained on Beinn Mhor. On Corodale the views came and went: we had meant to do Hecla as well that time but ran out of steam, however it turned out to be for the best or we would never have had the views we all got on Hecla at all. It's a shame, because Beinn Mhor probably gives even better views than Hecla. Thank heavens we were away on the ferry and missed the midges.


Enjoyed this.

[Sgurr]

Accidental double post

[malky_c]

Looks more familiar island weather! still, it has me plotting a return to the Western Isles sometime this summer

[litljortindan]

Well you've given me a problem. I know Beinn Mhor is a magical hill and have wanted to return since 2003 (!) but you've managed to make Corradail and Hecla look pretty enticing too.