Suilven: in praise of the new path (2017)

[Jay Patel]

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This is my very first walk report so apologies in advance for any roughness around the edges! I've read so many walk reports on Walkhighlands and found them invaluable (thank you!!) so I hope that at least a few readers will find the following helpful in some way.

I should probably start with a disclaimer: I'm pretty much a novice at scottish hill climbing and don't really have any munros to my name - athough I did do Ben Nevis via the arete route a few years ago (and it nearly killed me!) But in 2013 I spent three weeks in and around Assynt and was immediately captivated with the landscape. I've been back two more times since - always in the Autumn and for three weeks each time which I've found gives me a good run weatherwise and makes it more worthwhile doing the drive up from Surrey. I come alone to get away from it all and so am usually hiking alone.

So this was my third time here but the first with any serious intent to actually do some proper climbing of these great monolithic hills. Previously I had done Stac Polly and The Fiddler but this time I managed to climb Canisp, Stac Polly again, a wonderful classic day doing the Quinag ridge and Cul Mor - which in many ways I found to be the most impressive summit of all. So much so that I left my descent far too late and had a bit of a hairy time making my way down in complete darkness

I had also wanted to climb Ben More Coigach and Bens Hope and Loyal but the weather turned in the last week so those were curtailed unfortunately. But my real goal was the mighty Suilven! A mountain I hadn't even contemplated for one moment that I could climb myself when I first set eyes on it in 2013. But I really had no doubts this time that I could do it without too much difficulty, my legs were feeling strong and the other climbs had made me ready. I even had a crazy idea of wanting to camp on the summit (I know others have done this) despite never having camped in my life .

I suppose though that the real reason for this report is to alert those contemplating Suilven that the new path from the Lochinver side is really quite superb. The route from Inverkirkaig is generally praised for being more scenic with the bonus of the waterfall but if you're averse to bog and mire then the new path really does make choosing which route to take a simple decision. I had considered going from Inverkirkaig myself but when I got an email update just before leaving for Scotland from the John Muir Trust saying that the first section of pathwork was complete it made my mind up to go from Glencanisp. And I'm SO glad that I did.

So this report will contain quite a few photos (taken with mobile phone) of the path - alongside the surrounding mire for comparison! Bear in mind that I did this walk after several days of very wet and windy weather and the day of the walk itself was squally so while the path might look waterlogged in some of the photos this wasn't the actual case at all. Overall I think the John Muir Trust and all the workers involved have done an excellent job. The path is superbly graded and was a joy to walk on. It blends in without being too conspicious and should do much in preserving the landscape around Suillven's approach.

Near the start of the stalkers path with my goal beckoning. Time: around 9.30am.

Nice vew over Loch Druim Suardalain (just before the first major squall of the day)

Not looking too promising at this point. Canisp ahead.

Detour to the Suileag bothy puddle.

The turn off to Suilven - this is where the restored path starts and already you can see the difference. If you continue walking along the deer stalker's path you would get to Cam Loch and eventually reach the A835 - I started it from that end and got as far as Loch a Chroisg before turning back in frustration at what a hard slog it was when the path was so waterlogged.

Frankly under these conditions if the new path wasn't there I would have considering turning back at this point knowing what it's like to sink up to my knees in bog and not particularly being a fan of the experience!!

And to think that rather than skipping along this path I could have been fighting tooth and nail in squelching bog (I don't mind being called a wuss!!). The water on the path is merely very shallow surface water.

Natural water break in the path.

The restored path ends by the arrow up on the brow of the approach ridge.

Looking back at the path just travelled. The scarring on either side is quite extensive.

This is more or less where the restored path ends although I believe that there has also been some remedial work up on the actual ridge itself. The second phase of restoration work begins next year and I would hope that they would continue this path up to the foot of the gully. Although negotiating the bogginess from here was not too bad even after the rain it can still be a bit of a headache in places and of course there is the natural scarring that occurs when walkers are trying to negotiate the least squelchy way through.

Panorama with the summit route.

Crossing the outflow of Loch a Choire Dhuibh just before reaching the foot of Suilven's steep gully.

Looking up the gully towards the natural break in the ridge line. I took Reinhold Messner's account of his solo climb of Everest with me for holiday reading and one of the things he says is that when faced with a steep wall he doesn't look up very much and then finds that he's at the top sooner than he expected. That was going to be my technique with Suilven but in the end it didn't seem as bad as I had anticipated.

The angle of ascent looks worse than it is. Funnily enough I didn't find myself particularly out of breath but maybe that was because I was too busy battling the elements! There was a fair bit of water running down the gully channels so I was concentrating quite hard in keeping my footing. At one point I realised that I had actually strayed off the path when I was struggling to find a foothold and wondered if this was normal...until I spotted the bouldery path again!

The constantly changing light driven by increasingly high winds as I approached the top. Quinag in the background.

Darkness overtakes the land again.

Reaching the ridge - referred to in the famous Norman MacCaig poem "And suddenly...My shadow jumps huge miles away from me". Stac Polly in the distance.

More squalls and a bit of the mysterious Suilven stone wall in the lower left.

But then a few minutes later some sun.

The end of the dream. After reaching the top of Bealach Mor I had a little rest on the south side of the ridge while eating a Snickers bar. But I was conscious that the wind on the north side just climbed seemed to have picked up quite a bit - in fact I could hear what sounded like a waterfall coming from that side and realised it was the wind. Anyway I got up ready to ascend the final bit up to the true summit on Casteal Liath and as soon as I crossed back over to the north facing side of the ridge was almost literally knocked off my feet. I knew at that point that pitching a tent was going to be out of the question but I struggled on until I got to this land bridge before the final small climb up to the summit (right of picture). But by this time the only thing that seemed to be keeping me upright was my hiking poles (which I had never used prior to this trip) and I realised with a heavy heart that it was going to be quite precarious negotiating that narrow strip with the steep drops on either side. The buffetting was too great and I knew it wasn't going to relent so I had to accept it was time to call it a day. As I made my way back I met the first people I had seen all day just as they were approaching the top of Bealach Mor. They were a young couple - we exchanged a few words and I warned them about the buffetting near the top. We knew the weather seemed to getting more hostile but they said they would still give it a go and who could blame them having come so far. I did see them later from the path with my little pocket scope as they were descending the gully but I don't know if they made it to the top.

Admiring the humpback of Suilven across from Lochan Buidha on my way back.

Some lovely light at the end of the day.

Deer monitoring my movements.

I finally got back to the car at 7.30 having passed a couple of deer stalkers on their way back to the lodge. We said hello but I couldn't see their faces as I wasn't wearing my head torch and it was almost completely dark by now. There were only two other cars in the carpark - one I presume belonging to the couple i had seen earlier and the other to a middle aged Scottish chap who I had come across about half an hour earlier and had asked me if there was anyone in the bothy. I had actually been a bit startled because I hadn't noticed him standing there in the dark adjusting his backpack until I was almost right in front of him. I must say that by the time I got to the car I was pretty relieved that I didn't have to walk the extra bit into Lochinver if there had been no parking. My legs were aching but I attribute some of that to the extra camping gear I was lugging and the weather conditions. Either way I was glad to have a proper sit down.

So an experience I will never forget. If I had climbed Suilven in my first two weeks the weather would have been perfect for a summit camp. But I still feel grateful considering that the third week looked so unpromising at one point that I thought Suilven was a lost cause. But I took a chance at the last moment and there was just enough of a weather window to experience this most iconic of mountains up close and in, shall we say, pretty exciting conditions

And as for the path. Well I hope to return to Suilven at some point and the Glencanisp route is the only option for me now having experienced how good this path is. It really was a joy to walk on and it will allow the surrounding land to heal. I'm sure that the John Muir Trust and Assynt Foundation would probably like this to become the only used route for that reason but I suspect that in the summer months at least the carpark near Glencanisp Lodge would struggle to cope with that. The space is really quite small (esp when you compare it to the one at Quinag) and I reckon that many people would find the extra mile or so to Lochinver at the end of such a long day pretty arduous.

Anyway there it is - my first walk report. I hope somebody finds it useful!

[Malkie]

I really enjoyed that report and the photos it reminded me when i climbed it i was walking from Lochinver to Duncansbay Head iCamped at the foot of it but it did not have the lovely path but it was still great.

[katyhills]

Great first report Jay, and some lovely photos, and you're right, it's always useful for others, so thanks for doing it. I'm always grateful for the experience of others on here with their great reports.
I'd hoped to do Suilven when I managed a couple of days in Assynt not long ago, but the weather wasn't playing ball. Can't wait for the chance to return.
I contributed a small amount towards the path, so it's nice to see your photos. These hills suffer a bit from their success, so the wonderful work the John Muir trust does helps to avoid further erosion and allows more people to enjoy these hills.


Hope the wind drops and you get properly to the top next time!

[Jay Patel]

I really enjoyed that report and the photos it reminded me when i climbed it i was walking from Lochinver to Duncansbay Head iCamped at the foot of it but it did not have the lovely path but it was still great.

Thanks Malkie. I went up to John O'Groats this time especially to see the impressive stacks at Duncansby Head but I drove! That sounds like an epic walk that you must have done. Hats off to you!

[Jay Patel]

Great first report Jay, and some lovely photos, and you're right, it's always useful for others, so thanks for doing it. I'm always grateful for the experience of others on here with their great reports.
I'd hoped to do Suilven when I managed a couple of days in Assynt not long ago, but the weather wasn't playing ball. Can't wait for the chance to return.
I contributed a small amount towards the path, so it's nice to see your photos. These hills suffer a bit from their success, so the wonderful work the John Muir trust does helps to avoid further erosion and allows more people to enjoy these hills.


Hope the wind drops and you get properly to the top next time!

Thanks Katy, that's really encouraging I also contributed towards the path so it was great to see first hand how well that money had been spent. And yes fully agree re the errosion and JM Trust which I'm a member of. Hope you get a chance to do it soon under better conditions than I had!

[spiderwebb]

Great first report of a stunning mountain

[starless8]

Excellent report!

I have just joined the forum, but the first thing I looked up was Suilven, at the search brought me here.

Suilven is my favourite mountain. I haven't been to the mountain, or even to Scotland, for a very long time. Actually, I have just returned having lived in France for the last 12 years, but it's even much longer than that.

I have just booked to tour Scotland in May/June, and I will be staying at Lochinver for several days, and I intend to do this walk, though I haven't yet decided to go over the other side to walk round that way as I did all those years ago.

So, thanks for that report, it has made sure I put Suilven in my itinerary, despite my knees not being as good as they used to be!

[litljortindan]

New path looks great. Don't think I'll return to Suilven now though; I'll just have to enjoy the memories but also good to get reminders from reports like this.

[Anne C]

Great report and really useful info about the new path. I climbed Suilven many years ago and yes, it was a bog fest after leaving the main track.What an improvement!

[Sgurr]

Excellent informative report. That new path was certainly needed. Very boggy indeed when we were there. The wind certainly gets up in these parts. Our clothes were flapping on us, and we met two other couples as we descended , one woman was clinging to a rock, and like you, we didn't know if she made it. We slept in the bothy, and were quite surprised when we walked out to find we could stand up as it sounded as if the wind was attempting to take the roof off during the night but it had abated considerably by morning and it was only when we got up high that, like you, we found it dodgy. Hope you get up another day.

[Broctonian]

Hi there, we were looking to go up Suilven next month and the photos are a great incentive. There's one particular question - We've got a 3Te plus motorhome and would want to park it at the start/finish point. Is there access space at the Inverkirkaig end or are we better slogging through from Elphin? Thanks for your thoughts.

[jmarkb]

There is a fairly large car park at Inverkirkaig https://goo.gl/maps/TXCxvHJmVku though you may not enjoy driving the single track road to get there. Another option would be to park in Lochinver and walk up the road to Glencanisp Lodge: the parking areas at the end of this road are quite small and I would not advise taking a motorhome up there! It adds about a mile each way to the route described here: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/suilven.shtml

[Broctonian]

Well, we did it! 3.5Te Motorhome and all. Along with my wife, I got up Suilven two weeks ago today. The weather was pretty overcast for most of the day but did open up to give us some memorable views from the wall section below the main summit. There was plenty of space for our Van and other users in the Walkers' Car Park and we were able to turn round and reverse into a parking space without difficulty. I guess only 12-20 people went up that day, including a couple we met on our way up who had overnighted at the top. There is even more room at the Lodge and anyone who was really worried about access could make contact there.
The new path is easy to follow, marked as it is at the moment by white big bags of stone. It took us under 7 hours to complete the round trip with some memorable views on the way. Not bad for two of us in our late 60s.
Thanks to all contributors to this thread who reassured us about access and route. This is a lovely mountain to climb and the whole day was a memorable one.