by cruxchaser » Mon Sep 23, 2019 11:21 am
Three of us just completed a full circuit this weekend (22/09/19) of Liathach over Meall Dearg, the Northern Pinnacles, and around the summit ridge and off the Eastern ridge of the final top. A fantastic trip, and to be highly recommended. Some care needed in picking the route up Meall Dearg and off Stuc a Choire Duibh Bhig.
We ran into Iain Thow (Highlands Scrambles North) walking in... he suggested the left/right diagonal grassy rake up the north face of Meall Dearg was a better winter route (when frozen). In summer a cold greasy grassy ascent. He suggested the route via the head of Coire na Caime was the easiest to the col between the pinnacles and Meall Dearg. His guide also has a graded scramble (Moderate rock climb) up the south east corner of the eastern buttress of Meall Dearg.
Our intent was to the follow the moderately graded rock climb (used loosely - much is near vertical grass, heather, and outcrops of sandstone) up the eastern end of Meall Dearg, but we were probably further right (climber's right) of Iain Thow's depicted route in Highlands Scrambles North, and properly on the full Eastern face of Meall Dearg. This is NOT a route for the faint hearted, and once committed there is no retreat. There are occasional loose blocks on this face too. Nonetheless, it was reasonably dry, and we were a little relieved once the steepness relented in the top third of the face. From there the troubles and exposure largely disappeared.
Getting off the end of Liathach via Stuc a Choire Duibh Bhig was less troublesome. We followed the ridge top down to a small tarn before the ground seriously steepens up. From the tarn we continued to drop down in the same line (North East) over two steep rock steps. We then cut back to the right (South) and out onto the South East face to descend over scree and then slabs back to the track in Allt a Choire Dhubh Mhoir. The route down on the higher slopes was clearly a winter route up - crampon marks through the steep rock steps etc...
The circuit felt like a pure way to do justice to the entire ridge, and is recommended to anybody with climbing/scrambling experience. We'd probably go via Iain's Scambles guided route next time and avoid the steeper/near vertical grass... the latter of which provided few opportunities to use a rope even if it was carried.