In the Assynt end of the world

[BlackPanther]

I had been planning this route since our visit to Ben More Coigach in summer 2012. On that warm August day, I had a good look at the ridge of Beinn an Eoin and I knew this was a hill just fit for Panther paws. I wanted to get it done as soon as possible, but as always, I got distracted by other targets. Six years later, I found myself having climbed all hills in Assynt apart from Beinn an Eoin! Yet I was saving this Graham for a dry day with decent weather as it's steep and scrambly. Plus what would be the point of doing it in the mist and missing all the Assynt splendour???
Beinn an Eoin from Ben More Coigach, August 2012:
ben mor coigach 169 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
It was a breezy Monday and forecast was best for the far north, so I talked Kevin into visiting the Assynt end of the world to compleat our Grahams in this area. We spent 7 hours in nice conditions, not as windy as we feared and the cloud was far above the summits, we even experienced some warm sunshine. And in such fantastic surrounding, we spent more time snapping photos, scrambling, exploring and lurking than we did actual walking Probably the slowest ever traverse of BnE!
The easiest way to bag this Graham is to nip up the summit from the east, from Loch Lurgainn side via the SE ridge. Some folks combine it with Ben More Coigach but this misses the best features of the hill in question and after doing the full circular, I can strongly recommend sacrificing the full day to explore Beinn an Eoin. You won't regret it!

Track_BEINN AN EOIN 16-04-18.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The walk starts from the minor road about 2 km west from Drumrunie, where there is an ample car park. I wouldn't recommend parking closer to Loch Lurgainn, unless you don't mind the risk of losing your car into gorse bushes
Weather was nice in the morning and despite the cold breeze, we were hopeful that the good conditions should hold.
Our target hill from the starting point:

Good light on Stac Pollaidh:

It was only 1km walk along the tarmac to the point where the road crosses a small stream, just before the bridge we fought our way through scratchy gorse to a path which led us to a kissing gate in the fence...
Here we were warned!!!

Because the ground around the gate was very muddy, Kevin laughed that this warning should be: "Beware, danger of drowning!"
The path continues past the gate over some post-glacial lumps and bumps, with superb views back to Stac Pollaidh and Loch Lurgainn:

En route one can take some time to admire the gorge of Allt Claonaidh, which I did of course. Any opportunity is good to take a break and laze about especially if you are in the Assynt end of the world!
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 028 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Waterfall on Allt Claonaidh:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 034 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
In spate this stream might be a problem but we found a good set of stepping stones just above the waterfall. This is the easiest spot to cross Allt Claonaidh, as higher up it flows inside a deep gorge again. We scrutinized the eastern slopes of Cioch Beinn an Eoin and decided that the easiest climbing line would be up to the col between Cioch and the summit ridge, at the lowest point of 363m. It avoided the vertical cliffs of Cioch itself:

There was no path now but walking wasn't too bad, a bit wet and overgrown with heather but as soon as we reached the steeper ground, we found it was crossed with many animal paths and we used them to gain height. A single male deer stood about half way up Cioch, watching us with some interest, but we're so used to seeing deer everywhere that we didn't even bother taking a photo of the stag.
Steeper ground on the way up to the col, Ben More Coigach and Sgurr an Fhidhleir in the background:

It didn't take us long to reach the col... and here we stopped, mesmerized. I have been to Assynt many times and studied the "weirdos" from many different angles, but they never cease to amaze me. Every time I see the strange shapes, it makes me wonder... Is the silly legend about Viking gods, practicing mountain building skills here, really just a legend? is it possible that nature itself sculpted these shapes?

Suilven:

From the col it's another 300m of ascent to the summit but it's easy-angled wide ridge:

Panoramic view of tops of Beinn an Eoin and the other "weirdos" to the right:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 073 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Panorama no. 2, including Cioch Beinn an Eoin:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 074 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Coigach tops:

We walked up the easy slopes to the summit, stopping every five minutes for another ahhhh and ohhhh and wooooow Shame about the high cloud as it took away the best light, but it was a tiny inconvenience and we could live with it. We were amazed not only with the more distant views, but also with the multitude of rocks of different shapes and sizes, scattered along the ridge. Some were nice plinths for posing...

...others were good for a game "what does this rock remind you of?"...

...and some served as Panther's seats:

And how can one NOT be happy with such views behind??? The ridge in the background is the lower top of Beinn an Eoin, called Sgorr Tuath, in my opinion, the best part of the traverse.

The higher hills were still covered in snow, but our Graham was completely bare and just as well, we knew we could have all the scrambling fun without any risk of sliding down the slushy patch of snow In the picture below, Seana Bhraigh (middle) is the most prominent shape:

After all the fun and games hopping from boulder to boulder, we reached the summit eventually and spent some time posing for happy snaps Graham no. 94 for us, no. 61 for wee Lucy!

She's very fond of Stac Pollaidh:

Kevin on the summit:

Panoramic view south to the tops of Coigach. Amazing!
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 170 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The ridge continues to Sgorr Deas:

We descended a few meters to find a sheltered spot behind a large boulder and sat down to have a cuppa and a sandwich. We didn't really feel like rushing this mountain. We had more than enough time to explore it properly
Time for explorations! Panther on another rock, scanning the horizon for funny shapes!

Kevin laughed at me, when I circled every weird looking rock and took pictures. But I was only playing "what does this rock remind you of?" game. Below, a small compilation of different shapes I spotted. What do they remind you of?
shapes by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Panther and her boulder photo session in panoramic mode. The summit of Beinn an Eoin to the left:

Some shapes look like they were sculpted by an intelligent entity, is it evidence for some ancient civilization in Assynt or does it prove that aliens paid us a visit?

At the moment, the only alien in the area is me!

The traverse to Sgorr Deas was like having fun in a giant playground. For a short time, we forgot that we were no longer children

The summit of Sgorr Deas is marked with a small cairn and is also a good viewpoint, especially to the next stage of the traverse, Sgorr Tuath. I couldn't wait to continue!

Lochs, lochs... The waterworld to the west:

The descent from Sgorr Deas was easy at first, but lower down the slope steepens and care is needed especially if the ground is wet. I was careful not to harm myself as the best was yet to come:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 250 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Panoramic view of Bealach Beinn an Eoin and the loch (not named on any maps), Sgorr Tuath looking very tempting as well. The reascent of this top only 1m short of 150m which is the minimum for the hill being a Marylin. Only 1m difference and we would be bagging an extra Sub-2000er!
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 253 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Despite the lack of required reascent, this outlying top is worth adding to the traverse. As I mentioned earlier, this is the most interesting part of the circuit. But those satisfied with the main ridge can descend due east from the col, past the loch into Coire Beinn an Eoin. This option was never even mentioned in our case

View back to the cliffs of Sgorr Deas. The line of descent from the top is to the left:

All scrambling up to the ridge of Sgorr Tuath CAN BE AVOIDED but is not something i would recommend unless you're scared of large rocks One can make the ascent as easy or as difficult as desired. We spent some time looking for good little walls to practice clambering up cliffs. I felt like all my lack of confidence after the accident 2 years ago was now a problem of the past. I still struggled sometimes to reach a particular hold when following my husband, but that's just because Kevin is taller than me and can stretch his limbs much further.
The easy part:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 284 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The intermediate part:

The more difficult part

Overall, we had even more fun. I almost fell off one of the rocks but managed to cling on and pushed my confidence up a level. And reaching the western end of Sgorr Tuath ridge was the best prize I could receive for the views around would make even the most sulky person smile
A moment of uncontrolled madness:

A few snaps of views from the western top... Enjoy.
The western world of water. Loch Lurgainn, Loch Bad na h-Achlaise, Loch Bad a'Ghaill:

Back SW to Beinn an Eoin main ridge and Coigach tops behind:

Panorama north with Stac Pollaidh taking the center stage:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 304 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
A set of weirdos and the ridge yet to come
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 305 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The traverse along the ridge of Sgorr Tuath proved even more entertaining than we expected. Again, we wasted a lot of time photographing every nook and cranny, posing on rocks and attempting more easy scrambling. I can't honestly remember when was the last time I had so much uncontrolled, wild fun with a bunch of rocks

Panoramic view of the two ridges of Beinn an Eoin:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 321 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The northern face of Sgorr Tuath is almost vertical and gazing down made me gulp
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 326 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
From the middle top (585m) we could see the rest of the traverse and the most interesting spot of the entire ridge, what we called The Naughty Pinnacles:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 339 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
On closer inspection...
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 346 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Panther investigating:

Stac Pollaidh and the pinnacles:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 356 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Posing with the highest pinnacle:

Kevin couldn't resist striking a pose, too:

Zoomed pinnacle:

Is that not enough for her??? One more rock to scramble up!
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 412 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
On the summit of Sgorr Tuath (589m):

One more panorama:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 423 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
Looking for the best line to descend into Coire Beinn an Eoin, Ben More Coigach in the background:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 433 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The descent from Sgorr Tuath is all right, not too steep and no scrambling required there, either. Later we followed Allt Coire Beinn an Eoin, before contouring the lower slopes of Cioch Beinn an Eoin. There was a short boggy section before crossing Allt Claonaidh (beware of hidden holes full of water!) and in the end we returned to the path we started from in the morning.
Stac Pollaidh from the lower slopes of Cioch:
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 444 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
The final walk to the car was just another opportunity to take more photos and enjoy the last minutes spent in the Assynt end of the world. Thank you, Beinn an Eoin, for a day we'll never forget!
2018-04-16 beinn an eoin 446 by Ewa Dalziel, on Flickr
I'm surprised this hill is not more popular among hillwalkers visiting Assynt. It's one of the best traverses in the area. Lots of strange boulders and pinnacles to admire. Like the scramble to the true summit of Stac Pollaidh but much easier. Maybe the lack of proper paths up to the ridge is a deterrent, but on a dry day like we had, there's very little boggy or unstable ground to worry about. Beinn an Eoin should be given more credit than it's getting at the moment, but maybe there is a positive side of this story, too. During the whole day of our rock madness we didn't meet a single soul. Well, it was a Monday in mid-April, not the peak of tourist season. Maybe we were lucky that we had this amazing world of pinnacles, nooks and crannies only to ourselves.
............
The next day was very windy and showery so we spent it working in the garden, but on Wedneday we returned to the hills, if only for a surprise Sub. The original idea was just an easy low-level walk, but Kevin spotted a nearby Marylin and dragged me up to the summit. More amazing views, this time from the enchanting area of Loch Maree to come soon

[Mal Grey]

That looks fabulous.

We spent 3 days camped below, in your "western world of water" photo, looking at this just after Easter. It looked like a fantastic little hill, well pair of hills from where we were.


On the right, here:


Must get on with a trip report (well two), but there's not much walking in it!

[jmarkb]

Yes, it's a smashing wee hill: I guess it just suffers from being in such superlative company and would be more popular if it were picked up and moved somewhere else. According to the number of ascents of hills in the area recorded on WH it's well down the list:

Stac Pollaidh 1448
Quinag - Spidean Coinich 974
Quinag - Sail Gharbh 909
Suilven 905
Cul Mor 809
Quinag - Sail Gorm 787
Canisp 584
Cul Beag 543
Ben Mor Coigach 420
Sgurr an Fhidhleir 361
Beinn an Eoin 102
Meall an Fheadain 72
Beinn Reidh 14

And yes, the Allt Claonaidh can indeed be impossible in spate: we made an impromptu ascent of BMC from this direction after discovering this first hand!

Thanks for another great TR

[malky_c]

Not bad at all for the 3rd best hill in the range . I missed out Sgurr Tuath when I was up there, but have been intending to give it another go from this direction. Not too hard when it's only a shortish drive away .

[BlackPanther]

Thanks, guys i never thought of checking statistics for BnE, but the numbers only confirmed my suspicions that this Graham needs some serious advertising!

Now the only two we haven't done yet are the two Subs (Meall an Fheadain and Beinn Reidh) but I'd be just as happy to repeat any of the Assynt "weirdos"

PS. Mal, should I now guess the "Name the loch" question? I had an inkling earlier on but wasn't sure.

[jmarkb]

Now the only two we haven't done yet are the two Subs (Meall an Fheadain and Beinn Reidh)

Meall an Fheadain is well worth a visit: only 20 minutes walk from the road but one of the finest viewpoints anywhere in the country.

I also haven't done Beinn Reidh yet: don't much fancy the river crossing on the shortest approach so might try coming in on the path from the W end of Loch Assynt.

[BlackPanther]

I also haven't done Beinn Reidh yet: don't much fancy the river crossing on the shortest approach so might try coming in on the path from the W end of Loch Assynt.

The very same problem here, I was thinking about doing this one as a winter quickie, but the river crossing is off-putting. I was wondering about connecting it to Canisp traverse, but the ground between them seems very wet.
Beinn Reidh from Canisp:

[Jim777]

Great report and pictures . Did this hill about 10 years ago and don't have any pictures of it so it was good to see it again. I never met a single person when I did it so perhaps your pictures will inspire others to give it a go. You never mentioned the split in the rocks across the top of Sgorr Tuath which admittedly isn't that noticeable but is certainly deep. Worst part of the walk for me was returning back around the nose of the Cioch to get back to the crossing of the Allt na Croise Gille. The added bonus is the absolutely fantastic views you get of the Fhidhleir. Well done

[dooterbang]

Absolutely brilliant - amazing photos!

I've not walked this one yet but I will next time I'm up in my fave area

Cheers.