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There's probably not many folk about who have Liathach as their second and third Munros; or indeed their first Munro trip in nearly a decade. After booking a week's path restoration trip months ago with the NTS in Torridon, I then thought about what to be attempting on the day off. Liathach was the first on the cards but I also planned routes for Beinn Alligin, Beinn Dearg, Seana Mheallan, Beinn na h-Eaglaise and Maol Chean-dearg if the weather was to be better elsewhere. I was wary of actually telling the boss where I was off to as I have done so before a few years ago and ultimately (probably wisely) didn't get to ascend Carn Eige solo in April! On the contrary, he infact encouraged everyone to head for the hills: him and 3 others going up Beinn Alligin, one other to a top of Beinn Eighe and myself to Liathach. The weather had been pretty decent the two days prior but the day of the walk was perfect. I also apologise in advance for going a bit over the top on the photo-editing front for this report.
The walk started at 08:45 after getting dropped off by the minivan. I was pretty anxious as the tops were covered in clag and the air was still cold but I powered on, not trying to think about what I was doing or where I was headed too much. The ascent path is very good at the far east end and I gained height really quickly. I had seen a walking party by the waterfall of the Allt an Doire Ghairbh, which was reassuring until I caught up with and overtook them half an hour later.
Into the clouds:
Fortunately the clag was very light and burning off the higher I went. I caught up with a father and son duo who seemed to be the first on the hill for the day and, seeing as I didn't want to be 'leading the pack', I decided to stick with them for the majority of the walk. They provided some great company as they were both well-experienced and we had a great deal in common; most notably that the father used to take (and now manages) Gaelic workshops, which I took last year, in my old secondary Greenock Academy. There was a slightly precarious scramble near the top of the path where it begins to narrow and disintegrate. I'd say that this is a good indicator of what's to come. If you can do that then I doubt you'd have much trouble for the rest. It was an hour and 15 minutes to complete the sweaty initial ascent. Upon reaching the top of the ridge, the views to the north immediately opened up to reveal one of the most amazing landscapes I have seen from a hill.
North from ridge:
South from ridge:
The other two had planned to visit the east top of Stùc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig and seeing as I was meant to be at the pub for 6, I initially thought against it but decided that I was already ahead of schedule and was told that the ridge itself would only be around an hour and a half.
Beinn Eighe from Sa'CDB:
Looking west:
After a longer than expected blether at the top, we pressed on to re-overtake the walking party and begin the nice rugged ridge to the first bump of Stob a' Choire Liath Mhòr (Beag?)
Along the ridge:
Views to Spidean a' Choire Lèith from first bump:
The second top of Sa'CLM had a very well made shelter at it's summit. The view to the first Munro was excellent (if a bit steep!)
View to Sa'CL:
After serpentining through the large scree, I finally reached the top of my second Munro, the highest point in Torridon and the eighth most prominent point in Britain - in the silent sunlight, a kilometre up and all to myself! The views were jaw-dropping. Only 3 years later have I found out that this was in fact my 50th Marilyn!
Am Fasarinen and Mullach an Rathain from below the summit of Spidean a' Choire Lèith:
Initial section of The Teeth:
Rest of western ridge:
Looking back:
Beinn Eighe and (some) tops:
Cambrian greyness of the massif:
I waited for the other two to catch up while having my lunch and basking in the sun. We gazed longingly at the view ahead and discussed how ready we were to get to the pinnacles! The scree on the way down is easily navigated so long as one doesn't rush it.
Seana Mheallan from a kilometre up:
The pinnacles were great fun and allowed for a few different types of route per one, but some are much hairier than others. They can always be easily bypassed to the south should anyone wish to or even backtracked from their tops, however I found them more challenging than the ascent of Am Fasarinen itself. One of the initial ones involved getting yourself up a slightly sloped plate which tapers at the top. This would have been a challenge in the rain/ice/snow but was not too demanding in the dry. I found the descents significantly harder than the ascents for the majority of them. Eventually we had clambered to the bottom of the final pinnacle, by which point the rain had started. Although the most dangerous if you were to fall (excluding to the north elsewhere of course), it is not close to being the hardest point of the ridge in my opinion. The holds are everywhere and didn't need a staring-upwards-from-the-bottom-in-wonder type of planning. It would only take an experienced scrambler a minute or so at the most.
Looking back from the top of Am Fasarinen:
Mullach an Rathain from top:
The descent of the pinnacle wasn't completely straightforward either and did involve a bit of carefulness. After that however it was plain sailing and we could relax on the gradual trod to the next Munro. We spotted a trio whom I'd met on the Coire Mhic Nobuil path we were sorting. They were doing the ridge in reverse. I dread to think of the weather they got as it must have been pretty miserable and a bit more dangerous.
Am Fasarinen from the west:
MaR misty ascent:
We didn't bother visiting the minor bumps on the edge of the ridge or even the edge itself as a well-worn path made a shortcut around them. After a surprising lashing of snow near the top, the clouds cleared just in time for another clear summit. My camera wasn't quite good enough to make out the others on The Horns.
MaR snow:
Looking back along the ridge:
The mental Munro top of Meall Dearg:
Loch Torridon and Beinn Alligin:
Skye horizon, Upper Loch Torridon and Liathach's western ridge:
After handshakes all round we began to make our way back down the scree. I had misunderestimated 1. the length of the walk back and 2. the poor quality of the path for about half the way down. The son of the duo had to rush back to the car to drive it along to where me and the father would end up, so we chatted most of the way at a leisurely pace. The descent took 15 minutes longer than the ascent at the start. My knees were pretty battered by the time we reached the road but the exercise from the four days prior had meant that they weren't sore the next morning. Plus I got a lift back to the village from the duo - thanks again lads!
It was all over in 5 hours but I was ecstatic that I had finally bagged more Munros after an absence of what I can guess is almost a decade. It will probably be quite a long time before I end up back in magical Torridon so I was glad to have made the most of it while I was there.