free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
This was supposed to be the weekend of the Skye meet - we'll get to that later. The forecast was looking good for Friday and that was about all - high winds, rain and clag seemed the order of the day for Saturday and Sunday. But we travelled hopefully, up to Glen Brittle on Thursday night where we watched the light fading over the Cuillin Ridge and had a peaceful night. Up early the following morning as fog was supposed to be coming in from around 1pm. Sgurr Dubh Mor was the target, having been missed out from our recent trip to Skye. We set off from the campsite after Allison had done her Good Samaritan duty of removing a large tick from another walker's eyelid
P1200007 by
Al, on Flickr
We wandered up into Coir a'Ghrunnda, the rock dry and fine for scrambling. Over to the far side of the lochan and onto my favourite rock, peridotite (or as I call it "pterodactyl rock") which is the chief constituent of the Earth's upper mantle. Up to the left of the castle and a bit of fun scrambling up to the top of Sgurr Dubh an da Bheinn. A dead thing had clearly been at the summit recently as there were numerous maggots lying on the rock. A first. To the south the rim of Coire Beag between Sgurr a'Choire Bhig and Gars-Bheinn contained a filling of mist, looking just like a volcano top. Onwards to Sgurr Dubh Mor - I remembered this as having a couple of awkward sections getting up to the airy summit, but today's conditions were perfect.
P1200008 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200009 by
Al, on Flickr
Pterodactyl rock
P1200013 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200014 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200016 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200017 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200019 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200020 by
Al, on Flickr
We dropped down from Da Bheinn and crossed the blocks towards Dubh Mor, selecting our route upwards - there is a degree of choice. A twisting turn which was a little awkward with the rucksack to gain a higher ledge then on to the summit. Grand views down to Loch Coruisk and Sgurr na Stri. We took a different way down and stopped behind the castle for our lunch. Might as well go over to Sgurr nan Eag while we're here...
Sgurr nan Eag
P1200021 by
Al, on Flickr
Gars-Bheinn
P1200022 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200024 by
Al, on Flickr
Alasdair
P1200026 by
Al, on Flickr
Sgurr Dubh Mor
P1200027 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200028 by
Al, on Flickr
Summit SDM
P1200029 by
Al, on Flickr
This was another bit of fun - we met a rather bored looking guide with his party who'd come down from Sgurr nan Eag and were having their lunch. Up to the top - no sheep today (which there had been the twice we'd been here before). We cut down to Loch Coir' a'Ghrunnda where we chatted to a trio of men who were planning to camp up on the ridge - hope they missed the worst of the weather. Back to the car, having managed to avoid taking the wrong route back down from Coir a'Ghrunnda (which I think is a first for us
)
Sgurr nan Eag
P1200033 by
Al, on Flickr
Pterodactyl rock
P1200034 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200035 by
Al, on Flickr
We were both thinking about the weather forecast - 40-odd mile an hour winds and rain - not much fun for Skye. It would be soggy Marilyns, and I could see Allison's enthusiasm for those brimming over. I remembered that the forecast for Torridon had been somewhat less grim - Meet or more Hills? With only 11 Munros left to go there was only one choice, I'm afraid. Accordingly, I swung the car round to the right when we got to the head of Glen Brittle rather than turning left for Portnalong.
I find that when I get within touching distance of finishing off a round I want them done as fast as possible, something I'm sure a few other folks (honorary exception of Pete R) have encountered.
So we drove back to Kyle and up through Lochcarron to Torridon to the community campsite. Fairly busy - we pitched at the far end, with our nearest neighbours being a pair of those Quechua Air tents that have become omnipresent at campsites this year for lazy campers who can't be bothered actually pitching a tent and just pump it up. These belonged to a couple of large middle-aged Lancastrian ladies who had assembled all manner of camping furniture around them - a little incongruous in the f=camping field that's mostly used by walkers. They each had a large 4 man tent, plus their own 4x4s in which they drove wherever they were going separately. I dubbed them "the inflatables" and was irked to find they had two of those ratty, yappy little dogs whose only purpose should really be to serve as a bite-sized snack for a larger and more worthy recipient of the name "dog".
We lazed about for a bit, read some of Ring of Bright Water then tried to get some sleep. The inflatables were up til 1am, at one point I thought one of the dogs had become satanically possessed as it emitted fierce growls and gurns, with its owner ineffectually trying to get it to go to bed. Of course, once they finally went to bed themselves they almost immediately started snoring. Campsites - don't you just love em. I was, rather wickedly, hoping that the forecast winds would come during the night and blow away the inflatables and thier tents, but the wind didn't seem too bad.
We were up early again and headed off to Beinn Eighe. I had plotted out a full traverse, including the Black Carls, but that was not for a day as windy as this. Parked at the main car-park - only 2 other cars there, on a dry Saturday in July!! - and walked along the road to the start of the track to Coire an Laoigh. Wind was strong at times as we climbed up into the coire, meeting a young French couple who had camped in Coire Mhic Fhearchair the night before, sleeping little due to the wind. I asked how windy it was up top? "Super windy" - whatever that meant. I was a little apprehensive about the rocky strip from the trig to the summit cairn on Spidean nan Clach. As it happened it was manageable, enough to hold onto when the gusts came. And still dry!
P1200036 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200039 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200040 by
Al, on Flickr
Clinging onto Spidean nan Clach
P1200042 by
Al, on Flickr
We continued along the ridge to Coinneach Mhor, Liathach appearing from the clag and indeed whole swathes of the Beinn Eighe massif rose from the mist, the white quartzite gleaming in the light. We went out to the summit of Coinneach Mhor and found the top of Fuselage Gully which was the impact point for the doomed Lancaster in 1951. Lots of bits of wreckage up here. We walked back to the eastern cairn and headed down towards the linking ridge with Ruadh-Stac Mhor. Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair looked as wonderful and unworldly as it always does. The wind speed increased as we walked towards the summit of Ruadh-Stac Mhor - it was hard work getting to the summit cairn
We turned to descend and were passed by a hill runner, upright in the wind who made his way to the top then passed us again on his way down, going at a fair toot too. Maybe running is the secret of dealing with high winds - you have more speed against it...
P1200043 by
Al, on Flickr
Liathach
P1200047 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200048 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200050 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200051 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200055 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200058 by
Al, on Flickr
Wreckage at the top of Fuselage Gully
P1200059 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200060 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200064 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200066 by
Al, on Flickr
Coire MhicFhearchair
P1200067 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200068 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200070 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200071 by
Al, on Flickr
We headed down the scree into Coire Mhic Fhearchair, noting one large stone block that is, sometime soon, going to cut loose and slide all the way down. Wouldn't like to be coming up the gully when that happens. I stopped at the end of the loch to look at other bits of debris, managed to find 3 of the Merlin engines (the 4th is still up in fuselage gully) and what looked like a fuel tank. Then we headed down by the usual route along Coire a'Dhubh Mhor, meeting a few folks on their way up.
When this bit goes, look out!
P1200072 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200073 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200076 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200077 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200079 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200080 by
Al, on Flickr
Back at the campsite there were some new arrivals: the inflatables were away for the day (in their 2 cars). We sat in the almost-sunshine having a beer then turned in quite early as it started to get midge-y. A little later the rain started, desultorily rapping on the tent fabric. The inflatables arrived back late and were having a fight, little sounds from their dogs tonight. There was however a lot of noise from the youth hostel after midnight.
Morning - skies were leaden and rain was in the air. I met a dejected Frenchman in the toilet - he had wanted to go "up the mountain" but it was too wet and misty to see anything. Wasn't going to stop us though. We drove along to the parking place at Coire MhicNobaill - one other car, a couple of guys also going up Alligin. We'd decided to do the Horns first, partly because we had tried and failed to manage that back in February 17 due to ice glazed rock. There wasn't much to see on the approach route, a lot of water in the Abhainn. Thoroughly enjoyable scrambling up the Horns despite the wind and drizzle - this is definitely the best way round to do this lovely mountain. We met the guys from the car park as we were descending from Sgurr Mor. Paused between the summits for lunch then met a young American couple at the top of Tom na Gruagaich - she in jeans and with a small handbag. They were asking which way the path went, having no map or other apparent navigational aid. We were a little relieved to see they had decided not to go further and followed us down in the mist.
Ben Alligin up there somewhere
P1200081 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200084 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200085 by
Al, on Flickr
Sgurr Mor
P1200086 by
Al, on Flickr
Tom na Gruagaich
P1200087 by
Al, on Flickr
P1200088 by
Al, on Flickr
Back at the car in a little over 5 hours - disappointing to have no views on what is such a special hill, but the scrambling was just as much fun in the rain. So 4 "extra" Munros that i didn't expect to get this weekend, leaving a lucky 7 outstanding. Fingers crossed for some dry weather for the Fanniachs next weekend.
