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Munros: Sgurr Mor, Tom na Gruagaich.
Date: 24/07/2020.
Distance: 11km.
Ascent: 1250m.
Time: 6 hours, 55 minutes.
Weather: Sunny and warm.
My friend Nick from when I had been working down in Shropshire 8 or 9 years ago was on holiday in the Highlands with the rest of his family. They had come round for dinner a few nights earlier, and I had invited myself to go up Beinn Alligin with them. As this was the first time they had been to Torridon, they weren't sure what to expect so were glad of the company (as I suspected, they didn't really need me and would have gotten around Alligin fine on their own). Although I was supposed to meet them at 10am on Friday at the Coire Mhic Nobhuill carpark, our delayed departure from our summit camp the night before made us around 30 minutes late. When we arrived, Nick had bagged the last space in the carpark. Not to worry - unfortunately Jackie wasn't up to going round Beinn Alligin at the moment, so she and Pat went off to walk around Loch Clair with the dog.
That left Nick, Tom and I to do Beinn Alligin. The weather was an overcast midge-fest just now, but it promised to clear up a bit later on. By the time we were making the final approach to the foot of the big ascent up to the horns, it was warm and sunny, and the summits were clear. Things were going to be good!
Beinn Dearg 
It’s clearing! 
Tom next to Tom na Gruagaich The path up An t-Sail Beag is well made, but brutally steep with a few scrambly bits in. While we were aiming for lunch on Sgurr Mor, a couple of water breaks were needed before we reached the horns. Nick spent most of the ascent trying to get a balance between sweating in his fleecy balaclava (the only hat he had with him) and burning his scalp
.
Sgurr Mor and the Horns 
Beinn an Eoin 
Nick and Tom approaching the horns We soon launched into the horns, finding nothing overly difficult but also being glad that the dog had gone for a lower level walk! The weather just continued to improve, with Baosbheinn and Fisherfield looking fantastic.
Sgurr Mor looks imposing Eventually over the horns, we dug in for the big ascent up to Sgurr Mor. It always looks like a long way, but it doesn't take that long really. At the summit, we had been on the go for 4 hours and it was definitely lunchtime. There were quite a few people around enjoying being out on the hills, but you could never really call it busy - maybe only in comparison to the sort of places I usually end up.
Tom na Gruagaich 
Beinn Damh 
Back to the first horn 
Approaching the final horn 
Beinn Dearg - Stuc Loch na Cabhaig shoulder 
Nick and Tom 
Baosbheinn 
Out to Rua Reidh and Gairloch 
Impressive slabs in front of Baosbheinn 
Fisherfield in the distance 
Back across the horns to Beinn Dearg 
Skye and Applecross 
Beinn Liath Mor to Beinn Damh It's hard to contemplate that you are well over halfway through the walk at this point - it feels like Sgurr Mor is just the beginning of the main traverse - but the walking from here to Tom na Gruagaich is much easier and faster. After an hour of strolling, we were at the trig point, eyeing up the final descent into the corrie. It was great to remember last July's summit camp up here with Jackie - one of our best I think.
Classic Torridon panorama 
Liathach 
Beinn Eighe 
Eag Dubh 
Approaching Tom na Gruagaich 
Sgurr Mor 
Back to the horns The descent is steep (something our knees were now reminding us of), but the path down is pretty decent these days - much improved upon since my first visit in 2001 I think. Back at the car, we were pleased with a great day out - the sort of thing I had been dreaming about during lockdown in Glasgow. I was also quite tired - more so than I'd expect for a walk of this length. Although by this point I had been out on the hills for almost 50% of July, I hadn't actually done anything with a massive amount of ascent in it since about February, and it shpwed
.
Liathach peeking out from Coire nan Laogh 
Sgurr Ruadh, Maol Chean Dearg and An Ruadh-stac We drove back down to Torridon village just as Jackie and Pat also arrived back from Loch Clair, having had no problem filling out the 7 hours that we took on the hill (something that had concerned them slightly at first). We had time for a couple of beers outside the village shop before Jackie and I headed back to Inverness. There was little chance of the real weekend beating our mini-break for interest now!
