walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of


Postby BlackPanther » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:06 pm

Route description: Quinag: three Corbetts

Corbetts included on this walk: Quinag - Sàil Gharbh, Quinag - Sàil Ghorm, Quinag - Spidean Coinich

Date walked: 25/03/2012

Time taken: 7 hours

Distance: 13.6 km

Ascent: 1197m

28 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

My mountain-mad husband has his own way of classifying Scottish hills, developed over the years of walking and climbing. Corbetts, for example, can be divided in three groups: 1. Hardly-worth-a-climb Corbetts 2. Corbetts to climb in winter 3. The F-word Corbetts, where the F word usually stands for FANTASTIC, sometimes for FRIGHTENING and in a few cases it's a word I can't use, murmured in agony during a particularly steep or rocky climb :lol: :lol:
Quinag was always in the last category. Another mountain on the list, walked on a misty winter day, well worth re-doing in better conditions, if only for the views.
I had a look in Kevin's albums, but I found very few pictures from that cold December day. Yet what I saw only whetted my appetite...
On the ridge of Quinag, Dec 1992:
Image
I liked the very idea of conquering the three-Corbetts-in-one mountain, walking all the way along its complicated ridge and gazing down into vertical drops. I used to be a serious vertigo sufferer, but these days are now gone. On the other hand, looking at the narrow, serrated line of Quinag's peaks always gave me goosebumps :shock:
Having successfully conquered my all-time menace, Suilven, followed by the two Assynt Munros (Conival & Ben More Assynt) it would be logical to put Quinag next on my list. Sadly, weather was never quite good enough to head for this area and my dreams of testing my vertigo progress had to be put aside. Instead, I tested myself in the Cuilin and did well on Sgurr Alasdair, after which Quinag's rocky paths didn't seem too scary at all.
Last Sunday eventually, my waiting came to an end. Apart from a slight haze in the air, conditions were perfect for climbing - so here we were, driving north past Ullapool and into the weird world of Assynt Hills. I always feel like I landed on another planet when surrounded by these oddly shaped hills...
Quinag (or in Gaelic: Cuinneag, a milking pail), definitely an F-word Corbett, welcome us with its arms widely open... The day looked great!
Image
Our route looked like that:

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


The mountain belongs to John Muir Trust and I have to say I was impressed by the good work that has been done with access paths. In the middle of the picture above, the main descent path is clearly visible, and another branch was also made to ease the access to the slopes of Spidean Coinich.
It was surprisingly warm and I had to apply 50+ sunscreen again. Allergy to UV... I hate it, but there's nothing I can do. It runs in my family... So sticky cream and sunglasses are necessary:
Image
The initial climb is up rocky slabs and relatively dry terrain (may be a whole different story after heavy rain though) and it even felt a wee bit boring, especially that all the views towards the ridge were hidden at this point:
Image
Still, one could admire the somehow hazy panorama of Loch Assynt:
Image
Close-up to Ardvreck Castle:
Image
The climb took us to a flatter area (620m point on the 1-25k map) and at last, a proper view:
Image
To the very left, he pointy top of the first Corbett, Spidean Coinich (764 m), Lochan Bealach Cornaidh in the middle:
Image
Across the road, another Corbett, Glas Bheinn:
Image
The first, short break to enjoy this moon-like landscape:
Image
From the 620m point, a small drop down and across some more slabs, before the final, steep and tiring push to the first summit of the day:
Image
There is a well worn path all the way up and at this stage, no scrambling involved. Just rocky... The exact route looks something like this:
Image
As I sweated up on the way to Spidean Coinich, I kept glancing at my former menace, now clearly visible to the right:
Image
It was like climbing a neverending staircase:
Image
The summit cairn is situated on an impressive rocky outcrop:
Image
I read about Quinag once, that it offers climbers routes that are either easy or completely impossible :lol: :lol: This must be the impossible one:
Image
The day was still hazy and actually getting even hazier, slightly more windy than on Saturday, but the wind had no cold edge so even sitting motionless didn't feel to bad :lol: :lol: .
Hazy view towards Loch Assynt from the summit of the first Corbett:
Image
View north towards the continuation of our route. Ooops, looks a bit airy :shock:
Image
I was still smiling, though Kevin began to question my head for heights:
Image
Well, I can understand why he was doubtful, looking down to the narrow ridge below - can you see the two fellow walkers in the middle? Ha ha ha, gives a good scale to how grand this mountain is!
Image
A quick snack by the cairn and we set off towards the second Corbett. Basically, it involves walking all the way along the long ridge of Quinag to its very opposite northern end. And to begin with, some quite exposed descending:
Image
Still better then the impossible route:
Image
Kevin's doubts were short lived. I discovered, i absolutely loved the experience! Vertigo??? GONE!!! I felt like I was given a pair of wings!
Image
A postcard to my dad:
Image
That's the way we walked down. It looks much worse than it really is. There are a couple of places where hands are needed but nothing beyond my reach (and I'm not the tallest of people):
Image
The next stage: past the tiny Lochan Ruadh to another minor top, at 714m it has no name on the map. This part has no scrambling bits:
Image
A glimpse back over my shoulder...
Image
...and down to Lochan Bealach Cornaidh:
Image
Having negotiated my way to the 714m top, I stood above another steep drop, studying the ascent route to the next summit:
Image
Maybe we should go back?... Eeeeeeeee... No, certainly not!
Image
Again, it turned out to be less frightening than it looked from above:
Image
The highest summit of Quinag, Sàil Gharbh, from Bealach a Chornaidh:
Image
It's steep... It's rocky... And this time its an ascent route...
Image
But looking back, still better than the descent one... Damn it, it didn't feel so bad when walking down... From this perspective it's a gut-twister!
Image
OK, forget what'd behind you, Panther, concentrate on scrambling up!
Image
A few awkward steps - and I emerged onto the next summit, 745m point. It was very windy here and I decided that for a well deserved lunch break it would be better to find a sheltered spot on the opposite side of this top rather than on the very summit. In the meantime, some pictures:
Image
Image
Hazy shapes of Suilven and Canisp:
Image
Ben Stack and (almost invisible due to haze) Arkle-Foinaven group behind:
Image
Kylesku bridge:
Image
I sat on a rock, facing north and the remaining ridge to Sàil Ghorm. No need to put a red line to mark the route here, as the path is obvious:
Image
I wish I could fly...
Image
All right, calm down, girl. No need to get overexcited. There is still a long way to go!
Image
The route looked straightforward:
Image
The descent path from 745m top:
Image
The path bypasses the first rocky top (687m), and only from the other side it becomes obvious why - the opposite face is a vertical drop! The bypass path involves some scrambling on the descent side. Here, Kevin took a picture standing just above the scramble-ish bit, whereas I was already down on more even ground:
Image
View down to Bathaich Cuinneige:
Image
The remaining climb is now a piece of cake, no more scrambling and very steep slopes, just a narrow path all the way to the summit. On the way, we passed a very interesting and very steep gully:
Image
Image
On this mountain, basically everywhere you stop and look around, you will be stunned by the grand panos. And there's always something steep, rocky and scary in sight:
Image
By the summit cairn of Sail Ghorm (776m):
Image
Such a shame about the overwhelming haze... But for that, it would be a perfect day:
Image
Kevin found a bench-shaped rock near the summit and ordered another tea and cookies break (hot-cross buns again... yummy!):
Image
Having enjoyed some rest on the top of Corbett no. 2, we headed for the third and last target. First, we had to retrace our steps back to the notorious 745m point:
Image
The vertical wall in the way... Wait, I forgot there is a bypass path!
Image
Bypass or no bypass, I still needed my hands:
Image
The scrambling bit from below:
Image
There's no need to re-climb the 745m point, as it can be bypassed on the way to Sail Gharbh:
Image
The final push to the last Corbett may look rocky and airy, but it is the easiest part of the whole route. All you have to do is stick to the path and soon you will arrive on the top:
Image
My summit picture:
Image
The road and Glas Bheinn:
Image
Looking back to all the lumps and bumps of Quinag :lol: :
Image
It was windy and cold-ish on the summit of Sail Gharbh, so only after a couple of minutes we turned back and headed back down. Luckily, we didn't have to return the way we came, over Spidean Coinich! Instead of that, we found another bypass path, zigzagging steeply down the slope to the corrie of Lochan Bealach Cornaidh:
Image
One last glimpse up, to the mighty tower:
Image
The bypass path leads down past the loch:
Image
...and finally it took us all the way back to the road and the car park. I checked my watch, just short of 7 hours including countless breaks for photies and videos... Not bad, not bad at all. Honestly, I could't imagine running along the ridge of Quinag without stopping if only to sink in the views! This dream-like landscape deserves some more attention :D
On the way back, as it was only about 5 pm, we popped in to Ardvreck Castle. It's a lovely spot on the banks of Loch Assynt, and Quinag dominates the view over the loch:
Image
The castle is actually a ruined 16th century tower house, only inhabited by sheep:
Image
Ardvreck Castle was built by the Clan MacLeod and it witnessed many local wars, it was captured by the Clan MacKenzie in 1672. In 1795 it was struck by lightning and became the ruin we see today:
Image
Image
It may be ruinous, but it still impresses:
Image
Inside the staircase tower:
Image
There's nothing more left to say about this trip. It was simply FANTASTIC, facing the F-word Corbett :lol: :lol:! A dream-coming-true day and one of the best experiences I had so far in Scotland. Life is certainly worth living for moments like this. Meow!
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby soulminer » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:19 pm

Felt the same every time I have been on the three Summits. A 'mountain' with true character, makes you work for every cairn- but it is always worth it 8) Thanks for reminding me :lol:
User avatar
soulminer
 
Posts: 804
Joined: Mar 18, 2010
Location: Johnstone

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby KeithS » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:23 pm

Wow, this is one of the mountains that I can see when sat in my living room, and I have driven past it many times, but have never climbed it. It is very high on my 'to do' list and has just gone up a few places having read your excellent report and seen your beautiful pictures. I must get around to doing it some time, maybe this year :D
User avatar
KeithS
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 893
Munros:282   Corbetts:5
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:9   Islands:47
Joined: Nov 1, 2010
Location: Sheffield/Laide

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby Mountainlove » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:32 pm

I agree I loved Quinag when I climbed it a few years ago...just a great little mountain and the views are fantastic...done that after a spint up Stac Polly and was surprised how long Quinag can take..did it in 6h but with Stac Polly it was a pretty long day. Thanks for sharing :-) The pictures brought a smile back to my face :D
User avatar
Mountainlove
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1346
Munros:88   Corbetts:54
Fionas:7   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:3   
Islands:10
Joined: Feb 2, 2010
Location: North Ayrshire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby ChrisW » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:36 pm

What an absolute belter BP, a real work out by the looks of it but worth every step, stunning pics even with the haze :D didn't know about your UV issues......are you a vampire :shock: :lol:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby mrssanta » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:59 pm

What a weekend you have had!! :D
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby BlackPanther » Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:18 pm

Thanks, folks, I'm glad everybody is enjoying my story :D With spring weather so unpredictable it was pure luck that we could do two walks in one weekend!

soulminer wrote:A 'mountain' with true character, makes you work for every cairn- but it is always worth it

It is indeed, every minor top is another steep push, you go over, hope to see easier route beyond... Nope, it's another dip-and-steep :shock: I also found it annoying when writing my TR, that most of these subsidiary tops have no names, so I had to refer to them as "suchandsuch meters top". Confusing :lol:

Mountainlove wrote:I agree I loved Quinag when I climbed it a few years ago...just a great little mountain and the views are fantastic...done that after a spint up Stac Polly and was surprised how long Quinag can take..did it in 6h but with Stac Polly it was a pretty long day. Thanks for sharing :-) The pictures brought a smile back to my face :D

Stac Polly was my first eves Scottish hill, a little cracker! Re-visited it last year and found it just as good, lots of fun and scrambling.
I guess we could have sped it up to be down in 6 hours, but as I mentioned, we took our time to record the trip properly :D I don't usually care about time on the hills unless it's crucial to be down before sunset. I guess I'm pretty fit these days though not as quick as certain WH members... :wink:

ChrisW wrote:What an absolute belter BP, a real work out by the looks of it but worth every step, stunning pics even with the haze :D didn't know about your UV issues......are you a vampire :shock: :lol:

Sometimes I feel like a vampire... Pink albino skin... Basically, exposure to UV gives me second degree burns. Sunbathing is an absolute no-no, I don't get tanned, I turn red and have blisters :shock: My dad has the same problem, ended up in hospital once after a day on the beach... Just an obstacle I was desperate to ignore when I started climbing. 50+ seems to work OK as long as I remember to re-apply it. Not exactly twilight zone, but close enough :lol:
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby SusieThePensioner » Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:41 pm

Fantastic walk and wonderful photos again :thumbup:

You certainly had a great weekend!!

We spent a week in Lochinver at the end of September 2010, had amazing weather and, from the cottage we rented there were views of the sea in one direction and across to Quinag in another. If you went into the garden, Suilven appeared. I just love that area :D
User avatar
SusieThePensioner
 
Posts: 1543
Munros:6   Corbetts:3
Fionas:4   Donalds:7
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:107
Wainwrights:156   
Joined: Sep 7, 2011
Location: County Durham

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby yokehead » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:03 pm

Lovely report, such comprehensive detail along the way and superb photos. :D
User avatar
yokehead
 
Posts: 702
Munros:73   Corbetts:9
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:118
Wainwrights:23   
Joined: Nov 13, 2008

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby colgregg » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:08 pm

I did this last year and it really is a great mountain. Who needs to be a Munro bagger when there's places like this to visit.
Brillian report BP.
Brilliant set of pics serving as a great reminder for me.
Disappointed there's not one of you stood here :D :
171.JPG
Quinag. An exhilerating podium for that spectacular posing pic. Nothing but fresh air for aconsiderable distanc downwards.
colgregg
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2182
Munros:15   Corbetts:5
Fionas:5   
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:181
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Aug 25, 2009
Location: Richmond North Yorkshire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby Avocetboy » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:36 pm

Fantastic report. We are that way in 6 weeks. On the last two occassions we have we have been to Ardveck Castle, Quinag was covered in cloud.
Avocetboy
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 374
Munros:59   Corbetts:21
Fionas:7   Donalds:9
Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:41
Wainwrights:74   Islands:7
Joined: Feb 6, 2011
Location: Boston, Lincolnshire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby rockhopper » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:16 pm

That's a cracker BP and a very helpful report - well done :thumbup: Spent many a holiday in the '70s in Drumbeg, Nedd and Stoer and really must get back up there after seeing this - cheers :D
User avatar
rockhopper
 
Posts: 7446
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:136   Donalds:89+20
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:2
Wainwrights:3   Islands:20
Joined: May 31, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby simon-b » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:49 pm

What a superb mountain. You've really captured the character of a fantastic route with that report, BP.

I visited Assynt for the first time last week, and had proper beginner's luck with the weather. When I climbed Ben More and Conival, my camera seemed magnetically attracted to Quinag and Loch Assynt. It's obvious that those sub-900 metre peaks around there punch well above their weight.

And I can see what you mean when you say Assynt's like another planet. What a wonderful place!
User avatar
simon-b
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2347
Munros:282   Corbetts:30
Fionas:7   Donalds:12
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:155
Wainwrights:214   Islands:4
Joined: Jan 2, 2012
Location: Wakefield, West Yorkshire

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby dooterbang » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:12 am

Another top class report BP.

Kev and yourself are fairly getting out and about :D

I love Assynt and i totally concur that it looks like another planet.

Ive yet to do these but this TR will come in handy for when i do - hopefully this summer.

Its a nice cycle around Assynt which shows different views of all the mountains...and its a must do to stop at Ardveck Castle.
User avatar
dooterbang
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1828
Munros:262   Corbetts:58
Fionas:18   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:10   Hewitts:18
Wainwrights:21   Islands:19
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Location: Isle of Skye from Feb 2019 (Originally Glasgow)

Re: Quinag - the stuff my dreams are made of

Postby malky_c » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:14 am

Great photos :D . I had a fantastic trip up Quinag last September. Didn't get 100% clear views in the end, but still good. I'd been waiting for years for a perfect day for it, and got bored of waiting in the end :lol:
User avatar
malky_c
 
Posts: 6342
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:80+37
Sub 2000:315   Hewitts:281
Wainwrights:140   Islands:39
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

28 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Next



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 70 guests