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With the weather this week being nothing short of awesome, I wanted to get a cracking ridge walk done. I'd downed a few bravery pills and was considering the Aonach Eagach, but their effects soon wore off as I would be going solo today, and so on I drove to Ballachulish with Beinn a'Bheithir my target. I parked at the tourist information centre and made my way along the road and through the gate just after the school following the path through the field. Started making my way up the steep pathless lower slopes with The Pap revealing itself and the Eastern top of Sgorr Bhan looking fine in the sunshine
- Over Ballachulish to The Pap
- Sgorr Bhan
Eventually I reached a fence which had to be climbed and soon after that I met the path that takes you onto the ridge. The views were starting to really open up now, though very hazy, with Sgorr nam Fiannaidh revealing itself to the East, and the Ballachulish Bridge to my West
- Pap & Sgorr nam Fiannaidh
- Ballachulish Bridge
Once onto the ridge, this is a fine walk on a good path, with Bidean revealing itself through the haze across from the Aonach Eagach, and also fine views of my first Munro of the day, Sgorr Dhearg, with some snow still hanging on for dear life, and a great view below to Ballachulish & Loch Leven.
- Western AE & Bidean
- Sgorr Dhearg
- Towards summit of Sgorr Bhan
- Ballachulish & Loch Leven
The ridge now narrows towards the summit of Sgorr Bhan, and what a fine summit it is, with the beautiful curving ridge to Sgorr Dhearg in fine view. I stopped here for a while to stock up on food and water, then carefully descended the scree path before starting my ascent up this fine graceful ridge, which gave great views back to Sgorr Bhan. Once on the summit, I got my first view of the slightly intimidating looking Sgorr Dhonuill.
- Narrow to summit of Sgorr Bhan
- That beautiful ridge
- Back to Sgorr Bhan
- and again over the last of the snow cornice
- Muggins on Sgorr Dhearg
- Sgorr Dhonuill
I made my way to the Bealach at 767m and took on some more fluids before dumping the rucksack and heading up the steep slopes of Sgorr Dhonuill, grassy at first, giving way to more rockier ground. The final push to the summit looked tricky even from close quarters and stays right on the edge, but at no time did I feel in any danger, and it was good fun clambering over the boulders to the summit, where unfortunately the views were limited because of the haze.
- Looks worse than it is
- Looking down
- Not my bud bottle!!!
- Back to Sgurr Dhearg
I made my descent carefully down the boulders/rocks and eventually to the Bealach, where there is a fairly boggy descent path that leads to a good stepping stone descent through the forest, crossing over the first landrover track, then taking a right at the second one, eventually leading you to the a82, where there is a pavement leading you back to Ballachullish.
I loved this walk, it's up there as one of my best so far, and in clearer air, the views must be breathtaking
I now must mind and pack the suncream in future as I ended up with my first ever March sunburn
Here's hoping the weather holds out for all the gang in Kintail