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I had been planning to do the 4 Munros north of Loch Mullardoch for some time and I had been hoping to use the boat (
angushughes@hotmail.co.uk tel. 07725 334927) but discovered that it was out of service until 21st October (end of the stalking season or something). So I set about an alternate route that avoided the 3 hour long slog round the north shore of Mullardoch.
So................ I decided to tackle 3 out of the 4 (An Riabhachan, Sgurr na Lapaich and Carn nan Gobhar) from the Glen Strathfarrar side. The only problem being the locked gate at Struy.
I had been in through “security” last year doing the Strathfarrar Munros so I knew the score. I got there in plenty of time for gate opening at 0900. Enough time in fact for me to sit back and watch as walking hopefuls drove up to the gate before the magic hour only to have the custodian come out and shoo them back to the car park.
At 0900 on the dot I was allowed in and drove all the way to the Power Station at Gleann Innis an Loichel. You can drive over both the dams at the south east of loch Monar. It took about 30 minutes to drive there from the gate.
I set off up Gleann Innis an Loichel towards Loch Beag before climbing the NE shoulder of Meall Garbh. A little steep but no real difficulty and it put me on the ridge about ¾ km east of the summit cairn of An Riabhachan. It was then a very easy walk along the ridge up to the large cairn.
I retraced my steps and headed down the easy slope of Creagan Toll an Lochain which has at the top a nice but all to brief narrow ridge. From the bealach, it was an easy but steady climb up to the large rocky shelter and trig point on the summit of Sgurr nan Lapaich. From this point the views were amazing and you could even see Liathach.
Coming off the summit of Sgurr nan Lapaich, I initially missed the path and found myself climbing down a large boulder field. By that I mean it hade large boulders in it and it was great fun climbing over them. Eventually I found the path and set off easily down to the bealach at the foot of Carn nan Gobhar. It was a straight forward climb to the top. The small cairn is the true summit I believe and the really big cairn is a wee bit lower. Or so I read any way. There was a good view of the rather empty dam at Mullardoch from here.
From the top of Carn nan Gobhar I set off direct back to the power station and the car. Initially it was good going on soft springy moss and grass, then it went into peat hags and bog and this was not so “good going”. I aimed to the west of the wee hill Carn na Saile Leithe as I heard the trees were a problem to the east. As it was, the terrain was quite steep and uneven and masked with thick knee length grass which slowed progress a tad.
I even managed to get “released” from the glen with time to spare to the 8 pm cut off.
- Looking east towards Sgurr na Lapaich during the climb of Meall Garbh. Just below An Riabhachan
- Looking west along the ridge of An Riabhachan
- Looking down Creagan Toll an Lochain with Sgurr na Lapaich in the background
- Looking west towards Creagan Toll an Lochain and An Riabhachan
- from the summit of Sgurr na Lapaich looking south towards Sgurr nan Clachan Geala
- Looking east down the boulder field off Sgurr na Lapaich with Carn nan Gobhar beyond
- Mullardoch Dam from the summit of Carn nan Gobhar
- summit of Carn nan Gobhar looking NW
- driving over the Dam at Monar
- the Monar Dam