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An Teallach

An Teallach


Postby alanmurray » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:55 pm

Route description: An Teallach, Dundonnell

Munros included on this walk: Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill (An Teallach), Sgùrr Fiona (An Teallach)

Date walked: 25/09/2010

Time taken: 7 hours

Distance: 19 km

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We had been looking forward to this walk for weeks, well, except for me, as I am keen on hill walking, although not so keen on heights or tricky scrambling. The forecast for walk to be "superb" so we were all fairly excited. Drove up to Dundonnell from Perth leaving straight from work on Friday night. Quick stop in Inverness for food and 'refreshments'.
Stayed in bothy on Friday night, although didn't sleep much.
P1040606.JPG
Stayed in bothy on Friday night but got little sleep


Woke up on Saturday morning and superb weather did not appear, however no rain and little wind.

Initial walk in not too bad.

P1040615.JPG
Walk in


Boulder field steep and tricky.
100_2755.jpg
Boulder field


Looking ahead seeing daunting prospect of the pinnacles
P1040643.JPG
Daunting prospect ahead



It was always going to be one of the bypass paths for me, although there were so many.
Previous reviews stated go for the highest path , however , came to an impassible section - for me anyway.
Very exposed, so went for a lower path and the same situation, came to a dodgy climb, so went for lowest path. This still had exposure, so did not enjoy this part. Climbed up a tiered gully to get to the pinnacles to meet the others.

P1040661.JPG
Bypass paths


The Pinnacles - over 3000 foot drop at one side.

100_2914.jpg
Dont look down


After the Pinnacles, everything was quite straight forward, and nice to look back and see what has been achieved.
P1040718.JPG
Looking back


Was an excellent day, and really pushed me to my limits, and managed some of the pinnacles and two munros.
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Re: An Teallach

Postby rocket-ron » Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:55 am

i cant wait to do this walk
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Re: An Teallach

Postby Stretch » Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:21 am

Yikes!! That pic with the drop is insane. Well done on completing this route, looks pretty hairy.
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Re: An Teallach

Postby sanders » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:21 pm

I did the walk the week before.
Plenty rain and low cloud. Caught glipses now and again.
Think it'll be cracking to do on a clear day.
Will definately be going back next summer to spend a day scrambling about.
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Re: An Teallach

Postby iainwatson » Wed Oct 06, 2010 1:17 pm

and here is me thinking by completing the aonach eagach that the worst of ridges and scrambling was done with :shock: :D lol
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Re: An Teallach

Postby kinley » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:13 pm

Really got to go back and go up the Forge on a good day - criminal that we got no views.

Cheers 8)
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Re: An Teallach

Postby Scotjamie » Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:30 pm

Nice one alanm
Yet to do this fabulous moutain and as a vertigo feartie I enjoyed the report, actually found it reassuring for some reason! :?
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Re: An Teallach

Postby alanmurray » Thu Oct 07, 2010 6:57 am

Thanks for all the posts.

As my fear of heights/exposure is significant, I was only going to complete the two munros. The group decided to walk the route in the opposite direction from my original plan, therefore, had no choice, I had to walk the ridge.
Although, I was with a good group of lads that helped me through the walk and guided me to the best path for my abilities ( thanks mainly to Keith ), without this I would have struggled, possibly become cragfast, and had to phone the helicoptor!

The walk is a difficult one, even on the easiest path, some exposure has to be endured, and scrambling is required ( not too tricky or technical though). A walking buddy with a calm head and giving simple step by step instruction enabled me to complete this walk fairly safely.

On my own or in bad weather it would be a completely different story.
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Re: An Teallach

Postby gaffr » Thu Oct 07, 2010 8:47 am

Looks like you had a fine day out on Teallach....for a while I was tying to place the Bothy and came to the conclusion that it was on the other side of the sea loch at Badralloch? Can recall a couple of stays there some time ago and in fact passed the area when reaching the car park at the road end in June on a Ghoblach trip....couldn't see much of the building from the road...trees and vegetation must have grown!
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Re: An Teallach

Postby alanmurray » Thu Oct 07, 2010 6:36 pm

Aye, you are correct Gaffr, bothy and wee camp site at Badralloch, 8 miles north-west of Dundonnell
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Re: An Teallach

Postby L-Hiking » Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:47 pm

I have to do this, dont know about the pinicles tho, great pics that drop is so scary!!!
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Re: An Teallach

Postby mountain coward » Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:20 am

alanmurray wrote:Thanks for all the posts.

As my fear of heights/exposure is significant, I was only going to complete the two munros. The group decided to walk the route in the opposite direction from my original plan, therefore, had no choice, I had to walk the ridge.
Although, I was with a good group of lads that helped me through the walk and guided me to the best path for my abilities ( thanks mainly to Keith ), without this I would have struggled, possibly become cragfast, and had to phone the helicoptor!

The walk is a difficult one, even on the easiest path, some exposure has to be endured, and scrambling is required ( not too tricky or technical though). A walking buddy with a calm head and giving simple step by step instruction enabled me to complete this walk fairly safely.

On my own or in bad weather it would be a completely different story.


Well done! I had the same problems as you with bypass paths - kept trying different ones and they kept ending in very difficult situations - never tried the top one though... I couldn't have gone up on my own - although, having said that, my walking group abandoned me and I had to get myself back down off the mountain... with no map! :o It had been a very last minute decision for me to go with them so I didn't get chance to nip back and get it. I was going to do the same as you and just do the 2 Munros from the other end but they also went 'the wrong way' so I had to do it all - I'm glad I did now though.

IainW - An Teallach is nowhere near as bad as the Aonach Eagach - the scrambling is minimal if you use the bypass paths round the Corrag Bhuidhe - the exposure on the bypass path is probably quite bad but to be honest, for a change, I didn't notice it that much when I did it. I wasn't keen on the very steep and loose descents from Sgurr Fiona and into the forked pass just after leaving Sail Liath though...
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