Am Bathach, Ciste Dhubh & The Brothers Ridge

[Johnny Corbett]

I did this walk with fellow Walkhighlands member Mountain Thyme. I met MT at the finishing point, here we left her car and drove mine to the starting point just past the Cluanie Inn.When arranging this walk i was under the impression all we would be doing was The Brothers Ridge but MT had other ideas and wanted to add on an extra Corbett and a Munro, so who was i to argue after all i was getting an extra two blue ballons into the bargain. Once parked up just past the Cluanie Inn we headed up the south east ridge of Am Bathach and onto the summit. At the summit we carried on down it's north west ridge around An Cnapach and on to the Munro Ciste Dhubh, it was here MT informed me she had left her car keys in my car So we had two options, one was to carry on with the original plan and the other was to return to my car from here leaving the Brothers for another day. MT convinced me we would get a lift no problem back to my car as when she did The South Shiel Ridge the first car stopped for her. So that was it then, onwards to The Brothers Ridge. From Ciste Dhubh we headed back around An Cnapach and then climbed up to the munro top, Sgurr an Fhuarail and from here on to Aonach Mheadoin. From here it was along the ridge to Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg, then carrying onto Saileag. From Saileag we carried on along the ridge, picking up the zigzag path down to the finishing point where Mountain Thymes car awaited us, only problem was we couldn't get into it. So it was thumb out and a one hour road walk before we got a lift. Ok it wasn't quite an hour it just felt like it, it was probably about 20-25mins when a lovely young Welsh couple on their way home from The Cuillins kindly gave us a lift back to my car which we were eternally grateful for. Here's to the Welsh and hope you win the World Cup

Am Bathach ridge

MT on way up ridge and Loch Cluanie

Visibility was poor as we gained height

Almost at the summit

Am Bathach summit

On our way to Ciste Dhubh

MT checking her gps to make sure i wasn't getting her lost

Me on Ciste Dhubh

MT on Ciste Dhubh

On way back from Ciste Dhubh

Finally a view as we see An Cnapach

Almost at Aonach Meadhoin

Aonach Meadhoin summit

View back along the ridge

Ciste Dhubh from the ridge

Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg summit

View down the Glen

The Ridge

Mountain Thyme on Saileag

The Five Sisters

The path down to MT's car

[pollyh33]

Great report Johnny.

You make it sound all very straightforward (apart from the car keys debacle!), is it really???

[Johnny Corbett]

Great report Johnny.

You make it sound all very straightforward (apart from the car keys debacle!), is it really???

Yeah it's not too bad Pauline, it's my intention at the spring meet next year to do The Brothers Ridge again and carry on over to The Five Sisters. You are more than welcome to join myself and Kim. As for the car keys it added to the excitment and we had a few laughs about it and i could crack some jokes at Mountain Thymes expence

[LeithySuburbs]

Glad to see it cleared a bit for you - there is something even more rewarding about the views than usual when you have hiked in clag for most of a walk . Cheers .

[pollyh33]

Great report Johnny.

You make it sound all very straightforward (apart from the car keys debacle!), is it really???

Yeah it's not too bad Pauline, it's my intention at the spring meet next year to do The Brothers Ridge again and carry on over to The Five Sisters. You are more than welcome to join myself and Kim. As for the car keys it added to the excitment and we had a few laughs about it and i could crack some jokes at Mountain Thymes expence

Thank you so much Johnny, that would be fantastic! Doing it on the Friday as a wee warm up for the rest of the weekend???

[Bod]

Impressive walk Johnny, and I hope Wales win the World Cup too! Cheers the noo......

[MarilynMunro]

Very nice report and some good photos, even the ones in the clag, showed what looks like a great walk, the photos along the ridges I thought were really good. Thats a fair old walk, is it about 20km.
There is just something about the great outdoors and car keys. Years ago my brother took my son and nephew camping in a bear grylls moment, after getting some kindling and setting a nice little(controlled) fire, my nephew pointed to something in the fire. My brothers car keys had somehow ended up in the fire and were now a molten blob, cue a phone call and two hour journey to go pick them up. Needless to say like all good nephews they don't let him forget.

[ChrisW]

Great stuff JC - glad the cloud lifted a little and gave you some spectacular views, and even better you caught a lift along the tarmac

[Johnny Corbett]

Thanks for the comments folks. MM i'm not sure how long it was, it would be around 20km i'd imagine.Mountain Thyme was in charge of the technical side of things with her gps

[mountain thyme]

Thanks for the comments folks. MM i'm not sure how long it was, it would be around 20km i'd imagine.Mountain Thyme was in charge of the technical side of things with her gps

think the walk on the hills was 15km and then the walk back up the road is ..i think 6 miles.. Well worth it .. when we eventually had some views.

[rogers]

Nice report Johnny, i had thought about doing Am Bathach an Ciste Dhubh while i was up there but my legs were telling me otherwise, never mind they will always be there for another time, the hills that is, not the legs.........well the legs as well i hope

[Scotjamie]

Nice one Johnny and MT
Still beats my views on the Brothers

My two colleagues having the time of their lives -
and your report is a more enjoyable report than the one I have yet to write on these.

ps Johnny - I think I met friends of yours Maureen and Jim on Glas Tulaichean (looking for Carn an Righ) a couple of weeks ago - they say hi!

[Johnny Corbett]

Yeah Jimmy and Mo said they met a fellow Walk Highlander but couldn't remember the name

[mountain thyme]

the hardest bit of that day was whether to tell you on the 1st munro about the keys and spoil your day or wait until the end of the walk!