walkhighlands

Dun na Cuaiche - steep route

Route: Dùn na Cuaiche, Inveraray

Date walked: 19/11/2014

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 4.5km

Ascent: 250m

The main track offers an easy ascent but we decided to try the route suggested in the book 'Walking - Argyll and Bute' by Mary Walker and Christine Isherwood. This path looked interesting with descriptions of zigzags and ropes to aid ascent. However, the marker posts referred to are variously missing, rotting and have lost all inscription. We mistook the route (misled by a rotting post :lol: ) and ended up on a logging track which ascended steeply in more or less the right direction before dropping back down. There are logging trails everywhere and a large part of the hillside is being bulldozed. We retraced our steps to find another rotting post :? and managed to locate the track described, which is very unused, overgrown, but traverses the hillside for a short distance before ascending steeply on a narrow path which has some of the ropes described in the book. This route is definitely not to be recommended in descent, and it would be hard to find. It must once have been a fine route, in its upper parts picking out a line along a ledge with remains of stone walling, steps and a small footbridge, and views down to the loch.

At the end of the ledge section and beyond the footbridge, we came across a sign informing us that the path we had walked was closed :shock: . From this point, it was just a steep walk up through a boggy stretch of open trees to meet the main ascent path just below the top. On the summit we had splendid views of the sun going down over the hills http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/4980375. It was then a quick yomp down the main path back to the castle.

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Activity: Munro compleatist
Pub: Oncih Hotel
Mountain: Suilven
Place: Loch Etchachan
Gear: Sprayway windproof fleece
Member: None
Ideal day out: A fairly scary scramble up an epic ridge with good views and not too much wind,rain and midges please!

Munros: 271
Corbetts: 1
Fionas: 2



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Statistics

2014

Trips: 1
Distance: 4.5 km
Ascent: 250m


Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Last visited: Jan 28, 2024
Total posts: 5 | Search posts