Day 2 of 3 in the Achnashellach Hills
April 16th 2016

Previous day listed here: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=62082

Woken early by the draft commonly associated with sleeping on 5mm of canvas in a distant bothy. Fresh brew sourced from the neighbouring stream at Ben Dronaig revealed a fresh dumping of snow overnight and beautiful views back up to Lurg Mhor. Brushed the snow off our bikes and headed down to Attadale, pausing to admire the Torridon hills fresh with their white coating. Made light work of cycle down to main A890 thinking job done but some lunatic decided to stick the road up a whopping 1 in 7 climb where there is no hill just after Attadale; the railway peacefully hugs Lochcarron at ground level so why this monstrosity on the road? Exertion and expletives in equal measure, over the top with marginally less Waitrose cartons of Merlot in the panniers than yesterday and onto Strathcarron where (as advised on this forum) there is now no longer a shop, then along the relatively flat valley to Craig where we checked into Gerry’s splendid guesthouse (£17 a pit), now run by Simon and Johann.

After dumping the kit, the bikes were now light and we headed straight up the track to Pollan Buidhe where after 20 miles in the saddle from Bendronaig bothy, we left them to head up today’s targets: Sgurr Choinnich & Sgurr a’ Chaorachain. It was now midday so a much earlier start on the hills than yesterday and the weather was looking promising after early drizzle.

Followed a good path up to Bealach Bhearnais from where upon it would have been tricky to bring our bikes in from the Ben Dronaig direction due to a poor path so just as well we did the long detour.
Beinn Tharsuinn ahead but we threw a left up the steep crags of Sgurr Choinnich which needed a bit of scrambling in the fresh snow. Sun popped out just as we reached the summit. Which was nice. It was an easy ridgewalk in good conditions down to the col and up Sgurr a’ Chaorachain, not too much loss of height. The views to Torridon and Loch Mullardoch were fantastic. The top Bidean Eoin Deirg looked majestic and very tempting but it would have taken us too far out towards Loch Monar to include in the itininary. Bum slid (somewhat precariously) north off the second Sgurr to the lochan below to size up Maoile Lunndaidh. My climbing companions wisely decided that a Saturday evening would best be spent supping ale and not encouraging blisters up a fairly mundane looking hill so peeled off towards the bog fest of Glenuaig and track back to the bikes.

Keen not to have to repeat at a later juncture the long walk / cycle in from Craig, I opted to knock it out although for most of the trudge down the wet north side, I yearned to be back at Gerry’s with the lads getting stuck in to Waitrose’s finest. The ascent from Drochaid Mhulich to Carn nam Fiaclan is straightforward and quite pleasant looking back at the imposing Bidean Eoin Deirg. The top is then flat for at least a mile and would be tricky to navigate in the clag, you curve in a horseshoe to the true summit at Maoile Lunndaidh from where there are great views into the abyss of Fuar Tholl Mor within the horseshoe.

It was now after 18.00 and after 6 hours walking and 2 cycling, I was keen to get bread and water; in hindsight a reverse shunt to the Drochead Mhulich would have been a sound move but I had mind to shake a stick at the little Corbett Creag Dhubh Mhor to the north. Heading down the grassy slopes of Maoile Lunndaidh visions of a crisp pint sharpened more in focus than adding to my meagre tally of Corbetts so I swerved off to the west just at the point you rise up on to the ridge. The next bit was depressing, the target of Glenuaig Lodge was always visible and relatively close looking down below but getting to it looked increasingly difficult with boggy peat hags and a fast flowing stream blocking one’s path. I eventually managed to get to the River Meig after much squidging and forded the River Meig only to find Glenuaig Lodge was now a good half an hour to the West, and uphill (having stared down at it for the last hour). Passed the cosy little 2 man bothy-ette adjacent to Glenuaig Lodge and trudged on the now fantastic track back towards Pollan Buidhe. My polite request to the brace of Alan’s to kindly drop my bike off at Glenuaig had (unsurprisingly) fallen on deaf ears so I admired the sun setting on Sgurr Caennaichean (Moriusg’s relegated munro mate – it’s in the McNeish book as a full member so I’m claiming it!).

Relieved to find my lonely bike where I left it and charged down the steep track to Craig pausing only to cast my curious eye over the brace of targets for tomorrow Beinn Liath Mhor & Sgorr Ruadh which were smugly diminishing into the dusk.

Leaving BenDronaig Bothy for ride down to Attadale
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Lochcarron from track
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Heading up track from Craig to Pollan Buidhe
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Onto the main climb from Bealach Bhearnais
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Lurg Mhor & Sheasgaich from Slopes of Sgurr Choinnich
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Nearly summit of Sgurr 1, Torridon boys in background
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Sgurr 2 from summit of Sgurr 1
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Sheasgaich from Sgurr Choinnich summit
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Brace of Alans tacking Sgurr 2
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Liathach et al from Sgurr a Chaorachain
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Flat summit of Sgurr a Chaorachain
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Top: Bidean an Eoin Deairg - we left this one out
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View from Lochan in Drochaid Mhulich
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Cairn at summit of Carn nam Flaclan
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Loch Monar from Maoile Lunndaidh
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Flat summit of Maoile Lunndaidh
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Looking back on long horseshoe ridge around Fuar Tholl Mor
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Sgurr nam Caennaichchean from Maoile Lunndaidh
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Maol Lunndaidh selfie
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Glenuaig bothy-ette
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Long way back...
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Tomorrows targets...
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