Lurg Mhor and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich

Sunday, 22 September 2024

Ascent:     1447 metres
Distance;   41 kilometres, Cycling 26 km, Walking 15 km
Time:         8 hours 10 minutes

Lurg Mhor.                                987m.   4hrs  12 mins
Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich.    945m.   5hrs  31mins

It was the prospect of revisiting these two hills, along with Maoile Lunndaidh and Sgorr Ruadh and the tantalising forecast of superb weather that had prompted me to offer to accompany Anna on her quest to complete the Munros. She hoped to climb these distant Munros before winter and preferred not to walk alone on these two extremely remote hills. We had a couple of email exchanges and agreed to meet after we had both driven up and climbed different hills on Wednesday. I did not know what to expect following our previous casual encounter on the Glomach Falls path but her enthusiasm and determination to finish climbing the Munros was infectious. I had been similarly driven when finishing my Munro rounds. My passion for the mountains, which had languished since Covid was reignited. 

After we had both managed 3 hard but brilliant days in the mountains and checked that the Indian Summer would extend to Sunday, we decided to take a rest day on Saturday. We had a lazy morning, eating, talking, looking at photos, sorting our stuff, drying our shoes and checking my bruises and the bikes. I was urged to remove the toe clips from my bike to reduce the probability of any more strapped-in somersaults. We drove to Plockton for an al fresco lunch and meandered around the village, pottered around Lochalsh, walked across the Skye Bridge and did some food shopping. We arrived back at the house by 6pm and prepared an early dinner compared to the three previous nights. I was told to be up by six for the big day. We managed to get off by 7:20 and we were cycling from Attadale well before 8am.

The weather was cooler and there was a morning breeze but then we hadn't started any of our previous walks before 11am despite being on the doorstep of the mountains. Another car was already parked and a walker wearing a stalker's hat was setting out on his bike. We left about ten minutes later, after unloading the bikes and donning appropriate clothing for the cooler conditions. The first couple of kilometres are flat and apart from slowing to watch a large stag hiding in the bracken, we were rolling along fine. 

We caught up with the man in the hat, let's call him George, he was perplexed about which track to take at a junction. I identified the right route by OS maps online after remembering that I had taken the wrong track on this route when climbing Beinn Dronaig three years ago. Anna was unfolding and refolding her paper map that was 20 years old and does not show the more recent paths but hey ho, some people are still fixated by analogue technologies. We found and crossed the metal bridge over the river and began a ferociously steep climb on the other side. George, his real name, had joined us, he was also heading for Lurg Mhor. We all pushed our bikes up the next section. I was pleased that George's hybrid bike was as old but probably not as heavy as mine, we had excuses when superwoman rode off on her lightweight steed. 

George was a geordie with only half a dozen Munros to go including Lurg Mhor. Anna made a breakaway once we reached the rideable section so she could stop ahead to take photos of the two of us as we chatted away in an animated conversation about our common interests. George had done the Bob Graham round in the Lake District, and we both had competed in marathons and similar races 30 years ago. We were called a pair of sweetie wives for blethering whilst riding. When she rode past us again to get another set of photos she asked if her bum looked big on the bike, yes, we both retorted. 

After some longer flatter sections the track ramps up again and the gravel gets bigger and lumpier.  We were all reduced to pushing bikes again to reach the high point of the ride at 340 metres. There are then 3 or 4 kilometres of mainly downhill cruising to the bridge over the Black Water. Our schussing was interrupted by some sensational views of Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor peeping out of a duvet of white clouds. The glens were green and golden, lit up by shafts of the sunshine that we were also blessed with. The temperature inversion had shrouded Beinn Dronaig in clouds and to the east, a large bank of white clouds completed the canvas. 

We stopped at the Black Water Bridge to admire the deep gorge, more photos and, well, to chat whilst not riding. The final two kilometres were easy cycling past Ben Dronaig Lodge where we saw an eagle circling over Creag Dhubh Mhor. It was already a magical day with the best yet to come as we chained our bikes in a butterfly configuration and set out on the path leading to Loch Calavie. Beinn Sheasgaich and Lurg Mohr had been re-captured by clouds but it was only 10am and there was time for this to be burnt off with the chance of breaking through the clouds and discovering a temperature inversion. 

Shortly after reaching the shore of Loch Calavie, there is a sign for the steep but good path up the grassy slopes to the bealach between the two Munros. We made steady progress as we entered the cloud layer that continued until the bealach, a 380-metre climb. The path between Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor crosses here and there is a final 260 metres of ascent to Lurg Mhor. We emerged from the cloud and gazed down at our Brocken spectres. Anna was more excited by the temperature inversion and spent the first fifteen minutes at the summit taking photos of the vista of the peaks as the top of the cloud layer descended to reveal a wrap-around horizon of shapely mountains against the hooloovoo blue skyline. It was a photographer's heaven. 

Back in the real world, George ate his lunch and I tidied up the cairn. George was on a mission to get back to Newcastle so it was time for farewells to someone who had been good company, if he reads this, thanks and best wishes for your final Munro next year. He insisted on taking a photo of us against the parade of mountains emerging from the white cloud. We stayed for a while and had some lunch before beginning the descent to the bealach which was still shrouded in the cloud. The ascent of Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich was an easy 230 metres of climbing. There was no rush, we had spent 45 minutes on the summit of Lurg Mhor and another half hour on Sheasgaich as we identified the myriad of peaks. Anna had an app that did it for you, she's also fixated on digital technologies apart that is from online maps!? I tried to name them by memory and it prompted some differences that weren't going to be resolved by Anna's map reading.  The main advantage of the app is that you can download the results. (see photo below) There is no cloud for my memory, it is on my hard disc (brain) which is near capacity, and there are no upgrades available yet.

We descended by the southwest ridge to Sail Riabhach facing into the afternoon sun. We occasionally stumbled on a faint path but the direction was obvious along the walk highland route. It was 4 kilometres back to the bikes where we slaked our thirst from a waterfall on the Black Water. There was talk about bathing but it was 5pm and we had a 13-kilometre cycle ride back to Attadale. The cycle to the Black Water Bridge is easy going but there are 3 or 4 kilometres of ascent which involved some pushing before we reached the high point of the track. The descent on the chunky gravel was far too steep for my brakes to hold me and I had no desire to repeat any accidental gymnastics. 

The final few kilometres allowed us to let speed be our friend and we were back at Attadale before 7pm. It had been another wonderful day. The last five days have given us perfect conditions and visibility, the longest continuous spell of radiant sun-filled hillwalking days since 1993. John, Keith and I had 7 consecutive days of sunny conditions as we completed the whole of Knoydart, the Skye Ridge and John and I did the Aonach Eagach Ridge on the way home, giving us 25 of the more difficult Munros in the week.

This time as well as the weather and stunning views, the more sedate pace, stops to enjoy the moment and the company made it an equally memorable trip. After a year or more of treading water and reflecting on the past, the last few days inspired me to rediscover my free spirit, thinking about the future and the need to get out more. 

We returned to the house elated by what we had achieved in the last few days. Anna now has only 8 Munros to go. She is a force of nature and her iPhone is a digital wand that produces magical photos.

It began to rain as I left for home the next morning after we had packed and cleaned the house. My mood was of huge contentment laced with a melancholy that the jaunt was over. From the last thirty years, I know that hillwalking doesn't get any better than what we have experienced over the past four or five days. Thanks, Anna.

Sweetie Wives

Yes

Gravel and Gravity

The path up from Loch Calavie

The climb from Loch Calavie, Beinn Dronaig behind

Approaching the summit of Lurg Mhor

Meall Mor, the Lurg Mhor top

Sheasgaich from Lurg Mhor

George having lunch on Lurg Mhor

Cheesecake and the Analogue Princess

Lurg Mhor from Sheasgaich

Sheasgaich summit looking to Torridons

Anna's app that identifies Mountains

Bike shed

Drink time

The long and lonely pedal out past Bendronaig Lodge

Speed Bonnie Bike

Descent from the high point

Golden Day(s)

Maoile Lunndaidh

From Maoile Lunndaidh

 Friday, 21 September 2024

Ascent:          1080 metres
Distance:       30 kilometres
Time:             7 hours 11 minutes

t   Carn nam Fiaclan         993m.    3hrs 38mins
m Maoile Lunndaidh      1005m.   3hrs 54mins

After the late finish yesterday we had decided to leave Anna's main objectives, Lurg Mhor and Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich, for another day thinking we would need an early start for two of the remotest Munros. They would require a 26-kilometre return cycle ride with a couple of intermediate steep climbs reaching 350 metres before descending to 230 metres, dumping the bikes and starting the walk. 

She thought we should go to her other remaining Munro in the area, Maoile Lunndaidh, as it would be easier with just one Munro and a 16-kilometre bike ride to Glenuaig Lodge. The walk traverses some boggy ground before the steep pathless ascent of Maoile Lunndaidh and would be energy-sapping in the September sunshine. I had previously climbed it along with Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a' Chaorachain which is longer but a sweeter round of Munros that gives an easy climb of Maoile Lunndaidh from the west. I figured that it would be a pretty tough day with both the cycle in and the steep climb but I decided to let it be.

Despite our good intentions, it was once again a late start after we chatted over breakfast and loaded both bikes onto my car taking care not to scratch Anna's much-loved carbon cross-country bike that is about half the weight of my twenty-year-old Trek mountain bike. She has an impressive cycling palmares that includes Mont Ventoux, several of the classic Alpine and Pyrenean cols and Land's End to John o 'Groats. I was worried that I would have difficulty keeping up, I had hardly cycled all year. 

The single-track road to Achnashellach was chock-a-block with oncoming delivery vans so it took about 45 minutes before we were parked and ready to go. I searched for my trail shoes but I had left them back at the house and my sandals were not ideal for the adventure ahead, I was awarded a minus two for stupidity. I suggested Anna carry on and we agreed on a route up the mountain after we dropped our bikes at Glenuaig Lodge. I would return to the house to collect my shoes and serve my penance. It took an hour and a quarter even driving as fast as the roads and traffic permitted. I figured I would lose another ten minutes or so on the bike as there were two seriously steep sections that I would be pushing my bike up.

Despite the beautiful day, I was in the doldrums as I pedalled up the track. It was steeper and stonier than I remembered on the three occasions I had walked into the hills from this direction. I dumped my bike about a kilometre short of Glenuaig Lodge to avoid pedalling an uphill section on the return. I couldn't see Anna's bike, she had hidden her treasure. I felt that I had let her down on what would be a tricky ascent on a wild remote mountain. I began the tough walk over undulating boggy grass and heather, skipping over three burns and some drumlins before a stiff climb up the pathless rock-strewn hillside. We had agreed on an anticlockwise route, up one broad ridge and down another. 

I had assumed that Anna would be at least an hour and a half ahead, I tried to phone or message but there was no mobile coverage on the flank of the remote hill. I thought about re-routing and going clockwise to meet her on the descent but didn't like the look of the route so made as fast and direct an ascent as possible. After 45 minutes of steady progress, there was a ping "Just got to Munro summit, 15:48". She had taken a longer route up the Allt an Fhuar-thuill Mhor (a narrow glen) to the Munro top, Carn nam Fiaclan on her way to the summit. In my usual optimistic way, I replied that I was approaching Carn nam Fiaclan and would be with her in half an hour. I only then realised it was over 3 kilometres and another 170 metres of climbing to reach the summit. I upped my pace and made it in 40 minutes. A purple-clad, possibly angry person was walking around taking photographs. However, she seemed quite content when I arrived, having retrieved her supposedly responsible adult. 

I quickly ate some food and we set off down the second ridge at what I now know as the golden hour, after 5pm when the shadows and light are the best friend of creative photographers. By serendipity, we found a good line down the hill roughly along the route shown on the walkhighlands website. We found a boggy track at he foot of the hill and stone hopped the river to get back to Glenuaig Lodge and reclaimed our bikes for the descent. Despite being the responsible adult I was given a few tips for the descent on the bikes.  "Keep your weight on both pedals whilst off the saddle, go low, look ahead and speed is your friend." We hurtled down the bumpy track, Anna showing me the posture as she overtook me, "Put your weight over the back wheel like this" as her posterior disappeared into the gloom.  The light was fading fast and I was asked to ride past her on several occasions whilst photos were taken against a backdrop of yesterday's hills backlit by Trumpian orange skies.

As I gained confidence, I began to loosen my grip on the brake levers and tried to follow the advice, I overtook my instructor whilst reciting 'speed is my friend'. With the light almost gone I hit a large stone and performed a forward somersault on my bike that Simone Biles would have been proud of, possibly because my legs and feet were held in place by my toe straps. My landing was a different matter, head first onto the stony track, handlebars crushing my ribcage, and my hand cut and elbow bruised. Stoicism took over, "Yes, I'm fine" I muttered somewhat surprised that Anna had not captured the accident on her phone. 

After a couple of minutes, we were back on the descent. I realised that 'speed is not your friend in the dark when you have no headtorch and lousy brakes' but that is too long-winded to make a good mantra. Boris would have come up with something crass like 'go slow in the glow'. It was only a couple of kilometres back to the level crossing and the car park. We were back at the house before 9pm after another sunny, hard but eventful day. It was too late to go out for a meal we had promised ourselves so it was pasta and salad followed by fruit and ice cream washed down with some wine. Tired but happy, we decided to give ourselves a day off tomorrow before a big day out to Lurg Mhor and Sheasgaich on Sunday.

Start of the trail towards Sgurr nan Ceannaichean

Looking back from the trail to the Coire Lair Munros and Fuar Tholl

Glenuaig Lodge and Sgurr nan Ceannaichean

My ascent route to Carn nam Fiaclan

Anna's alternative route to Carn nam Fiaclan

Carn nam Fiaclan summit

Approaching the summit

Purple clad real life at summit against hooloovoo blue sky

The descent from Maoile Lunndaidh

Speed is your friend.

Just before the forward somersault

Sgurr Ruadh

Fuar Tholl from the Path to Coire Lair

Thursday 19 September 2024

Ascent:            1022 metres
Distance:         19 kilometres
Time:               7 hours 24 minutes

Sgorr Ruadh         962m      4hrs 26 mins

It was a late start, we had both walked until the late evening the day before and Anna had only arrived at the house at 11pm. We spent the morning over a lazy breakfast and getting to know each other before sorting ourselves for the walk. We started out at 11:30am for the 30-minute drive to Achnashellach. It was another miraculously perfect day as we set out to cross the railway line and begin the walk through the Caledonian pines and gurgling burn that makes Coire Lair one of my favourite walks. I had been warned by Anna that there would be lots of stops for photos. Drifting off the path to admire a waterfall or rock formation was a rare pleasure. We chatted with a couple of mountain bikers descending the steep rocky path that had etched its way into the bedrock. We eventually reached the junction where one path led to Beinn Liath Mhor Ridge, one headed west across the burn to Fuar Tholl, and another went into Coire Lair. 

Today, we took the latter path because Anna had only one of the Munros to climb. It allowed us to imbibe the scenery and dawdle along enjoying the architecture of nature that enclosed the corrie. It was another 5 kilometres to the lochan at 650 metres which is the start of the Sgorr Ruadh ascent. We stopped for a very late lunch. Two women had been bathing just before we arrived and they came over and chatted for a while. A different sort of conversation that would never have happened if I had been with male friends. The number of women on the hills is one of the most significant changes to hillwalking since the 1980s. The two women had decided it was too late to climb Sgorr Ruadh having had a reinvigorating swim after climbing Beinn Liath Mhor. 

We bade them farewell and headed up the slope towards Sgorr Ruadh. We soon found the path that eased upwards before reaching a flatter section. There is a slightly higher ledge in the opposite direction from the summit, it provides a balcony view to eulogise at the views of Liathach and Beinn Eighe. It is one of my favourite views of the Scottish mountains and has been the photo for my blog banner since my last visit on a February day 10 years ago. Having explained this, I was urged to pose for photos, something I normally avoid but there was no sense arguing with Anna. At least she didn't have her SLR and her iPhone seemed less threatening, that was before I saw what she could do with a sharp lens and a sharper eye.

It was 5pm by the time we emerged at the summit, the golden hour according to Anna. Time for more photos so we dallied on the summit for quite a while absorbing the splendid views. The warm rays of the sun were cancelling out the evening chilling of the air. There are very few days or places on the Scottish hills as good as this. Eventually, we began the descent of 300 metres to Loch a' Bhealaich Mhoir. The massive face of Fuar Tholl was tempting but the light was fading, our timing had been perfect for photos but would result in us finishing the walk in the dark before arriving back at Achnashellach. We found our way across some burns and boggy ground to eventually join the 3-kilometre path that leads back to the junction of paths at 360 metres.

Crossing the rushing burn to regain the main path in dimming light was possible with walking poles and steady feet before the final couple of kilometres down the rocky path. Anna's headtorch was needed for the final section through the forest and we were down just after 8pm, We could have been a fair bit quicker but we had enjoyed every frame of the walk with a couple of long stops and lots of time to be inspired by the very best of mountain scenery.

Heading towards Coire Lair and Beinn Liath Mhor 

Waterfall in Coire Lair

Path to Coire Lair

Liathach

I was told to sit down so the Liathach Ridge was not spoilt

Summiting on Sgorr Ruadh

The golden hour on Sgorr Ruadh summit

Cairn repairing on Sgorr Ruadh

Fuar Tholl from the descent of Sgorr Ruadh

Fuar Tholl from Sgorr Ruadh

Beinn Liath Mhor from the descent of Sgorr Ruadh

Loch Lochy Munros

Meall na Teanga

Wednesday, 16 September 2024

Ascent:       1211 metres
Distance:    22 kilometres
Time:          5 hours 20 minutes

Meall na Teanga              917m    2hrs 31mins     
Sron a' Choire Garbh     935m    3hrs 46mins

September has been kind and we have been gifted a second spell of good weather. I set off for my brother's house near Strome Ferry to help a recent acquaintance complete some Munros nearby. I left home at 9am with the intendion to pick up a couple of Munros en route. My initial plan had been to climb the two Munros on Buchaille Etive Beag but I was trapped in a road works convoy and missed the  turn off to the parking place so continued to Fort William. The journey was at a snail's pace in a long train behind a couple of hired camper vans to Fort William, they are the road equivalent of shunting locomotives. I stopped at a garage in Fort William after the warning light for a flat tyre started flashing thinking I would possibly need a new tyre but it had only lost a few pounds of pressure so I re-inflated the tyre and took the risk that it was drivable and would hopefully last the trip.

I called into M&S to replace some items I had forgotten in my haste to pack and to buy a sandwich for lunch. I decided to climb the two Munros west of Loch Lochy and by happenstance discovered that by parking at the Laggan Locks I could cross the Caledonian Canal by bike. I had the bike with me for a couple of long walks we had planned over the next couple of days so thought it would save time in the approach to the two Loch Lochy Munros along the forest track. It was already 1pm and it is always longer than you think to climb these hills. The cycle from the Laggan Locks added a kilometre to the distance from the usual parking place at Kilfinan but the bike would save me about 20 minutes of walking on the ascent and even more time on the way back.

The day was absolutely perfect apart from the keds and midges that were out in swarms. I dumped the bike where the path through the forestry plantation begins and ascended 500 metres up to Cam Bhealach. I met three folk returning from their walks. One was the owner of the excellent bunk house at Invergarry where I had stayed at Mary's Munro Compleation gathering. He also owned the adjacent land that was a campsite when as a 13-year-old on my first camping holiday to Scotland I had caught grasshoppers for my father who used them as bait to catch trout in the river. For two days we dined on trout rather than the usual drab fayre of tins of Hunter's pork sausages and beans. The owner also explained the details of the proposals for the damming of Coire Glas for a massive hydro pump storage scheme. It would take 6 years to build involving massive engineering works and disruption to the local community. There was to be a community meeting with SSE about the project this evening. He bade me good luck as he thought I was a bit late to be climbing the two Munros. This made me think that I should only do one. 

A couple of kilometres higher on the path I was passed by a couple of hill runners. They aroused my usual mixed feelings of no longer having the lungs to keep up with them but thoroughly pleased that they could engage in this lung-bursting but life-affirming activity. I reached the bealach and chatted to the woman who was enjoying the mid-afternoon sun sitting on a rock, her partner had charged up the slopes to Sron a' Choire Garbh training for some hill races. I took the muddy steep path to Meall na Teanga, it is the harder of the two Munros and I did not think I would have time for both. I kept going at a steady pace, flipping the keds off my arms and face. The outstanding visibility more than compensated for keds.

Meall na Teanga is a wonderful viewpoint, even more so on a day such as this, Ben Nevis imposed its authority to the south and the sweep of the Knoydart and Glen Shiel mountains of the west and north were like sawteeth against the azure sky. My acquaintance, Anna, was climbing three Munros from Glendessary, including Sgurr na Ciche. It would be a hard day's night despite her intention to make a 7am start from Loch Arkaig. The views over Corrie Glas confirmed that several construction activities were taking place. Apparently, they have drilled into the mountain for a kilometre to check the geological structures and there are massive heaps of the extracted rock on spoil heaps running down to Loch Lochy.

I made a speedy return to the bealach as I deliberated whether to attempt Sron a'Choire Garbh. I realised I would not be back to the car until 6:30pm at the earliest and then I had an hour and a half drive to get to the house. I guessed that the earliest Anna could make it to the house would be about 8:30pm. I decided to give it a go, a good stalker's path zig-zags up the hill and unlike Meall na Teanga there would be no steep boggy slopes to climb. The problem was that I was slowing in the much-appreciated but energy-sapping heat. All the other walkers were off the hill, the only company was a large herd of deer grazing near the summit. It was a sparkling evening, the best time to be on the summits as Anna would inform me during the days ahead. The views over Corrie Glas were more direct than from Meall na Teanga and I had been told by the owner of the bothy to take a good look, as these views wouldn't be there for future generations.

I charged down the 6 kilometres back to where I had dumped the bike. After a kilometre of uphill pedalling, it was a speedy descent to the Laggan Locks and over the canal. I changed my footwear before continuing the journey and arrived at the house by 8:15pm. I unloaded the food and equipment, made the beds and had a sandwich whilst waiting to hear from my new friend. She phoned me at 9:00pm to say that she was on the way. It was almost 11pm before Anna arrived having had to cope with a road closure on the tortuous Loch Arkaig road. We unloaded her car, had a simple meal and became acquainted as we made plans for the next day. We decided on Sgorr Ruadh from Achnashellach, one of Anna's remaining 12 Munros and one of my favourite walks. 

Buchaille Etive Mor on the drive through Glencoe

Path to Cam Bhealach

Aonachs and Ben Nevis from Meall na Teanga

Ben Nevis and Loch Linnhe

Sron a' Choire Garbh from Meall na Teanga

Grey Corrie to Ben Nevis

Looking West to Knoydart

Towards Glen Shiel from Sron a' Choire Garbh

Coire Ghlas from Sron a' Choire Ghlas

Looking North to Glen Shiel from Sron a' Choire Garbh