KYQ4: Achnashellach Munros

Sgurr a' Chaorachain and Sgurr Choinich

Friday, 4 May 2012

Distance: 25 km

Ascent: 1750 metres

Total Time: 7hrs 9mins including walk in from Craig to campsite

m Sgurr Choinnich 999m 2hrs 53mins

m Sgurr a' Chaorachain 1053m 3hrs 27mins

t Carn nam Fiaclan 996m 5hrs 1min

m Maoile Lunndaidh 1007m 5hrs 18mins

We had organised four or five days walking over the May bank holiday weekend and headed up for Achnashellach on the Friday morning. I was with the four friends/relatives with whom I had walked on the majority of my outings on the munros. Between us we had completed a combined total of around 8000 munros but this was the first time we had all been together. The forecast had predicted cold northerly winds bringing the odd snow storm but visibility was to be excellent. Keith was nearing the end of his fifth round and suggested the five remote Achnashellach hills and Fisherfield as his preference.

Remarkably we all arrived within minutes of 1pm, despite in my case having to drive down to Glasgow first to pick up Gregor who had a flat car battery and could not make it home the previous evening. The A9 for once provided no hold ups and the pips for the one o'clock news went off as I turned into the car park at Craig. We spent twenty minutes on a packing our rucksacks and kicking a ball about before crossing the railway line and heading up the track to Polaan Buidhe where we made camp on the only spot of flat ground by the elbow of the burn. I had judged that we could walk into Bealach Bearnais after meeting at 1pm and do three munros in the late afternoon and evening, I had estimated 6 hours. This was queried by those who are familiar with my optimism but there was an exit after the first two munros if we needed it, so we agreed even although it was after 3pm before we left the camp.

We crossed the burn and took the excellent path to the Bealach Bearnais but we were a bit anxious about the time and the weather - it was holding up but snow threatened. The west ridge up to Sgurr Choinnich is a steep but entertaining climb and when we emerged on the summit we were welcomed by the sun and a decorative covering of snow. It seemed that we were in luck and the weather held as we made the trek across the bealach to its sister peak of Sgurr a' Chaorachain. At this stage Keith set off on one of his typical diversions to the eastern top of Bidean an Eoin Dearg. The rest of us were not in top collecting mode and descended to the lower bealach at Drochaid Mhullich, one of my favourite wild campsites. It looked a bit forlorn this evening as the sun had disappeared and the grey rock amphitheatre hemmed it in.

We halted briefly scanning the ridge above to check that Keith was descending from Bidean an Eoin Dearg before setting out on the steep flank leading to the west ridge of Carn nam Fiaclan. The summit was sub arctic with a smattering of snow and as we continued to the summit of Maoile Lunndaidh. Thin layers of ice sheets covered the stony ground like layers of filo pastry. Surprisingly we were ahead of my optimistic schedule and we wasted little time on the summit before dropping down the north west ridge. There was intermittent sun and on these occasions the plateau provided a foreground for the foreboding outline of the Torridon hills.

The descent over the long plateau and to the river is a long way but fairly easy at this time of the year before the heather has taken off and the cold dry windy weather had dried the ground from its usual boggy state. We were all keen to get back before dusk and surprisingly we made it in 5 hours 45minutes from leaving the camp. Just in time to cook some soup and pasta before nightfall and the arrival of Jack Frost.