Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich from Beinn Tharsuinn

Saturday, 5 May 2012

Distance:      26 km

Ascent:         2010 metres ascent

Total Time:  10 hrs 11mins

c   Bheinn Tharsuinn

m  Bidein a'Choire Sheasgaich   3hrs 11mins

m  Lurg Mor                              4hrs 18mins

c   Sgurr na Feartag                    7hrs  36mins

Campsite

On Beinn Tharsuinn summit, Sheasgaich to right

Sheasgaich north face, up the wall and aim for the left to right gulley

Lochan below Sheasgaich summit

Sheasgaich summit

Lurg Mor from Sheasgaich

Sgurr a'Chaorachain and Sgurr Choinnich from Sgurr na Feartag

Sgurr na Feartag summit

Loch Sgurr na Feartag

Moruisg and Sgurrnan Ceannaichean from Feartag

Day two of our May outing was to the distant munros of Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mor, both as distant from any roads as any Munro. It had been a less cold night than we had expected although my shoes were full of snow because a tent peg had worked loose leaving the porch exposed. We set off from our overnight camp by 8:30am to repeat the walk up to Bealach Bearnais. The day was bright and it looked as if we would have another day of excellent visibility.  The first hill of the day was Beinn Tharsuinn, which must be traversed to get to Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich. Whilst I am keen to climb all the Corbetts this was my fourth trip over this one, although it does provide splendid views of the neighbouring munros.

There were still a few stretches of snow on the hill and we eyed the route up the north face of Sheasgaich that had been in the cloud on previous visits. At the top of the wall that climbs from the bealach we stopped for some food and then threaded through the rock bands moving to the left so that we could access the gully which is marked by a couple of cairns. The area above is like a lost world as you meander through more rocky ramparts that shelter two intimate lochans. There is a good view to the remote Lurg Mor but it is Sheasgaich that floats my boat. My first visit to this Munro had been on a day when the sun had arrived just before we reached the summit. It was a spectacular moment and I whelped with delight at the remote beauty of the peak, I still regard it as one of my favourite munros.  It made it as 20th best in 1994 when I did a survey of Munroists to find the best munros. I was invited to write an article on the Top Twenty munros for The Great Outdoors for which I was paid enough to buy my first goretex jacket.

We were in good time and the five of us, each of whom I had climbed at least a couple of hundred Munros with, chatted with an easy familiarity on the summit. I reflected on the strange combination my son, brother in law, hill running partner and work colleague, between us we had completed 11 munro rounds and the one who had climbed the most munros - 2500 hadn't completed a round of munros because he was not prepared to rock climb the In Pinn. We foraged for food in our rucksacks before dropping down to the bealach and then climbed the stony ground to the summit of Lurg Mor.

Everyone sat to the east of the cairn looking like Meerkats awaiting their fate. Keith had decided to do the outlying top that involves a tricky climb but then requires a massive descent to 250 metres before climbing up the glen to Bealach Bearnais. The rest of us did the wise thing and retreated to the bealach below Sheasgaich from where we descended to 350 metres and then contoured around the east side of Beinn Tharsuinn to Bealach Bearnais once again. We split here with John and I deciding to climb the Corbett, Sgurr na Feartag, and Gregor and Mark returning to the tents and walking out before driving to Kinlochewe to find a TV to watch the FA Cup Final. Keith meanwhile had made good time and followed us up the Corbett which, as the guidebooks tell us, provides a wonderful viewpoint for the hills we had climbed over the past two days as well as the Torridons.

It was bitterly cold as we made the descent past the Lochan Sgurr nan Feartag and then back to the camp to pack the tents and then walk out. It was almost 7pm before we were back at the car and immediately set off for Gairloch where I had booked us into the youth hostel for the night. The hostel was fine but the fish supper from the local chippy was a grave mistake. To save a few pounds we were served a near inedible fish supper instead of enjoying a meal and a pint in the adjacent hotel. We were planning to walk into Fisherfield in the morning but the forecast was ominous so we deferred a decision until the morning.