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| An Teallach above Loch Toll an Lochan |
Friday, 3 August 2012
Ascent: 1430 metres
Distance: 16 kilometres
Time: 6 hours 45minutes
t Sail Liath 954m 2hrs 29mins
t Stob Cadha Gobhlach 960m 2hrs 45mins
t Lord Berkeley's Seat 1030m 4hrs 2mins
m Sgurr Fiona 1060m 4hrs 16mins
m Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill 1062m 4hrs 56mins
We had stayed at the cousins' holiday house in Gairloch overnight and awoke to the sort of day that makes this corner of Scotland seem like paradise. We drove around the coast road by Poolewe, Aultbea and Dundonnell stopping at Gruinard Bay for photos and to soak up the magical views. We picked up John and Alex who had gone on ahead to Dundonnell to drop their car and continued to Corriehallie where we started the ascent up the track to Shenaval. The blue skies were accompanied by a gentle breeze making the conditions ideal for hill walking.
The Shenaval path splits after 4 kilometres and there is a faint boggy path across the lower slopes of Sail Liath. Eventually, the path kicks up and there is a slog up 500 metres of ascent including a scree slope of boulders to the first top of Sail Liath. The compensation is the panorama of the Fisherfield mountains including Bheinn Dearg Mhor, a shapely and favourite Corbett that provided the backdrop for a feral goat herd.
The fun begins here with a steep drop and climb to the next top, Stob Cadha Gobhlach. It is a longer drop again before the scramble up Corag Bhuidhe, a massive wall of stepped Torridonian red sandstone that provides good grip and lots of exposure. The ptarmigan were friendly, the sun was out, the saxifrage twinkled and this was hill walking at its best. The gullies that fell to Loch Toll nan Lochan could easily induce vertigo and the Ravens were calling. Lord Berkeley's seat was the next top, an armchair perched on the edge of a precipice.
The final haul up to Sgurr Fiona was the end of the scrambling and provided the perfect patio for lunch. We spent 20 minutes relaxing in the sun. John commented that he was taking it all in as it may be his last visit here. I was a bit taken aback, it is the fourth time that I have been on An Teallach with him and they have always been on good days. There are some hills that I have been up recently when I have thought 'thank goodness this may be the last time' but An Teallach never disappoints once you reach the airy and exposed sections. It merits as many repeat visits as the mind permits and the body allows although the descent is a bit of a drag.
The walk over to Bidein a Ghlas Thuill reveals a constantly changing view of the corrie below and the summit was mobbed with more goats. We decided against going out to any of the Glas Mheall tops, I had already done them several times, and began the path down the stony slopes to Dundonnell. I had blistered my heel badly for the first time in years, my socks were too thick for my trainers and the path down was not kind to my feet. It is stony and boggy all the way down with no compensating views, the sort of path that is easier to ascend but the Corriehallie route is so much better. We simply battered on, the afternoon becoming ever warmer as we descended, and made the car park by the hotel by 5:15pm.
Gregor and I were given a lift back to Corriehallie and were soon travelling back to Inverness on a bright summer evening. My impression that Beauly Firth and the Black Isle is blessed with perpetual sunshine was reinforced as it has been on dozens of occasions over the past twenty years. Come to think of it, the sun shone constantly during the summer of 1970 when I resided on the Dingwall campsite for two months.
The intention had been to eat, camp in Glen Feshie and climb a couple of the Cairngorm hills in the morning. We stopped for food in Aviemore but with the news of cycling gold medals at the Olympics and my heel stinging we decided to drive straight home to watch the Olympics. A decision that was absolutely confirmed as it became Super Saturday.
We had stayed at the cousins' holiday house in Gairloch overnight and awoke to the sort of day that makes this corner of Scotland seem like paradise. We drove around the coast road by Poolewe, Aultbea and Dundonnell stopping at Gruinard Bay for photos and to soak up the magical views. We picked up John and Alex who had gone on ahead to Dundonnell to drop their car and continued to Corriehallie where we started the ascent up the track to Shenaval. The blue skies were accompanied by a gentle breeze making the conditions ideal for hill walking.
The Shenaval path splits after 4 kilometres and there is a faint boggy path across the lower slopes of Sail Liath. Eventually, the path kicks up and there is a slog up 500 metres of ascent including a scree slope of boulders to the first top of Sail Liath. The compensation is the panorama of the Fisherfield mountains including Bheinn Dearg Mhor, a shapely and favourite Corbett that provided the backdrop for a feral goat herd.
The fun begins here with a steep drop and climb to the next top, Stob Cadha Gobhlach. It is a longer drop again before the scramble up Corag Bhuidhe, a massive wall of stepped Torridonian red sandstone that provides good grip and lots of exposure. The ptarmigan were friendly, the sun was out, the saxifrage twinkled and this was hill walking at its best. The gullies that fell to Loch Toll nan Lochan could easily induce vertigo and the Ravens were calling. Lord Berkeley's seat was the next top, an armchair perched on the edge of a precipice.
The final haul up to Sgurr Fiona was the end of the scrambling and provided the perfect patio for lunch. We spent 20 minutes relaxing in the sun. John commented that he was taking it all in as it may be his last visit here. I was a bit taken aback, it is the fourth time that I have been on An Teallach with him and they have always been on good days. There are some hills that I have been up recently when I have thought 'thank goodness this may be the last time' but An Teallach never disappoints once you reach the airy and exposed sections. It merits as many repeat visits as the mind permits and the body allows although the descent is a bit of a drag.
The walk over to Bidein a Ghlas Thuill reveals a constantly changing view of the corrie below and the summit was mobbed with more goats. We decided against going out to any of the Glas Mheall tops, I had already done them several times, and began the path down the stony slopes to Dundonnell. I had blistered my heel badly for the first time in years, my socks were too thick for my trainers and the path down was not kind to my feet. It is stony and boggy all the way down with no compensating views, the sort of path that is easier to ascend but the Corriehallie route is so much better. We simply battered on, the afternoon becoming ever warmer as we descended, and made the car park by the hotel by 5:15pm.
Gregor and I were given a lift back to Corriehallie and were soon travelling back to Inverness on a bright summer evening. My impression that Beauly Firth and the Black Isle is blessed with perpetual sunshine was reinforced as it has been on dozens of occasions over the past twenty years. Come to think of it, the sun shone constantly during the summer of 1970 when I resided on the Dingwall campsite for two months.
The intention had been to eat, camp in Glen Feshie and climb a couple of the Cairngorm hills in the morning. We stopped for food in Aviemore but with the news of cycling gold medals at the Olympics and my heel stinging we decided to drive straight home to watch the Olympics. A decision that was absolutely confirmed as it became Super Saturday.
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| Above Gruinard Bay looking towards Ullapool |
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| Corriehallie path |
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| Sail Liath and the pinnacles |
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| Sail Liath screes |
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| Bheinn Dearg Mhor and Feral Goats |
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| Saxifrage provides an oasis of colour against the red sandstone |
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| Corrag Buttress |
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Ptarmigan
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| Sgurr Fiona from Lord Berkeley's Seat (LBS) |
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| Sgurr Fiona nd Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill from LBS |
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| LBS and Corrag Bhuidhe from Sgurr Fiona |
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| Loch Toll an Lochain and ridge from Corrag Bhuidhe to Sail Liath |
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Goat walk
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| Ghlas Mheall Liath |
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| Sgurr Fiona and ridge from Bidein a' Ghlas Thuill |
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| Job Done |
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