KYQ4: Carn Bhac and An Sogach

An Socach from Glen Ey

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Ascent: 1065 metres

Distance: 13 kilometre walk + 18 kilometre cycle

Time: 5 hours 40 minutes

Carn Bhac 946m 2hrs 25mins (1hr 3mins on bike)

Allt Beinn Iutharn crossing 3hrs 23mins

An Sogach 944m 4hrs 15mins

I gave myself a fifteen-minute break for food and a change of footwear after the excursion up Sgur Mor before beginning the tough cycle ride from Inverey up Glen Ey. It is the third time I have done this and it gets no easier. A strong southerly wind had sprung up in the afternoon and after passing through the immaculate grounds of the lodge and house, I began to tackle the gradient and the wind. Most of the 170 metres of ascent are made in the first couple of kilometres and, after crossing the bridge about halfway up the glen, the main problem becomes the narrow track and the grazing sheep. I passed another party of teenagers saddled with packs that were far too large and looking glum as they sat by the upper bridge. I dumped the bike in the ruins of Altanour Lodge and after looking at the steep profile of An Sogach ahead I decided to climb Carn Bhac first. I normally walk better as the day gets longer and I trusted that this would allow me to tackle the unforgiving 450-metre ascent of An Socach at the end of the day.

There is no respite in climbing Carn Bhac from here either. I have climbed it on two previous occasions in this direction but in the early morning mist after camping at Altanour Lodge. I took the same line, a rising traverse across the southern slopes of Carn Creagach but in August the heather is more than knee deep and it continued all the way to the bealach at 777metres from where views of the Cairngorms appeared. The final 170 metres of climbing was easier with shorter heather and sections of boulders. It had taken longer than anticipated and I took a ten-minute break at the cairn. A scout supervisor from Edinburgh appeared to claim the summit before returning to find his charges in the glen. I followed him on a path heading south-east and it provided an easy and quick route down if only I had been aware of it on the ascent. The downside was a large number of shooting butts served by eight-track vehicle that had mashed what had been an excellent path into a boggy muddy track. There were not many grouse to be seen in the vicinity, maybe selective breeding had gifted them with the knowledge that the glorious twelfth was nigh.

There are two burns to cross including the considerable volume of water flowing down the Allt Beinn Iutharn and it took a few minutes to find a crossing place. I managed to keep my feet dry. Ahead was the dreaded slope of An Socach, the only mitigation were the bands where the heather had been recently burnt. The steepness was unrelenting for 350 metres from where the northern shoulder led to the final climb to the untidy looking cairn/shelter. On the ascent, I disturbed quite a few hares and found two dead young ones. Before reaching the summit I saw the possible culprit, a fox, that contoured round just above me. The summit gave me chance to finish my food before starting on the descent. I had decided to head down the northern corrie and despite fairly steep slopes, the route proved to be a good one. I disturbed well over a hundred grouse who had presumably assembled here to keep out of the way of the shooting parties.

The vegetation became increasingly dense with heather and bog grass ensuring wet feet and scratched legs, as well as giving some ticks the chance to get a feed. Arriving at the river, I could not be bothered going back upstream to find the bridge so waded across. I was relieved to get on the bike and with the wind and gravity in my favour, I made rapid progress down the glen scattering a few hundred sheep in the process. A party of teenagers had made camp but looked on jealously as I sped back to civilisation. I had one narrow escape when the bike was going too fast as I hit some boulders on the narrow track and I am still bewildered as to how I managed to stay upright. I was back at Inverey by 7:30pm and by the dint of some quick driving down the empty roads of Perthshire I was home by 9:45pm.