KYQ4: Aonach Buidhe

Aoach Buidhe summit

Tuesday, 31 August 2021

Ascent: 985 metres
Distance: 34 kilometres (25km by bike)
Time: 4hours 50 minutes

Aonach Buidhe 899m 2hrs 48mins

I normally look forward to climbing hills for the first time but I was unusually anxious about two of my last four Corbetts. Aonach Buidhe and Beinn Dronaig are quite close as the crow flies, a mere 6 kilometres. The terrain between them is pretty rough with 600 metres of descent, rivers to wade and I reckoned 55 kilometres including a 25-kilometre bike ride. It would have the sort of challenge that appealed in the past but time is less precious after retirement and with stamina on the wane.

I had been working on Monday, the first time in a couple of years, but spotting a couple of dry days in the northwest highlands, I decided to take the plunge. I thought about taking the tent but the midges would be at their most bothersome so I booked an Airbnb in Lochcarron so that I could shower and have a meal at the hotel. I had figured on 6 hours 30 minutes for Aonach Bhuide with the journey up to Killilan at the head of Loch Long adding a further 4 hours taking account of the slow procession of vehicles that are an inevitable feature of travel in this part of Scotland.

I left home at 7:45am, the morning conditions were perfect with not a cloud seen before Fort William but the hills to the north of Fort William were lost in the clouds. I parked at the car park just shy of Killilan and assembled the bike quickly encouraged by swarms of midges. The first part of the cycle ride is along a well metalled private road but it deteriorates into a gravel track after a few kilometres and begins to climb slowly. I passed the path to the Glomach falls and promised myself to visit someday but not today, there was not much water in the river and time would be tight. I arrived at the small copse of trees by Iron Lodge within the hour after a few photo stops and pushing the bike up a couple of hills. There were four bikes already there but I had not seen a soul.

The route up is by the south ridge and I followed the footpath for a kilometre and stopped for some lunch before beginning the ferociously steep climb up long grass adorned with the odd boulder. Although it looks like a well-defined ridge on the map it is a broad ridge with variations in steepness once you get above 450 metres. Despite the cloud cover the heat made for lethargy as I slogged my way to the summit. I looked over to Beinn Dronaig, tomorrow's hill, and thought more of this to come. The views were good but the cloud cover meant that the clarity was not as good as I had hoped.

I decided to descend to the west, a steep drop keeping to the north of the burn. Again the long grass made for slow progress but at least the dry August meant that the normally boggy ground was not an added inconvenience. Reaching the footpath made for an easy couple of kilometres back to Iron Lodge. An elderly couple were unlocking their electric bikes from a signpost. The woman had just climbed An Cruachan, a very remote Graham requiring a 17-kilometre walk there and back from Iron Lodge. She had only two Grahams left to climb having already completed the Munros and Corbetts. Her husband accompanied her on the bike but had given up on the Grahams. We had a friendly chat before they set off back to Killilan.

I unlocked the bike and had some food and drink before starting the cycle to Killilan. There were some uphill sections but it was mainly a speedy descent. I passed the couple before running into a couple of hundred sheep charging up the track, they saw me and turned to run back towards Killilan. The woman farmer was following in a truck and she hollered me to get off the road. I did by climbing up the bank and the sheep charged past at a gallop. The last couple of kilometres on the smooth road made for a fast ride despite the sheep droppings.

I was back by 5pm and after loading the bike and speaking again to the couple who had arrived at their large motor home, I travelled along the narrow road alongside Loch Long that is dotted with new houses and on to Lochcarron to the Airbnb. An excellent meal in the Lochcarron Hotel set me up for an early night with the prospect of a tough day in the saddle tomorrow.