The South Glen Sheil ridge walk
A big day out.
Graham and myself had been talking about bagging the 7 Munro's on the south Glen Sheil ridge for a while. As you end up miles from where you start the plan was to take 2 cars. Grahams brother Mike would be coming too and he would also bring his car, Graham and myself would go in my car. "Best laid plans of mice and men." Anyway that was the plan. I was on holiday for the week and so were Graham and Mike. I had been to Skye the first weekend of my holiday climbing see the blog before this one. On the Tuesday Graham and I went for a 10mile walk up by the Lecht bagging a Corbett and a couple of lesser tops, this would be a chance to see if my knee had recovered and it was not too bad. We were both a bit tired after the walk so I suggested to Graham we pull into Goodbrand and Ross at Corgarf for a fly cup. Graham was driving so I bought the fly cup as we call it, (cup of tea and coffee). Graham had a coffee and I had a pot of tea plus scones with jam and cream, delicious. I had just walked 10 miles over the hills so sod the calories.
I'd highly recommend it for a pit stop, Graham was taken with the strong coffee as well so he's also all for a return visit and he has been back since I started to write this.
Our plan was to leave for Glen Sheil around 5 o'clock Wednesday night and we would meet Mike some where around Invermoriston.
Got the car packed up and went to collect Graham who lives quite near me. Arrived at Grahams and he informed me that Mike had been taken ill on his way up at Fort William and would be heading home. What could we do with only one car? thought about an alternative but we decided just to go for it. Packed Grahams kit into car and set off for Glen Sheil just after 5pm .
Back up over the Lecht again - this is getting repetitive, passing Goodbrands (tempting to go in). The Lecht is one of the highest roads in Britain it is very steep on the south side about 1 in 5, but not so steep on the north side and has ski tows at the top of the road. Going down the north side I cruised down at about 50mph (captain slow me), anyway Graham remarked how nice it was not to be tearing down here panicking as he would be in our other mates car as there are sharp corners at the bottom. Wearing a hole in the carpet trying to brake on the passengers side. He has a nickname for it the (? manoeuvre) ? referring to our other mate. Next stop Tomintoul for a comfort break and a smoke for Graham. Revived from our stop we headed north towards Grantown on Spey, which you can miss as there is a by-pass, turned off for Inverness a few miles further up the road. I had planned a stop just up this road a bit, as I wanted to photograph a highland cow with massive horns we saw on our last trip just beside a Hotel. Pulled into a lay-by just opposite the hotel and sure enough the Highlander was there. I went to get the shot while Graham took 5 and lit up a fag.
Lots of flies about so I didn't linger over taking the shot and returned to the car.
Set off for Tesco in Inverness for some supplies, it's only about 36 miles from the lay-by to Inverness so did not take that long to get there. Got our supplies and set off for Glen Sheil down the side of Loch Ness - did not see the monster this trip. Got to Inver Morrison and turned off on the Skye road at Inver Morrison, the shops and cafe's were shut by this time. Comfort stop a few miles later for Graham's fag, then set off again not too far to go now to Glen Sheil.
The original plan was to stay at a campsite at Sheil bridge which shut at 7pm but you could pay in the morning at 8am . Thinking that this would give us a very late start,
I suggested that we wild camp near the Cluanie Inn in Glen Sheil. When we found the start of the walk it was in view of the hotel, so I suggested we back track a bit as I had spied a bit we could camp back the road a bit. It was a bit of the old road so I got the car right off the road and there was a grassy bit just beside it. Graham agreed and we set about putting up the tents.
That done got the kettle on for a cuppa. Thankfully there was a nice breeze so no midge's. About 9.30pm now. The sky was clear and the full moon came up over the hills to the south. Took a few photos of the sunset and headed for my tent to read the Trail magazine I'd brought with me.
Now Graham is a late bird often up till the wee small hours. So as I headed to my tent I got "What am I going to do for the next 3 hours"? from him, by good luck he had bought a Guardian newspaper in Tesco's so he decided to read that in his tent. Apparently it takes hours to read it. Not that I would read it, Daily Star for me. We were quite close to the road and we could hear the lorries rattling by. Into my sleeping bag only to discover a rock right under my back, had to move to other side of tent. Typical! Had a chat with Graham from the tent while reading and then tried to sleep. Took me a while as I could hear a waterfall just beside us. Don't think it was that long before Graham nodded off either. Slept off and on through the night.
It was quite cold but I was nice and warm in my sleeping bag.
Early rise 5.30am ish got up and made breakfast tea, Cornflakes mixed with Frosties 50/50. No wind damned midge's were at it and we were breakfast to them. Tried Avon skin so soft to ward them off but they were not having it, luckily Graham had Deet 50 - that worked. He had 100 as well just in case. Took the tents down and packed the car. Graham commenting how comfortable he had been as he got his tent up on a mossy patch, no rock sticking into his back then.
I had been thinking (I know that's dangerous) about what to take on such a long walk. A flask of tea or a flask of Coffee? I sometimes get fed up with just coffee in my flask on a walk so what would it be? Problem solved - take a flask of boiled water teabags , coffee, powered milk and 2 litres of water,this would be quite light.
Plus a good supply of food.
Drove to the start of the walk just beside Cluanie Inn and parked the car. Kitted up and set off along the tarred road to Glenloyne. Just down the road a bit is a bridge and we found a good campsite there away from the road, next time we will camp there.
You have to walk about 6.5km along this road to get to the start of the stalkers path up the first hill. Its a tarred road all the way but you can't drive along as there is a locked gate a few km along by Cluanie Lodge. So about 1/2 way along I decided to use my walking poles as we were climbing upwards as we went along the road. Earlier as the sun was shining I had taken off my hat and put it over my rucksack strap at my waist. No hat! Dropped my rucksack and headed back down the road to see if I could find it. Graham had a seat on a wall and a fag. Had to walk back quite a bit to find it but I was glad of my hat later in the day. Now this walk is about 30km just to get back down to the road so adding another 1/2km to get my hat made it even longer lol.
Set off for the stalkers path a few km further up the road. The road climbs up to around 405m at the stalkers and there is a trig point cemented in to a bridge just before here.
First Munro today Creag a' Mhain 947m. We headed up the stalkers path which by good luck zigzags all the way to the top, taking off the steepness.
Started up the path at 7.32am in the sunshine and arrived at the summit at 8.39am still in the sunshine and could see for miles all around. Fly time, cup of tea and something to eat. I find eating little and often to work best for me on these walks. Nah, I just like food. Any way fed and watered pics taken.
Me Graham
We set off along the ridge for Druim Shionnach which at this point a B****y migraine started so into wallet for my pills Narameg from Dr. I find these work pretty fast and can stop a migraine in about 15-20min. I've tried just about all the pills the Dr can offer and found this is the best for me. There was a cool wind at the summit and I did not want to just sit till it passed. Took the pill, stuck my sunglasses on then carried on walking with the aurora on the right side of vision. Some times its left and the real beamers go right round their really bad and it takes around 2 days for them to clear altogether. I don't think it was the bright light beaming off Grahams white legs when he removed his zip off trouser legs at the summit leaving him in shorts that caused the migraine? - sure Graham will have a comment here.
Set off with head down following Graham's feet ahead of me. It took us about 1/2 an hour to walk down onto the ridge and back up to Druim Shionnach I lost about 60% of my vision till the pills kicked in and things started to improve. Just shy of the summit there are some pinnacles which we both tackled.
If you don't want to climb on the pinnacles there is a by-pass path. By the time we got to them my vision had all but returned and it was not far to the summit. Reached the summit of Druimm Shionnach at 9.35am ish. Took the usual pics on the summit had a cup of tea and something to eat as this can help your stomach after a migraine I find.
2.7km to next Munro. There is a top in between Druim Shionnach and Aonach air Chrith which I found out after returning home which is a Munro top. One more to add to the list . Graham led the way as he did most of the day (too fit for me! ). Keep reminding him he is 11 years younger than me, just an excuse really. 2 downs and 2 ups on this stretch of the ridge arriving at Aonach air Chrith around 10.34am . The weather was being kind to us and we still had great views all around. Took the summit pics and then had a snack.
Aonach air Chrith ahead.
We met a chap just after here going in the opposite direction from us west to east and as he passed me I saw Graham signalling a victory sign to him. I was facing the other way round. Catching up on Graham I asked him what that was about. He did not seem to like the chap not having a chat as walkers often do and totally ignoring us, or blanking I think its called. Anyway more ridge walk ahead. Now heading for Munro No4 Maol Chinn-dearg. quite a steep drop off Aonach air Chrit down to the bealach so took our time down here.
2.5km to next top. The ridge narrows from here and there is a bit of scrambling over some rocks.
A bit further on looking back we could see a cave in the rock face and Graham wanted me to go explore it. Fat chance of getting near it without ropes.
You get your first view to the south of Loch Quoich from around here and the road bridge leading to Kinloch Hourn. (On a clear day)
I arrived at Maol Chinn-dearg at about 12.01pm Graham had been there a minute or 2. Lunch and usual pics. Getting a wee bit tired now as summit pic will show.
Fed again so Graham and I set off west for Sgurr an Doire Leathain
Graham then discoverd from his I-phone that the bump in the middle was a Corbett top Sgurr Coire na Feinne 902m. I asked "How can you have a Corbett top with no Corbett?" someone may be able to answer that yet. Graham being Graham decided to bag it I decided to take the level by-pass path to the south.
By-pass to the left.
We meet on the Belach on the west side of Sgurr Coire na Feinne and continued on to Sgurr an Doire Leathain.
Just after the Corbett top there is an old fence running west. All that's left is iron flat bars sticking up at various heights, some could be quite nasty if you were to fall on them. These iron bars had been leaded into rocks, so some poor sod had to hand drill the rock, then carried lead 3000 foot up a mountain and fuel to melt it as well as the iron bars and fence wire - must have been fit. They had also built a dyke up here too.
At the top of Sgurr an Doire Leathain you can descend back down to the road at this top if you want to have a shorter day. As we were sitting eating (again) on Sgurr an Doire Leathain a couple of walkers came up from the road side to the summit, north side. They stopped to chat unlike our earlier encounter. They were an older couple retired I would think but still hill walking and had completed the whole ridge many years before. Today they were just going to do the five we had just done as a shorter walk. We chatted for a good while about hill stuff. Very nice couple.
Fed again Graham and I set off west for Sgurr an Lochain. A bit of scrambling on the way down off Sgurr an Doire Leathain, but its quite easy. There is another top Sgurr Beag 896 but Graham and myself stuck to the by-pass on that one.
We both headed along the by-pass for Creag nan Damh arriving at the summit around 3.15pm
Munro No7 for the day. We had walked 24.5km to get to here and it was only 17 km more down to the road and back to the car at the start of the walk. Phoned home to see if there were any buses along Glen Sheil that we could get back to the car.
We saw another chap heading up from the west to the summit and he soon arrived.
Had a chat. We set off the weather was begging to change a bit at this point. Graham had his nose in his i-phone to find out how to get down, checking with the Walk Highlands website. I had it marked on my map with a big red line. Now the chap we had met at the last top had said he would give us a lift if we were down at the road at the same time he was.
You have to go along the ridge to the west about 1,1/2km to Bealach Duibh Leach to get the route down to the north and on the way there is a cliff about 30 foot high to scramble up, nearly vertical. Our pal Brian came down it in the snow. No way Jose would I do that without ropes. Graham climbed it first no problem and I followed him up close behind. When you reach the Bealach there is a cairn marking the descent path. The path is steep at first zigzagging down the steepest bit. Quite rocky too. As I descended the first bit the guy from the last top caught up and passed us going like a steam train down the hill. Graham and I both decided he just did not want to give us a lift as he was going in the other direction. When you reach 400m it levels off and just across the burn Allt Coire Toiteill is a cairn marking the split in the paths. Other path up to Forcan Ridge.
The path's a bit rocky most of the way down and as we got nearer the road Graham said "he would push on and see if he could get a lift back to the car". Off he went and I carried on behind. Further down it is nearly flat and a tracked vehicle had been working. I had a flat path to follow, a bit boggy though. Had to do a river crossing not that deep and plenty of stones to stand on. I could see Graham had reached the gate at the road about 1km ahead of me and I hoped he got a lift. I carried on walking to the gate arriving there at 5.40pm . This is the start of the walk if you are going west to east. Look out for green right of way signs.
Graham had walked up the road about 100m or so on the north side. I decided to stay at the gate as I thought there would be more chance of a single person getting a lift.
Information from home had told us there would be a bus but not for more than an hour and a bit. Only about 10km to walk back to the car uphill and the weather had come down on to the hills and it had been raining slightly. I walked up the opposite side of the road to a lay-by which was opposite where Graham was trying to thumb a lift with cars and trucks belting by him. No Luck. I was all for waiting for the bus. About 2 minutes after I got to the lay-by a car just passed me then slammed on the brakes and started reversing back to the lay-by. Graham who was still across the road and me were wondering what was going on. As the car passed me I recognised the couple in the car as the older couple we had met on the Sgurr an Doire Leathain. They had recognised us and stopped to give us a lift (magic), even though they were going in the other direction they loaded us and our packs into the car turned the car and drove us all the way back to my car.
We found out on the 15 minute journey back to my car that they also had been lucky too when they walked off the hill with another chap he had given them a lift down the glen to their car. Got back to the car and thanked them for the lift. By this time the cloud had come quite far down the hills and Graham and I decided to just head home. As if we had camped another night the tents would be soaking as we packed up in the morning and the forecast for the Friday was for heavy rain. Could not have been much later than 6.30pm when we set off home, heading East along the A87 for Invermoriston and the A82 north to Inverness . The road was quiet and we made good time to Invermoriston, where we turned north on to the A82. Heading up the side of Loch Ness - still no sign of Nessie.
A few miles up the road is Drumnadrocht and it has a chipper, pit stop for our supper there. Black pudding supper for me and I think Graham had a white pudding supper. Got our tea and went and sat on the low wall along side the road to eat them, pretty hot as they were cooked fresh. Yes eating again. Chips eaten back in the car headed up to Inverness and I decide to take the A96 home from Inverness as I had been over the Lecht a few times that week. Planning to stop for fuel at Elgin
60 mph all the way to Elgin
Darn. Pulled over to the main car park for a pit stop.
Had 1/2 a tank of fuel plenty to get home so set off on the last leg. Turned off just after Elgin Aberdeen
Down to Huntly and turned right heading home over the Suie hill. I dropped Graham off at his house and he asked "how did you manage to drive home"? as his eyes had been going together since the chip shop. "Easy I regularly drive over 100 miles + each day at my work so I am used to it" I replied. With a couple of stops it was no problem.
Headed home, the unpacking of the car could wait till tomorrow.
Sleep.
No walks planned for a while. More torture for you to read after next walk. Unless I do something interesting. Dino60
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Credits
Cars by Ford and Honda
Maps printed by Memory-Map
Gps By Garmin
Hat by Columbia
Poles by Leki
Tents by Vango.
Moss under tent by mother nature. Lucky so and so!!
Rock under my back by mother nature. "Ouch"
Sore legs and feet by walking too much. LOL
Midge's by little him down below.
Ok "The End" and I bet you're glad - please do leave comments.
A pack of lies! It was a King Rib supper I had. :)
ReplyDeleteTop tale mate.