Beinn Sgritheall the lonely mountain, Part 2.
Beinn Sgritheall
Top bagged and marked onto the trusty gps (no 143) and with me creeped out a bit in the mist I set off down from the top. I had left my poles pointing in the direction I had come up so of course that's the direction I went in. Now just after leaving the top I spied a path that must have been the one I came up on???? Diddling along on this path I saw a rise off to my right with what I thought would be a big drop behind it. "That can't be the way so I'll stay on this path".
Don't follow this path unless you want to bag the 928 top.
A tip for you if you're in the mist check the map and compass or look the snail trail on your gps. The bold me did none of these with the result that I followed a nice path down what I thought was the path back to the 906m top. Of course it was the same path I came up on it just looked different going down! Then I came on a boulder field and thought (I know it's very dangerous this thinking) those rocks don't look familiar and as I dropped out of the mist I could see to my right where Loch Hourn should be was a wee glen with a shoulder of Beinn Sgritheall heading east - I was on the other shoulder leading to the 928m top heading north. "Oh ballocks". I surveyed the road ahead trying to see if I could carry on and go down into the glen and onto Bealach Arnasdail but in fact it was Corie Min I was looking down into. Well it was will I? wont I? - no I don't think so. Looked back over to the other east shoulder and gee it was a long way over there. Nothing else for it back up again into the clag as Graham likes to call it. Got back to near the top and headed over the bump I did not go over earlier as I'd thought it was not the way down. Still in the clag I could see a bit of a path ahead through the narrow ridge.
This looks better and more familiar I was thinking to my self after my extra 200m jaunt as I dropped down out of the mist.
Just out of the clag with Knoydart in the distance.
Could see down to Loch Hourn with the little islands looking like something from Hawaii
Little island in Loch Hourn 900m below.
Hmm I'll be down there soon, well okay it will take an hour or two to get there.
Walked on and came to the fun bit a narrow ridge with really big drops each side and a wee bit of scrambling over the rocks just for added fun.
The fun bit. You can't see the big drops off to the side but you will get the idea from the last picture.
After this you just follow the path across the big wide ridge.
I could see right across to Barisdale beach on Knoydart from here and brought back memories of walking along there a few years ago on my trip to Knoydart. Probably tell you about that another time.
Barisdale beach on Knoydart.
Now the good news is you have to climb back up to the 906m top to get down, just thought I would cheer you up. Its only a 76m climb piece of cake. Now back up at the 906m top I found a path not the one I thought I would be going down on but it was well trodden.
Me at the top of the 906m top.
Now if you don't like steep descents don't go any where near this path. It sort of led off to the left of the cairn I think there is one off to the right down through the stones not quite so vertical as this peach. You have heard the term straight down well I think they were standing at the top of this gully when they coined it. Oh boy is it steep and the path is quite eroded as well just to make it more fun, but hey it's a quick down and if you slip a very quick down.
Looking back up towards the summit just over the rise.
Used my poles all the way down to stop me taking off digging them into the ground. They gave a braking effect.
Just for fun I took a picture with my pole straightish to show you how steep it is.
It gets steeper yet
The view looking back up from here.
You can see the path zig zagging down from the top.
And just to terrify you even more as you get near the bottom there's this.
The good news is that the path goes right here and you avoid that big gully at the bottom "phew".
I followed the path down and it was easing in steepness now, the path leads more or less straight down into Bealach Arnasdail.
After that I came on the sort of path I had gone up through - the stepmaster as I like to call it.
The junction of the two paths, the up path straight ahead and the down path to the right.
Also I've chucked in the view to the north from here for you to see.
Looking to the north from the Bealach.
As the path was going at 90 degrees to Bealach Arnasdail I set off at an angle through the grassy slopes more or less where I had come up, not quite so steep now and I soon reached the path again in the bog now.
Made my way back down to the wee valley I had stopped in on the way up and stopped again to take off my water proof trousers. That can be fun with size 10 feet and narrow legs in the trousers. A bit of a dance can ensue. I should just unlace my boots but why take the easy way lol. Had a fly cup and something to eat here. A slight incline up as you leave the wee valley and then down the eroded path through ferns and "fly land". Battle
That a way down.
Just after this are the two burns to cross and I still did not fall in. A wee bit boggy after the second burn well more than a wee bit really.
Second burn to cross.
Now if you have read part one you will remember that I took the wrong path behind the houses and would tell you why it was a good thing on the way down.
Do you see those trees down there in the picture well the path goes through them on the right hand side and there's hunners of ****ing sheep flies lurking in there. As I walked down the path I was attacked by heaps of them, fought them off as best as I could but decided to leg it as fast as I could in the end to get away from them. Once I got out of the trees I was in the clear so I removed the last of them and onto the road at Arnisdale. Pauline was sitting in the car just about 50 meters along the road in a lay-by waiting for me. Just in case you are wondering mobiles don't work here till you're well up the hill and also back along the Glen road.
Walked along to the car and saw this sign.
Oops . Well the sign is down the road past where you start the walk.
Got the kit thrown into the boot and my boots off. Now one of the older residents came walking along the road and I ended up chatting to him as you do. I told him where I had been and he said " I don't know why people climb that hill". "Simple". I said "its on a list". See what that Munro character started. This seemed to bamboozle him as to why people would climb up here just cause it was on a list. Munro bagging can get a wee bit addictive sometimes, you just get home and think where am I going next? Pleasantries passed with the chap we went to the hall at Corran just down the road a bit, toilets here and they're very clean. You just leave a donation to help with the running costs. In the hall itself there are plaques on the wall telling you about the history of the village.
One of the many plaques on the wall.
If you go to my Flicker site you can see the rest. Link www.flickr.com/photos/dino60/6157806039/in/set-72157627694837086
Got changed into clean gear here and set off along the road back through the village. Just along a bit was a life saver ring with a propeller hung up in the middle. This is where the Arnisdale ferry was at one time, known to walkers as Bill the Boat. Sadly no more. Bill has hung up his propeller so to speak.
Another victim of high fuel prices and irregular work.
I had been on Bill's boat a few years ago along Loch Hourn. Tell you about that if I do the Knoydart blog. Back into the car and headed out of the village the sun now shining on top of Beinn Sgritheall, typical now I'm off it. We had seen a sign for Brochs on the way here and planned to visit them on the way back so we headed there down Glen Beag a mile or so. There are two close together the tallest is about 18m high and these were built about 1000 years or so BC. I think humans were as clever then as they are now. They just used the materials they had then as we do now. With some spectacular building being built.
Dun Treve Broch
Dun Trodden Broch.
Note the sun is shining here.
Now we had planned to go to the Cluanie Inn in Glen Sheil for our tea. So that's where we headed next.
Just as we arrived at the Inn the heavens opened, got out of the car and legged it round to the bar. This was to be a joint birthday tea for us as we have our birthdays 5 days apart. Got my pint of Guinness which is good here, I know this because we had stayed here in April on another walking trip. Gee that's another blog to write. Anyway what to have for tea? twice cooked beef with rosti potatoes and carrots - yum. Got a seat in the side bar funnily enough where we sat last time we were here and waited for our dinner. Well this hunk of beef the size of a Clydesdales horses hoof and about 2 1/2inchs high arrived covered in a rich pepper sauce the kind you would get with steak Diane. No chips though, that was a bit disappointing. The spuds were under the beef hiding and also 3 sliced carrots. The beef just melted in you're mouth spiced with the pepper sauce it was a wee bit fiery to eat but I managed to eat it all, forced my self, not really. Now you would think after all that beef you would be stuffed and not manage pudding but it's a birthday tea remember. We shared a Creme brulee between us though and I had a ginger bear to wash it down. Only thing the top was a wee bit bitter with it being fired under a blowlamp but the bit underneath, yum yum. Stuffed now after tea and the rain still hammering down outside we ran out to the car. Oh just in case you're interested it was £12.65 for the beef course not too bad since we were in a hotel. £35 quid or so lighter when we left the hotel but very satisfied with our tea. Must have been about 7 ish by the time we left and it was still light then. Headed east along Glen Sheil towards Inver Moriston, as we were driving along there were 4 or 5 walkers making their way back to a camper van in the pouring rain one of them had no jacket - bet he was enjoying himself. Got a text from Graham about gps log, oops forgot to switch it off. Going to have a good average speed now ain't I. Stopped and switched it off. By the way the text was read to me I did not read it while driving.
Big puddles across the road now and the car was aquaplaning through them so slowed down to under 50 mph so we did not end up in a ditch. Headed up to Inverness and to the A96 for Huntly only thing was the road was closed for roadworks between Tesco roundabout and the next junction. They were only working at night to ease congestion. Turned off on the road to Culloden and typical all the A96 traffic at a stand still. There had been a smash at a set of traffic lights and police were directing traffic. The police person directing was letting about 25 cars down the road but only 3 or 4 up the road at one time. Yes we were going up the road, eventually we got through the lights and carried on round this big detour. As we came back on to the A96 another smash with a really strong smell of petrol, managed to get by and carried on down the A96 still p***ing it down and now dark.
Back to Keith and into the Shell filling station for the second time today £20 more in diesel and that did not cover what we had used that day. Then the A96 and home.
A grand day out you could say really good Bacon rolls, a Munro bagged, and a birthday tea. No change out of £100 though. This hobby is getting expensive but I'm just going to keep doing it anyway, climbing hills that is. 145 done 138 to go. Pity they are getting further away from home now.
Please leave comments if Google will let you.
Next blog wont be up a mountain it be over a cliff hanging by a thread.
Good day at Black rock next blog.
Dino60.
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