Liathach
Munro No 100&101
Torridon north west Scotland
Sore foot factor:-
Scare factor :-
Steepness :-
lol.
Saturday 19th of June 2010 going for Munro No100 and 101 only problem was I forgot to count the 2 in Glen Feshie and I thought Spidean a' Choire Leith was 98 and Mullach an Rathain 99. My aim was to try for the Inn Pin for 100th but that all went pear shaped due to the weather on Skye.
Brian, Mrs Dino and myself drove up from Alford arriving around Liathach is a really formidable hill with scrambling, narrow paths with steep drops off to the side and a steep scree decent if you go east to west. Most of the walk is on rock and as soon as you leave the car park it's up and very steep in places.
Brian eyeing up where we will be going.
Photo by Brian
The path goes up to the right of the gorge in the middle of shot and it just keeps getting steeper till you are on the ridge.
First bit of scrambling about 15min after leaving the car park - more to come.
Good news is the path goes off to the right and you don't have to go through the gully although there is scrambling ahead before reaching the ridge. As you will see from the photo it's getting steeper now and it will get steeper yet
Looking back down quite near to the ridge here, the path is at the bottom of the photo. Just about here Brian and I met the terrified man coming back down. He had scared the s*** out of himself heading for the pinnacle path after Spidean a' Choire Leith summit although he had been up here before he about faced and was heading back down the way he had come up still visibly shaken when we met him. Made us wonder what was up ahead! He was on his own so that could have had something to do with it, but nothing deters Brian he just keeps going. We got a good view along the terraces just after this.
Brian looking over to Spidean a' Choire Leith. The path zigzags steeply up from here and it's not long before you are on the ridge.
Final bit of the climb to the ridge.
When you hit the ridge you can go left to the 2 Munros or right to Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig. There are 4 Munro tops here as well if you are collecting them too.
Left
Right.
We chose to go left along towards Spidean a' Choire Leith the first Munro. It had taken us 2 hours to get up onto the ridge from the car park. Just after we hit the ridge a damn migraine started so I took my pill and both Brian and myself took shelter from the wind on the south side of the ridge. I think I managed to nod off for a short while and so did Brian. About 30 minutes later migraine past we both set off for the first Munro of the day, Spidean a' Choire Leith. We could see the pinnacles in the distance.
You can see the 983m top you have to go over before getting to Spidean a' Choire Leith at 1055, second top in the photo.
There were 3 guys ahead of us and we would be passing each other along the course of the ridge. They looked like their kit was all brand new and the best of gear too. Must be nice to have cash to spend on new kit. 90% of mine was bought with vouchers I got for Christmas and birthday presents. I would just save them up till I had enough to get something I was wanting. Needs must.
The guys ahead of us.
Just after here we came on the top of the gully with a very quick way down!!
To the north we could see the path round the back of Beinn Eighe which we have since climbed.
Brians photo
The path off to Ruadh-stac mor which we climbed 2/10/2011 Graham, Brian and son Findlay
Might do a blog for that one some time. Or you could read Grahams follow link.http://www.incompleat.com/2011/10/beinn-eighe.html
Brian and myself carried on along the ridge and came on a little rabbit up here. Don't know how it got up here but I don't think it survived long as we saw a mountain crow dive down about where it was not long after we had passed it.
The poor rabbit.
Just after here a bit of scrambling heading up to Spidean a' Choire Leith a taster for things to come.
After this it eases off a bit to the summit.
As I bagged Munro No98 or 100! Lol it was turning cooler with a cold wind from the north.
Me on my 100th Munro
Brian on Spidean a' Choire Leith summit.
The descent off Spidean a' Choire Leith to the pinnical ridge is a steep one down through big boulders and you get the feeling you are heading down a bottomless pit as you make your way down ( now I know why the bloke was scared), as you can't see the bottom till you are well down.
The red line is roughly where the path comes down the west face of Spidean a' Choire Leith.
We got down that no problem with Brian leading the way and then he found some pinnacles to climb on top of - I took the round about path.
Brian having a fun time climbing over the rocks.
By the way we not at the big pinnicles yet. You pass a few gullies as you make your way along letting you see just how high up you actually are.
Looking back down to the road. You really don't want to go down that way.
Brian then found more rocks to climb on just for fun.
I think the path is the pink bit near the bottom of the photo. Fun had, we came on the pinnacles - brown trouser time ahead.
There are two ways past here, no three. Three is about face. No1 take the path left round the south side as we did or go over the tops, I would recommend going over the tops. The chicken run as Brian called it is s*** scary as there is a 2500 foot drop right beside you.
This is where the path is and the picture below is of a nervous me on it.
Gulp!
It will improve along a bit.
You will just see the path above the first grassy bit.
Last view of the path as we climbed up to Mullach an Rathain. Easy climb now along the ridge edge and on to the summit of Mullach an Rathain.
We got to the summit around 2.55pm and the guys with the new gear arrived not long after us.
Me on the summit of Mullach an Rathain with Beinn Alligin behind me. I still have that one to climb.
Brian on top Mullach an Rathain with Loch Torridon behind him. It was a nice day now and we had great views all around us.
Looking west from Mullach an Rathain summit. After a bit to eat and a chat with the young lads Brian and I set off west to get the path down. It's a lovely path down (not) loose scree and stone makes it tricky going down the steep slope. Would be worse to come up. It gets a bit better as you descend.
Looking back up at the path. That's the worst bit - a real step master 6000 to go up.
Brian and I made not bad progress down stopping for the odd photo now and again.
The very last bit before the road is a small cliff to scramble down only about 15 foot high. Got down no problem and Mrs Dino was waiting for us. Home via Aviemore for chips and then a pint at The Boat in Boat of Garten.
Dino60
p.s. The A.B.C gang +1 may make a return next blog.
