With Covid no longer restricting movements and gatherings, it was more-or-less back to normal for Spring Bank Holiday week this year, with a camping trip to the Highlands. What wasn’t normal was that a few friends were joining me for the start of the trip for my long-awaited final Corbett!
One long-term benefit of Covid has been the introduction of the option to work from home (although I rarely choose to do so!). Defining Ruth’s house as home for the day helped get my trip off to a good start by putting me north of the Manchester traffic before the Friday rush hour. Consequently, I had a good drive up to the Highlands, with a pause for dinner at the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum, arriving in Glen Nevis to set up camp at around 8pm. With Alison and Iain not due to arrive until late evening, I headed to the pub for the rest of the evening to read and plan for the week’s walking.
Saturday was quite a bright day. Alison is also bagging Corbetts, and had proposed we walk up two Ardgour hills south of Glenfinnan. Ruth and I had done those two in combination with a third Corbett, so the shorter walk gave the opportunity for a different horseshoe with a totally new descent route for me. We parked by the bridge at Callop and set off south along the track. Soon it was time to turn off the valley path and head up the ridge of Meall na Cuartaige – pathless but fairly easy going with good views south into Ardgour. Once over the minor top, we continued up the ridge to the day’s first Corbett, Sgorr Craobh a’ Chaorainn.
From there, it was a fairly easy traverse along the ridge to Sgurr Ghiubhsachain, with a few steep slabs to negotiate towards the top. The summit gave excellent views over Loch Shiel into Moidart.
We descended the rocky north ridge to the fishing complex at Geusachan, then followed the tracks along the loch shore and through the forest back to Callop.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1922867
Once back in camp in Glen Nevis, and showered and changed, it was not long before my other guests started to arrive: Jeff, Helen and Ashleigh having paused for the night in the Southern Uplands and broken their drives by Loch Lomond and in Glen Coe; Ruth and Josh having done a walk up Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh on the way up; Alan having driven across from Edinburgh after a morning parkrun. Jeff and Helen had offered to host a barbecue by their campervan (formerly Dave and Jo’s!), which gave a good chance for everyone to meet and eat together.
Sunday was Corbett completion day. We decided to be green and travel together in two cars to Gleann Dubh Lighe, starting the walk just after 9am and glad to get moving out of the midges after faffing with boots and gaiters in the sheltered forest car park. The first few kilometres were on large tracks up the valley, with a short pause to look around the bothy before continuing up to the bridge at the head of the mapped track.
From there, it was a fairly steep and unrelenting climb of 600m or so up short grass all the way to the ridge at Meall an Uillt Chaoil. Some found it tougher than others, but we all reconvened on that first top, taking the chance to admire the views south to Loch Shiel and the previous day’s Corbetts, and west over the less-often-seen Loch Beoraid. The ridge ahead to Streap, over the intervening top of Stob Coire na Cearc, was also impressive.
We made our way north along the undulating ridge, pausing for a lunch break on Stob Coire nan Cearc, and before too long were on the final grassy arete approaching the summit. Having had a few spots of rain on-and-off as we climbed, it was great that the sun came out for a few minutes on the summit as we enjoyed champagne in plastic cups and took a few photos.
Once we’d savoured the moment, aware that our dinner was booked for 6pm in Glen Nevis, we pressed on along the easier ridge east to Streap Comhlaidh, which just required a short re-ascent. Then it was a steep grassy descent back into the valley, thankfully quite pleasant underfoot with more short grass and no major tussocks or awkward bog. An ATV track led us back to the bridge and the firmer tracks from there back to the cars, which we reached at around 6pm. We called the Glen Nevis Restaurant to check that they would be happy to hold our booking, and headed straight there. A good hearty and sociable meal to end the day and conclude the celebrations.
Streap had proven to be a great choice of final hill – a fine day’s hillwalking, typical of the best of the Corbetts, with dramatic views in all directions , and not particularly difficult ground – enough to challenge the less experienced of my companions but to be unmanageable for them.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1922876
Most of the others departed on Monday morning: Jeff and Helen back home; Ruth and Josh towards Arisaig for a few days; Alan up to Glen Shiel and Glen Elchaig for a couple of days more Corbett-bagging. Ashleigh wanted a rest day, so I left her with a suggestion to visit the viaduct and memorial at Glenfinnan, and went off myself to bag a couple of Munro Tops northeast of Aonach Mor.
I started my walk at the Nevis Range ski / mountain biking centre, which I had visited for Fort William parkrun at Easter. The first couple of kilometres were zigzagging up the forest tracks. Then, as the gondola had not yet opened for the day and there were not yet any downhill bikers, I walked up the lower part of the black trail to easily escape the forest and get onto the ridge of Meall Breac. From there it was a fairly easy ascent, parallel with the bike route, with some good views over Loch Linnhe and towards Carn Mor Dearg, and on up to the lift station.
From there, I improvised a route traversing east across the ridge of Aonach an Nid and then through the valley to gain the ridge of Tom na Sroine. This gave easier going up to its 918m summit, the first of my Munro Top objectives for the day. The walking was rockier, with dramatic crags on the left hand side, for the continuation up to the second Top, Stob an Chul-Choire. There were impressive views of the Grey Corries to the east, and of the eastern crags of Aonach Mor, with many snow patches remaining, to the west.
Once over the Munro Top, the final bealach gave very dramatic views south towards Aonach Beag, the summit of which was stuck resolutely in cloud all day. I hadn’t been sure what to expect of the final climb up to Aonach Mor. It proved to be straightforward, mostly on short grass, easily avoiding a couple of snow patches and with a little mild scrambling in places, emerging very close to the summit cairn. I continued west a few paces to enjoy lunch overlooking Carn Mor Dearg and the north face of Ben Nevis, watching a shower approach over Glen Spean as I ate!
Soon after I continued walking, the shower arrived, and at 1200m turned out to be of snow rather than rain! It was only light though, and only lasted 10 minutes or so. I followed the ridge down over rough ground, back to Meall Breac and parallel with the bike track (now in light use) back down to the car park. Another good day out, actually more interesting and less awkward tops than I’d expected! I bet very few of the visitors to Aonach Mor make the detour to those ones!
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1922883
In the evening, Ashleigh and I cooked in camp then went to the pub for the rest of the evening. The next morning, she was feeling energetic enough for a short walk. I suggested we take a bit of a road-trip west onto the Ardnamurchan peninsula, where I had had my eyes on the short walk up Ben Hiant for some time! We took a scenic drive along the coast to the Corran Ferry, then over to Strontian and along the shore of Loch Sunart, pausing in Salen for photographs.
A few more miles along the minor road brought us to a good viewpoint over the beach at Camas nan Geall to Ben Hiant, which was grassier than I expected of a geologist’s mecca! It was not much further up the road to the highest point of the pass, from where we started our walk. A path gave easy walking all the way up the ridge to the summit. Sadly, although we started in the dry, light but persistent rain soon came over and lasted for an hour or so, until a bit after we’d left the summit. We had better views on the descent when it cleared out again, particularly north towards Rum and Eigg, and Skye in the distance.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1926556
Once back at the car, we continued west to the end of the road and had a look around the lighthouse at the end of the headland – the most westerly point on mainland Britain. The sun was shining by this point, giving great views over the sea to the islands, and we enjoyed an ice cream at the café before starting the drive back to Glen Nevis. We passed through a pretty torrential rainstorm on the way from Acharacle to Lochailort though! In the evening, we didn’t feel like cooking in the rain so went out for a curry in Fort William, then back to the pub for hot chocolates.
Ashleigh departed home on Wednesday morning, and I also packed up camp ready to set off on a one-night backpacking expedition from Glen Elchaig over a few new Grahams and Munro Tops. After a quick stop at Morrison’s to buy provisions, a couple of hours’ drive brought me to my starting point at the head of the road at Camas-luinie to set off walking just before noon.
My first objective was Carnan Cruithneachd, a steep and rocky Graham on the south side of the valley. Rather than follow the track up and then have to ford the wide river, I followed the south bank of the river right up as far as the Allt Ban an Li-ruighe, and was surprised to find a fair path even beyond the house at Coille-righ – a good choice! Once easily across that tributary stream, I struck diagonally uphill to pick up the stalkers’ path making a rising traverse around the west of the hill – clearly very little used but easily visible on the ground and still a good aid to progress. There were good views back down the valley.
The final approach to the summit was pathless but fairly easy over short heather, with attractive crags to weave through. The summit itself gave excellent views in all directions, and I could see most of the ground I would cover on the remainder of my expedition over the Munros of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and An Socach.
After a late lunch, I continued by dropping southeast over the moorland to reach the path over Bealach na Sroine, which I followed down to the Abhainn Gaorsaic above the Falls of Glomach. Sadly I didn’t get any views of the falls this time, and I didn’t fancy a detour with already a strenuous route planned. It wasn’t tricky to cross the river above its confluence with the Allt Coire-lochain, after which it was a fairly steep and tiring climb up grass onto the ridge of Creag nan Clachan Geala. I followed the ridge all the way up to my next objective, the West Top of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan (a new Munro Top for me), enjoying the views into Kintail.
By the time I’d made the pleasant traverse over to the Munro summit and back, it was around 6pm, and I still had a few miles and undulations to cover to reach my planned camp, but the evening was brightening and of course there were many hours of daylight still available so that didn’t matter.
The ridge north included three more new Munro Tops: Stuc Bheag, Stuc Mor and Stuc Fraoch Choire, offering good views over Coire Lochan and Loch a’ Fhraoich-choire as well as back up to the Munro. A localised shower passed over An Socach but thankfully missed me by some distance! I continued over the lower tops of Creag Ghlas and Sgurr na h-Eide before dropping down fairly steeply to camp near the summit of the pass past Loch an Droma – a very secluded spot where I expected to see nobody all night and was not disappointed! There was some good soft, dry grass for camping, a good stream for obtaining water, and not many midges.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1926558
After a good night’s sleep, I was up fairly early the next day and all packed up by 7:40am. It was only a short climb north to my next objective, the Graham, Carn na Breabaig – not a dramatic hill but a good viewpoint over Glen Elchaig and Loch Mullardoch in particular.
As the weather was sunny and calm, I decided to take the longer option and walk up to An Socach rather than traversing its slopes. Some hints of path made the going easier on the fairly long ascent, and the effort was rewarded by more excellent views in all directions, including of Skye and Torridon in the distance.
A large descent and small re-ascent brought me to my final hill of the expedition, An Cruachan, which must be one of the remotest Grahams. It’s a great wild viewpoint over Loch Monar and the bigger hills beyond, particularly in the sunshine I was enjoying that day.
That just left the long walk back out through the valley, gently uphill initially to Loch Mhoicean in the saddle. As I descended to Iron Lodge, I was surprised that another walker dropped onto the path from the slopes of the Corbett, Aonach Buidhe. He had cycled most of the way in and stashed his bike at the lodge. For me, it was an easy but long-feeling 12km of track walking all the way back to Camas-luinie.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1926564
Back at the car, I drove the short distance down the glen to Ardelve, where I set up camp for the night before heading off to nearby Drumbuie to catch up with Amy for an hour or so, as she hadn’t been able to find childcare to enable her to attend my Corbett completion. I picked up a take-away pizza for dinner on my way back to camp on what became a disappointingly damp evening!
Friday was the final day of my trip. I packed up promptly as I wanted to fit in a short walk as well as the long drive home. The beautiful morning merited a short pause at Morvich to take a photograph over the loch.
About 90 minutes later I was back at Fort William, and a few minutes more brought me to Inchree, just near the Corran Ferry. My objective was the Graham, Beinn na Gucaig, which was an easy walk up and down the gentle southwest ridge, surprisingly featuring a small path most of the way! There were more good sunny views over Loch Linnhe and towards Glen Coe.
Route map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1927815
The drive home went smoothly, stopping for a break and dinner at Ruth’s house and reaching Hilton by 9pm. All set for a weekend of brass banding to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!
In conclusion, a super week in the Highlands with lots of the good weather that I associate with Spring Bank Holiday trips but cannot be relied upon! It was great to reach the end of my Corbett project with a dramatic walk up a fitting final hill with a good group of friends, even if most of my formerly-regular hillwalking companions aren’t available for such things at the moment thanks to having young children to entertain! Looking to the future, ticking off six Munro Tops in the week leaves me with only four left (all scrambles: three on Skye and one on Liathach), and four new Grahams takes me to 60 in total. I guess the Grahams will be my main Scottish project for the next ten years or so!
My full photo album can be enjoyed here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CXbkv6EyRFDwCQzW7
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