September 2004

Saturday 25 September

Inverness Airport, 1315

I’ve had a phone call on my mobile from Ben telling me he’ll be about 15 minutes late for our rendezvous. He’s bringing the North-West Frontiers Transit van down from Ullapool to Fort William, and is diverting via the airport to pick me up. This will save me a wait in Inverness and a two-hour bus ride which would get me to Fort William an hour after the scheduled meeting time for the rest of the group. Ben is the same leader I walked with last year.

Fort William B&B, 1620

We arrived here about half an hour ago – the Rhu Mhor Guest House. It’s an old house in its own garden and grounds on the hillside above the town centre, and is run by Ian who was wearing a kilt when he came out to greet the two of us. I’ve got a pleasant single room, and have just unpacked a few things. The whole group is due to meet here at 7 o’clock, but meanwhile I’m heading down into the town to have a look round the shops and get a cup of tea in Nevisport. We’re going to eat together this evening, though I’m not sure where – the choice in Fort William on a Saturday night isn’t that great!

Fort William B&B, 2220

I met the others as planned: Jim and Bob are friends from near Northampton; Andy from Oldham; American Chris from South Carolina; Matt, another American from Washington DC; Eileen and her sister Morag have driven from Stirling. We’ve all got on fine during the evening. We ended up at the Alexandra – no space in Nevisport for us all to sit together. This is my
second trip with North-West Frontiers and this time we’re planning to make our way up the north-west of Scotland from Fort William to Ullapool, taking in six of the classic Scottish ridges on the way. If all goes well we’ll be doing

• Carn Mor Dearg arète on Ben Nevis
• Aonach Eagach (Glencoe)
• Forcan Ridge on The Saddle (Glen Shiel)
• Coire Dhorrcail circuit on Ladhar Bheinn (Knoydart)
• Liathach (Torridon)
• An Teallach (Dundonell)

The weather forecast’s not good for the next few days though, so we may have to rethink.

Carn Mor Dearg

Sunday 26 September

Carn Mor Dearg. Total ascent: 1080m Distance: 14km

Fort William B&B, 0840

We’re due off in a few minutes, and it’s a grey drizzly morning. It’s been a bit of a rush, because Ian (still kilted) hasn’t adopted the breakfast buffet and takes individual orders from everyone. “Would you like orange juice?” “Would you like porridge?” “Would you like bacon and egg?” “How many eggs?” “Would you like them fried, scrambled or poached?” “Would you like mushrooms?” “Would you like baked beans?” and so on. Then on to the next person. He’s a talking menu. Anyway, we’re off up Glen Nevis to climb Carn Mor Dearg and the ridge onto Ben Nevis.

Steall ruins, Glen Nevis, 1525

I don’t remember ever being wetter on the hill! We parked at the top end of Glen Nevis, walked in to Steall, then turned north up the Allt Coire Giubhsachan glen. The path was boggy enough, but the two level sections were worse. It started to rain as we paused at the top of the first uphill section, and it continued without a break. We reached the col between Carn Mor Dearg and Aonach Mor and turned west up the ridge into the mist. By then the magic water-pumping system of my Paramo jacket and trousers had been overwhelmed by the volume of rain falling on them, and I felt the first trickle of water down my sleeve and trouser leg. As we toiled up the ridge the wind increased, with gusts strong enough to make us hit the ground until the blast subsided.

Finally at the summit of Carn Mor Dearg, a quick discussion about the arète onto Ben Nevis. Rain, mist, increasing winds and the common misery of being soaked meant only one outcome: down, and as quickly as possible. We reversed the route, which was considerably wetter than earlier as the hours of rain on waterlogged ground ran off into the streams pouring into the glen. Matt and I found ourselves well ahead of the others and we’ve been waiting here for about ten minutes. Matt’s been attending to his blistered feet. Ironically the rain finally stopped about 20 minutes ago, and while we’ve been here we’ve even had a fleeting glimpse of the sun. My Paramo gear is drying out.

Fort William B&B, 2220

All down safely – back to the B&B for showers and dry clothes – met in Nevisport at 1900 and ate there. My notebook has become a solid wad of wet paper but Matt’s problem’s worse – his money has gone the same way. He’s got each note spread out on his bed to dry. Ben’s worried about taking 8 people along Aonach Eagach in the wet tomorrow.

Forcan Ridge, The Saddle

Monday 27 September

Sgurr na Forcan, E Top, The Saddle, Trig Point Total ascent: 1100m Distance: 9.5km
Time: 6h50′

Bealach north of Meallan Odhar, 1140

I’ve gained a few minutes here by charging up the good well-graded stalkers’ path ahead of the others. Ben decided we wouldn’t do Aonach Eagach, and we shopped for food in Fort William before driving to Glen Shiel. We’ve left the van by the side of the road. I can see the first bit of the Forcan ridge, but higher up it’s in mist. It’s just started raining.

Old School Lodge, Dornie, 2245

A second day of rain and mist, though not quite as wet as yesterday. The Forcan Ridge is an easy scramble, and the wet conditions didn’t really make much difference. It’s possible to avoid almost all the scrambling by taking paths below the ridge line, but everyone opted for at least some of Ben’s “sporting routes”. There was one move which called for an inelegant rock-hugging grovel, and another involving a trouser-ripping à cheval shuffle along a metre or two of razor-edged rock (all the while looking at the quite reasonable path only a few metres below). Ben had produced a rope by this point, for which Eileen was grateful. The scrambly part of the ridge ends at Sgurr na Forcan, after which the route continues over the East Top to the summit of The Saddle. Two hundred metres further is the alternative Trig Point summit, officially lower though given the same height in the SMC’s Munro tables.

From the trig point we headed down to join a path which contours Coire Mhalagain and meets the ascent route at the foot of the Forcan Ridge. Chris took an uncomfortable fall on a bouldery bit of this path, pulling a ligament in his knee and adding to the discomfort he was already suffering from a sore toe and bruised toe-nail. I kept him company on the path back to the van while the others went on – Eileen and Morag drove themselves and two others to Dornie for showers and dry clothes.

We’re staying at The Old School Lodge in Dornie, a self-catering guest house. We ate in the Dornie Hotel (good choice of menu, including the possibly unique offering of Trio of Black Pudding and Haggis”, but no venison, despite it being the deer-stalking season). Long discussion with republican Matt after dinner over the merits of George W Bush’s foreign and domestic policies and the coming US election. We have the prospect of Ben cooking breakfast for us tomorrow.

Ladhar Bheinn, Knoydart

Tuesday 28 September

Ladhar Bheinn, Stob a’ Choire Odhair Total ascent: 1220m Distance: 13.5km Time: 7h35′

Old School Lodge, Dornie, 0840

Yet another of Ben’s talents revealed! He’s produced orange juice, porridge, toast, tea, coffee, and for those who wanted, quantities of bacon and eggs (fried, boiled or scrambled). Wet gear has mostly dried, though our boots are still very damp. We’re leaving in a few minutes to drive to Arnisdale, where we’re getting a boat (“It’s new, made entirely out of tin”, says Ben, “with a 75 horsepower outboard motor.”) over to Knoydart. His friend Murray owns and drives it.

Arnisdale, 1005

It’s taken the best part of an hour to drive here. I’ve never been further down this road than than Glenelg (the only palindromic place-name in Scotland?) before. Ben played his Joni Mitchell tape and regaled us with fencing stories. That’s posts and wire, not foil and epée. He does it to make money when he’s not leading.

For “tin” read “aluminium”. No concessions to comfort or luxury on Murray’s boat – it’s designed exclusively for function. Murray himself sports industrial grade orange waterproofs and a Beckham beanie.

Chris isn’t coming with us: he’s decided his knee injury and sore foot need a day’s rest. Ben’s arranged for Murray to come back for him after he’s dropped us and take him to a remote point on the Knoydart shore where there’s a rudimentary shelter with cooking facilities. Chris plans to spend the day writing and taking photos (he’s a journalist, among other things) until Murray picks him up again. Matt, on the other hand, has swathed his raw feet in yards of sports strapping tape and is determined to keep going. He produced an enormous sausage of stuff wrapped in cling-film from his rucksack
and left it in the van – “Dry clothes!”, he announced proudly, “I’m learning!”

Barrisdale Bothy, 1100

Murray dropped us at the entrance to Barrisdale Bay, about 1.5km from here. They’ve installed electricity since I was last here in 1996, but the green caravan which Doug and I stayed in next to the bothy has gone. It’s not raining but the hills are covered in mist.

A large rock in Gleann Coire Dhorrcaill, 1240

Sodden bracken! That’s what we’ve been walking through. The stalkers’ path from Barrisdale into this glen squelches across the flat land by the shore then heads up in zigzags through bracken, always waist high, sometimes up to our chests. Fooled by the “dry” weather (it’s not raining) no-one had put on waterproofs, so we’ve been drenched. My trousers have been wringing wet for the best part of an hour. Those stalkers must be having a good laugh – as soon as their path emerges from a patch of bracken into the open it zigs or zags straight back into the bracken again. And it’s a bog underfoot too. Andy’s been experimenting with his zip-off trousers: at one time he had the waterlogged lower parts unzipped and wrapped round his ankles; another time I looked back and he had one leg zipped on and the other off. He’s hereafter to be known as Andy the Half-Trousered. We’ve stopped now for lunch.

Dornie, 1950

Back at last, half an hour ago. It’s been a long day. An emerging problem with this trip is that there’s no spare time – we were late getting back for Murray’s pick-up, then an hour back here, and now we’re meeting in the Dornie Hotel at 8 o’clock to get something to eat. Will try to write more later.

Dornie, 2310

Another good meal in the Hotel, but the venison on the menu was still “off”. Got a few things washed and hanging over the heated towel rail, and now ready for bed. Looking back over the rest of the day ——

Not my day for river crossings. Managed to fall in the first one, soaking myself up to the waist, just after I’d dried out from the bracken. Then on the way back, took off boots and socks to cross the Allt Coire Dhorrcail and managed to leave my right sorbothane insole on the far bank. Didn’t go back for it.

After the lunch stop, we carried on up the glen towards the head of the Coire, with ever-improving rock scenery, though the tops were still in cloud. Before getting into the coire bowl the path moves left up a steep slope (35 – 40 degrees) to make for the Bealach Coire Dhorrcail. The path was a wet grassy squelch all the way to the col. Everyone’s energy seemed low today, and it was well into the afternoon by the time we got there. Things improved as we went up the ridge – the mist cleared from time to time but never enough to give us any real views of Coire Dhorrcail or the rest of Knoydart. We did get a rainbow though, and some of the others saw a group brockenspectre. Matt and I, ahead at the time, missed it. At the Ladhar Bheinn summit, rugby-playing Matt declared himself a “Mean Munro-bagging Machine”. A quick break on the summit, then along the remaining section of the ridge to Stob a’ Choire Odhair before heading down.

By now Ben was getting worried about the time – we were due at our boat pick-up by 1730. Our route followed the meandering ridge (“purposeless”, I ubbed it) of Druim a’ Choire Odhair before we dropped down to the bottom of the glen. Ben decided to go on ahead so he could warn Murray we’d be a bit late. Following, we got down – and back into the boggy ground – crossed the river (losing my insole), and retraced our morning’s path until we could follow the river down to its mouth at Inbhir Dhorrcail. Warned by Ben, we’d put on waterproofs before leaving the path and made our way for a kilometre and a half through long soaking grass, brush and scrub down to the shore where Murray and Ben were waiting with the boat. Despite the terrain we were only 20 minutes late.

Back in Arnisdale we met up with Chris, who’d had a much less eventful day but was pleased to have got some photographs and writing done. Then more Joni Mitchell on the drive back to Dornie.

A’ Ghlas Bheinn, Inverinate

Wednesday 29 September

A’ Ghlas-bheinn Total ascent: 960m Distance: 10km Time: 5h20′

Dornie, 0845

As we’ve got a day in hand, and yesterday being long and tiring, we’re going for an easy day today. I’ve climbed A’ Ghlas Bheinn before, with Jonathan in 1992.

Dornie, 1715

A good day, and back early! Not much to say about the walk – we left the van at the parking in the Country Park where the track goes off to the Falls of Glomach, crossed the bridge, and followed the good dry path up Gleann Choinneachan to the Bealach an Sgairne. For a change the weather was dry and clear, so we had good views down into the upper reaches of Glen Affric. Then on a good path up the bumpy ridge with its many false summits, to the summit of A’ Ghlas Bheinn. Down the other side, leaving the path and opting for more bog instead, heading cross-country roughly WNW to the bridge on the edge of the forest at GR984238 and the track back to the van. No waterproofs all day!

We’ve had time for more conversation today. There seems to be a Grumpy Old Men’s Club forming, with Jim and myself as founder members. (Jim, on my mentioning earlier in the week that England had lost to the West Indies in the final of a cricket competition: “Is that some kind of sport-related thing?”) Bob is an honorary member, but is far too nice to be a real grump. We’re monitoring Ben’s performance for when we fill in our feedback questionnaires. This includes his “professionalism” and “enthusiasm” as well as his standard of driving. He’s also supposed to tell us about local culture, fauna and flora, and so on. We’re not sure whether tales of fence- and shed-building count as culture, but are prepared to concede that stories of excessive drinking in isolated Scottish communities earn a tick in the box.

Dornie, 2310

Into the Dornie Hotel early this evening. Morag and Eileen already there with their standard order of a gin and slimline tonic and a rum and coke. Still no venison. Chris as usual last to arrive and first to leave. Matt, Andy and I finished the evening playing pool, with honours even at the end: Matt beat me, Andy beat Matt, I beat Andy. I’ve packed as much as I can ready for moving on to Ullapool tomorrow.

Liathach, Torridon

Thursday 30 September

Liathach –Stob a’ Choir Leith Mhor, Spidean a’ Choire Leith, Mullach an Rathain Total ascent: 1400m Distance: 9.5km Time: 6h45′

In the van en route Torridon – Ullapool, 1820

A gruelling day! Very wet – again. No chance to write anything earlier, and not the best time now. Suggested to Chris at the beginning of the week that “An Odyssey in Shades of Grey” would make a good subtitle for an illustrated article about this trip: Liathach, “The Grey One”, has played its part well. Although the five of us who set out this morning (Matt, Morag, Jim, me, and Ben) achieved our traverse of this fine mountain, grey has been all we’ve seen. Emotions a mixture of satisfaction to have climbed it but disappointment that what could have been a splendid day in better conditions became just another tick on the list.

Riverside Hotel, Ullapool, 2310

It’s all been rushing about. We didn’t get here until well after 7, and after standing around hugging piles of wet clothing in Reception got checked in about 7.30. We agreed to meet in the Argyll Hotel at 8.15, late by local eating standards. My room here’s not en-suite and someone was in the bathroom, so by he time I’d sorted my stuff out it was time to go back out. Got back about forty minutes ago and have just had a HOT BATH. Wonderful!

What of the day? Well, in summary – – Waterproofs on in the car park at the start of the Coire Dubh Mor track. Everyone set off, but after the first kilometre when the route for the east end of Liathach leaves the path, debated whether to go for it or do something else. Eventually four takers – me, Jim, Morag and Matt, plus Ben. The others decided to stay low, and did the walk into Coire Dubh.

Sandstone slabs with slippery lichen and interspersed with heather slope up to the foot of a rough zig-zag path climbing very steeply to the shoulder of Stuc a’ Choire Duibh Bhig. This felt like the longest/steepest sustained ascent I’ve done in Scotland. Then easier gradients over intervening tops with quartzite blocks at higher levels leading over Stob a’ Choir Leith Mhor to finally reach the main summit at Spidean a’ Choire Leith. The guidebooks warn of the difficulties of finding the way off the conical peak of the main summit: Ben fell into the trap, landing us with a half-hour traverse over loose blocks of quartzite before we picked up the ridge towards Am Fasarinen. Opted out of the Fasarinen pinnacles and took the narrow path which by-passes them on the S side of the ridge. Exposed in places, but we couldn’t see down anyway. More undulations, and finally the second summit Mullach an Rathain, which must be the hardest-won Munro yet. Descent first over loose scree then the inevitable boggy path, getting back to the road towards dusk (the others had driven the van back to collect us). Complete change into dry clothes at the roadside, then long drive to Ullapool and the Riverside Hotel.

The Argyll for dinner was Ben’s suggestion, and seems a good choice. There was even venison – medallions, casserole, or sausages. Marco and Judith (of North-West Frontiers, based in Ullapool) arrived during the evening and listened patiently to our stories of the week so far. There was talk of tomorrow, which is scheduled to be An Teallach, but the forecast is threatening and it’s a more serious day than today, especially with a larger group. We’ve put the final decision off to tomorrow.

Suilven, Assynt

Friday 1 October

Suilven Total ascent: 1030m Distance: 18km ime: 7h20′

Riverside Hotel, Ullapool, 0755

Still feeling a bit disappointed about Liathach yesterday. We neither saw the mountain itself dominating the views from Torridon, nor the awe-inspiring scenery along the ridge which features in the guidebooks and makes it one of the top objectives for mountain-goers in Scotland. I can’t help feeling I’m going to have to come back and climb it again in better conditions.

Eileen said we all looked as grey as the mountain weather when we got back to the van yesterday.

Ullapool, 0905

The weather looks fine today – blue skies when we were down for breakfast, but tell-tale lenticular clouds warn of the approaching storm and gale-force winds which are forecast for later in the day. Ben hasn’t arrived yet but I somehow think we won’t be heading for An Teallach.

Suileag Bothy, 1130

We’re on the walk-in to Suilven, the mountain that dominates the area around Lochinver. It looks like a sugar-loaf dome when you see it end-on from the coast, and a long ridge rising out of the surrounding flat landscape when viewed from the side. At 731m (2400 feet) its highest point, the top of Caisteal Liath, the Grey Castle, doesn’t even reach Corbett status, but I’m really glad to be on the way to climb it: in 1988 we spent a week’s family holiday staying just outside Lochinver, and I always felt it would be great to stand on top of Suilven’s astonishing dome. Now’s my chance.

It takes about 45 minutes to get to Lochinver from Ullapool. We’ve parked the van at the parking place about 800m from the end of the road leading to Glencanisp Lodge, and walked from there along a good DRY 4-wheel-driveable rack, turning off to stop in this fine bothy for elevenses. The sky’s more cloudy now, but the storm hasn’t arrived yet and it doesn’t look like we’ll get any rain at least for the next few hours.

Parking place near Glencanisp Lodge, 1700

We’ve had an excellent day – no rain, and dry underfoot apart from one boggy section between the access track and the foot of the climb up to the col on Suilven’s ridge.

The short climb up to the col looks dauntingly steep from a distance, but as you get closer the perspective changes and a stony path becomes visible. We took it fairly slowly up to the col, with me bringing up the rear. Two red deer stood close to the path above us and only moved when the front people were about 30 metres from them.

From the col it was an easy walk to the top, a surprisingly wide and flattish area of short grass. The 180-degree views were splendid. A small cairn about 100m west marks another viewpoint which gives views down onto Lochinver and the near coast. The grass continues deceptively downwards at an easy, but steepening, gradient – you could easily lose quite a bit of height here and suddenly find yourself on the edge of a vertical drop. Sprawled on the grass we realised the wind had strengthened, and when we stood up to go we were hit by a strong cold blast which sent us hurrying back to the col and the shelter of the lee side of the ridge. Andy and Bob were keen to go to the other top, eastward along the ridge, so they and Ben left their rucksacks and “ran” along the ridge. The rest of us picked our way back down the way we’d come up and retraced our approach route back to the driveable track, past the turn for the bothy, and eventually by Glencanisp Lodge to get back here to the van about 10 minutes ago. We’ve taken bets on when the others will get here – guesses vary from 1720 to as late as 1800.

Chris hasn’t been with us today: he wanted to get someone medically qualified to look at his damaged toe. He’s also got all his clothes in one bag small enough to go as airline cabin baggage, and is heading for Switzerland tomorrow so needs to get to a launderette. Marco’s offered to meet up with him late morning and take him on a car ride to see the Assynt scenery.

Ullapool, 2340

Chris has had a good day – treatment on his toe, clean laundry and a “Wow!”-inspiring trip with Marco. They made it to Lochinver and our parked van, as well as some places on the coast.

Had a good fun final night in the Argyll. We’d finished our meal by about 8.45 and moved tables to stay around for the promised live music, The Goodges, a husband-and-wife duo whose flyer promised a mix of music from the 70’s onwards. Despite not delivering any of the Pink Floyd their poster promised, they were surprisingly good and entertaining. They even got Ben dancing! A few beers and malts were drunk, Marco and Judith turned up and bought a round, and we finally left when the music finished at 11.00. All
that’s left is to pack. We have to leave soon after 9.00 tomorrow as Andy has an early train to catch from Inverness.

Saturday 2 October

Departure Lounge, Inverness Airport, 1045

And so it’s over. Chris has gone to board his Easyjet flight, Jim and Bob are spending the day in Inverness before their flight later this afternoon, and my BMI flight goes in about two and a half hours. Andy’s on the train, Matt’s on his way to Edinburgh, and Morag and Eileen will be heading back in their car. We’ve said our farewells and “See you on the hill”s. It’s been a shame about the weather this week – no Aonach Eagach, no Carn Mor Dearg arète, no An Teallach – but I don’t think we could have done anything more or better in the circumstances. The itinerary is demanding on time, and I would have been glad for a bit more slack in the schedule. It’s been a good group though, and I’ve enjoyed the companionship on the hills. Now, what about 2005 . . .?