Date: 2nd January 2009
Distance: 16km
Climb: 1100m
Geoff Monk – he say NW highlands – so off we went.
The Coulin/Torridon/Flowerdale/Fisherfield chunk of Scotland is my favourite area – and we’ve had some fantastic holidays there. I’d fancied linking the Munro Beinn Liath Mhor with the Corbett Sgurr nan Lochan Uaine for a while – didn’t get great views from either in the past.
Parked up at the Ling Hut car park at 0800 – almost full although most cars had been there overnight.
Took the track past the Ling Hut through Coire a Cheud-chnoic – a hummocky moraine.
Pre-dawn – Stuc a Choire a Dhuibh Bhig had its scarf on as usual:
Lots of ice to dodge on the track but good progress.
Dawn hit Liathach and swept down the slopes:
Jealous of those ascending the S of Liathach – we were on the wrong side of the hills for the sun. An eagle was circling Mullach an Rathain.
Spidean a Choire Leith glowed in the dawn:
Hazel with Beinn Eighe behind:
This track eventually peters out a bit further S than the OS suggests.
Cross-country for a wee bit to reach the mouth of Coire Grandda – we had thought on heading through Coire Grandda but it had obviously been in the deep, deep-freeze so we simply headed due E for the wee lochan at NG 958 520.
From here we could see the summit cone of Beinn Liath Mhor:
Great views all round – here’s Beinn na h-Eaglaise and Beinn Damh with the Skye Trotternish behind (the Old Man of Storr was visible through the binoculars):
A quick last pull up over hoar-frosted quartzite and the summit was there. Stunning views.
Sgorr Ruadh, Maol Ceann Dearg and An Ruadh Stac:
Beinn Liath Mhor ridge with Strathconon across Craig hills as backdrop:
Liathach, Alligin, Loch Torridon and Trotternish:
Rather clear air – Ben Mor Assynt:
Careful descent on slidy rocks back to the above mentioned lochan, then N down to Lochan Uaine.
In some ways poor route selection for the day with a lot of the route in shadow, but the contrast between warm yellow sunshine and blue, dark deep-freeze was interesting.
Lochan Uaine is a set of tiered lochans. In particular the separation between the 2 big ones is quite a large fin of rock.
Lower Lochan Uaine in the freezer:
Warm looking Liathach out the freezer door:
2 inches of ice. Brown trout still swimming around. It was so cold the ice was dry and quite grippy. This gave me the willies:
Must be an age thing – remember running around with twenty or so others on Keptie Pond as a youngster.
Upper loch from the fin:
Circled the N side of the lochans to reach the SE ridge of Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine – sun again. Lots of ice ooze:
Simple walk to the summit. Last 100m is broken rock.
There had been an inversion extending our way from Wyvis all day.
When I were a Lad clouds did a decent day’s work oop in sky. Clouds these days lie around on the ground:
The views were great – glad to be here again.
Liathach, Loch Torridon and the Trotternish:
Liathach, Seana Mheallan and Coire a cheud-chnoic:
Beinn Eighe:
Loch Torridon:
A few ravens had been circling the summits. Love these birds – watch them flying upside-down and going “cronk-cronk” always catches my attention. 😀 One payed us (our lunch) a visit:
Raven and Liathach:
The line off Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine is just E of N then jink to the W at a flatter area. Some nice frost here:
The inversion was flowing our way:
Simple descent WNW towards the stalkers path. Sun dropping – Liathach and Seana Mheallan
Hit the stalkers path and turned for home. The inversion layer started creeping down Glen Torridon:
The mist flowed over us after sunset. Some nice effects in the moraines:
Back to the car about an hour after sunset.
Another great Torridon day.
Love linking the hills round here – the standard routes link the hills by list but there’s much more to try. Still got Fuar Tholl to do so hope to link this with Sgorr Ruadh this year.
What a great start to 2009.
Busy Doing Nothing 