Beinn Liath Mhor & Sgorr Ruadh

(photos c/o That Rogers Character and Dr K.)

The long, undulating, three-topped summit ridge of Beinn Liath Mhor.

Liathach across Torridon

Can you spot me?

The big-round of the hills of the Coulin forest, high up between Loch's Torridon and Carron is a stunning, exhilarating and overwhelming experience; the kind of hill-day that stretches the superlatives to breaking point. Beginning at the roadside below Achnashellach station, a forestry track crosses the rails and climbs through the woods before a walkers path takes a sharp left prior to some deer fencing - this excellent stalkers path leads high into the corrie and has side paths which lead up to all the major ridges.

High in the corrie the path splits, on track to the left heads for the ridge between Sgorr Ruadh and Fuar Tholl (this was to be our descent path), while the right hand path lead to a seemingly impossible climb through the rocks and terraces of Beinn Laith Mhor's southern ridge. In practice a path weaves its way (albeit steeply) in and out of all the hazards and along the stunning ridge. This is one of the best ridge walks I have done - and were it not situated in the shadow of Torridon's mighty Alligin-Liathach-Eighe threesome, would have a reputation for being an absolute classic high-level round.

The views from the summit of Beinn Liath Mhor are more than words or camera can capture, but they live on, indelibly inscribed upon my memory. Now back at home I have spent several days clearing up after a child with a particularly florid tummy-bug. Happily, by simply closing my eyes and calling on my memory, within seconds I can be once again gazing from on high down the length of Upper Loch Torridon with the blazing sun glinting off Beinn Eighe's quartzite sides......... And that was only the view in one direction, Glen Shiel, Affric, Slioch were in sight, Fisherfield and of course countless hills to the south and east were all there, while to the North the distinctive spines of An Teallach sat on the skyline. Glorious days.

The trickiest part of this walk is the traverse of the ridge at the head of the corrie, punctuated as it is by a steep sided rocky knoll. A 'false path' misleadingly guides walkers descending Beinn Liath Mhor towards it, whereas a better descent comes by keeping to the northern edge of the ridge and looking for an eroded descent path. Once on the knoll, don't climb to its summit but look for a traverse path on it southern side - which again leads to a steep descent route down to the lochan and the main path to the bealach from Achnashellach station. From here it is an energetic but straightforward pull up and round to Sgorr Ruadh's airy summit cairn. My little camera was full-up, so I am relying on pictures from the other guys for this walk! They haven't sent me any from Sgorr Ruadh, but that is a tremendous peak, perched high on the ridge with especially good view of Maol Chean Dearg. Time prevented us from scampering up Fuar Tholl the stunning corbett that dominates the view from the A-road, so we picked our way through the hummocky terrain to the descent path - a fast and easy descent and wonderful conclusion to one of the best days I have ever had in the hills, a wonderful conclusion to our hillwalking holiday.