Gairich

On the south side of Loch Quoich lies the wonderful mountain of Gairich. Last week we were on North side of the loch from where it looks irresistible - and so went back this weekend to have a crack it it!

There's plenty of parking around the Loch Quoich dam (spelt Loch Cuaich on many maps) and access to these hills from the dam itself, where a footpath leads over the great concrete wall. Once over the all, an obvious footpath leads southwards into the boggy margins of the loch. Every Muro I have left seems to have some obstacle of difficulty, and horrible reports of people wading through, or sinking into soggy peat hags has been the reason that I have never done this hill! In practice however, though it was very damp in places - at no opint was it impassible or even that difficult. Progress over the soggy-miles was slower than on the engineered paths through the Cairngorms, for example.

Although the path is soggy in places there is a least a path, which a forest where several paths meet - and from which one takes to the long East Ridge of Gairich. It clims steadily over several miles, with the steep cliffs of the summit looking ominously as they range into view ahead. As these cmoe closer it is hard to picture which way to go up, however when you get the foot of the final pull up, it becomes obvious. A path goes straight ahead, which zig-zags up the face, before turning in to a series of exposed terracesm and then a couple of srambles onto a surprisngly broad summit, from which the views are exhilirating. Knoydart, Dessary, South Glenshiel, and more!

The ascent took 2 and a half hours. The route back is the same as the way up but took slightly longer as it was wet and slippy in places. It's a wonderful drive in and out of the Glen too!

Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich

Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich is a wonderful, rocky mountain peak which towers over the waters of Loch Quoich in the western highlands. It is a hill which is perhaps underated because it sits in such a wonderful location, ringed by just as wonderful hills, some of which are more famous than it.

With Ben Nevis and hills around the Great Glen forming the backdrop to the S/E, and the magnificent Knoydart Sjyline outlined to the west beyond Sgurr na Ciche and Glen Dessary, Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich is situated amazingly and like all the hills around this area "one worth saving for a day wth a view".

Unusually neither my wife or I had any work, church or children comittments over the weekend and so legged it to the hills. It's a three hour drive up to the dam at Loch Quoich, but a great one on which the scenery seems to get more impressive in stages as the drive evolves, Drumochter, Loch Laggan, Loch Lochy, Loch Quoich. The view of the western mountains from beyond the Quoich Dam is stunning! 

Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich is accessed from a path which leaves the roadside a Km or so beyond the dam. It's easy to miss the starting opint which is marked by a metal post  but the path goes high onto the ridge and is worth finding. Google streetview is a great bonus in this regard, some frustrating attempts to find the right start point in hillwalks early in my hillkwalking days have largely been eliminated by a quick look online, so that I know exactly what I'm looking for when I arrive.

There are a few parking spots near the start of the path, but I expect that on a summer bank holiday these could fill up quickly. We managed to wedge in to the last available one, and take to the hill. The path ascends quickly, zig-zagging its way under some pylons and up the Bac nan Canaichean ridge to the summit of Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach. 

From Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach the true magnificence of Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich can be seen, as a gnarly rocky ridge leads along and up to it's fine summit. Traces of a mad dry-stone dyke follow some of the ridge, presumably built by the workers of some landowner trynig to keep sheep from wandering onto another estate. The ridge has some opportunities for scrambling, but also a by-passpath which misses all the obstacles. The hardest part of the wlk is the final pull upto the summit, either up the steep bouldery and grassy banks to the south of the ridge, or up a narrow ledge to the north.

The views are just awe-inspiring.

The walking books say that an awkward descent can be made southwards and the day into a circuit. However, despite it being mid-May temperatures were dropping fast when we summitted, and rain looked imminent - so we returned by way of Sgurr Coire nan Eiricheallach, a fast descent back down the track. The track is not a perfect navigationa guide by the way - it does peter out a few times, and so the walker should keep their wits about them and not just blindly plod on!

The views on the way doen the track, especially of Ben Nevis and Gairich were wonderful. The walkhighlands entry suggests 5-7 hours, (presumably for the circuit), but we did the direct there and back in 4 comfortably. 

I haven't been in the high hills with my wife for quite a while - so this was an especially good day out. Our daughter spent the day deep in revision for her Highers, and our son came back from Dundee that evening, having completed his degree work. Talsiker by the fire on a cold evening seemed a fitting way to end the day!

Carn Ealar & An Sgarsoch

These two bleak windswept, and rather remote Munros, lie to the South of the main Cairngorm mountain range, and are accessed from the Linn of Dee car park beyond Braemar. Parking is now £3/day there, and it's worth havnig change as the card facility wasn't working very well today.Somehow, despite countless days of walking in the Cairngorms National Park I have never been up these two before - almost certainly because of a little anxiety on my part about wading the Geldie Burn. While my wife walked across it last Summer and said it was no more than a trickle, there are plenty of reports of it becoming an impassable torrent, and the remains of the the washed-away bridge seem to confirm it's reputation!

The mountain-bikeable track west from Linn of Dee leaves the roadside by the lovely old stone bridge above the falls. It's the track I last cycled when heading in to climb Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mhor, although this time instead of continuing west at the White Bridge, I followed the track southwards, and only turned west once the Geldie Burn was reached. Progress was wretchedly slow as a persistently strong headwind impeded progress, happily the morning rain which had been forecast didn't offer much more than the feintest of drizzle.

The Linn of Dee carpark was incredibly busy - but most people must have been taking the Lairig Ghru track northwards, as the more southern tracks were very quiet. There were quite a few mountain bikes at Geldie Lodge, including E-bikes, (cheating!!) which I hadn't seen in the hills before.

Once the river was successfully forded, I dumped the bike in the ruins of the lodge and followed the track westwards. It climbs gently before dropping down to a boggy river where it ends. I picked my way towards the summit through the peat hags and stumbled upon a path again about half way up. Carl Ealar's summit is flat, bald and was incredibly windy!

An obvious line of descent and a feitn track indicate a sensible line of attack on the long slog up An Sgarsoch's western flanks. Again, paths appear and vanish, and when the summit plateau is reached, it is crowned by a momumental cairn!

There are several ways off the hill. I went North, then west, skirting the minor top of Sgarsoch Beag, before instersecting the approach path and returning to the bike at Geldie Lodge. If the headwind in the mornign had been tough - it turned into a very helpful wind-assisted exit from the hills in the afternoon; back along the buldozed track to Linn of Dee via the White Bridge.

It was great to explore some new areas today - but they are not the most exciting hills. The best thing about them was not seeing anyone much past Geldie Lodge, and having two Munros all to myself, with a real feeling of  remoteness and isolation. Despite the 26miles of walking and cycling, I managed to get home by 5:30 - not a bad day out!