Above: Looking across Loch a'Chlaidheimh (Maoile Lundaidh) towards Bac an Eich (left) an An Sidhean (right). The western end of the Strathfarrar Munros can be seen beyond and to the left of An Sidhean.
An Sidhean, Maoile Lunndaidh and Sgurr a'Chaorachain
MunrosSgurr a'Chaorachain 1053m
Maoile Lunndaidh 1007m |
CorbetsAn Sidhean 814m
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GrahamsNone
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BothiesNone
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Distance/AscentDay 1 20km 1570m
Day 2 18km 951m |
Estimated timeDay 1 9:00
Day 2 7:30 |
NotesI plan to do these clockwise, contrary to what the title may suggest. 23km bike ride to the start of the route. The locked gate is about 500m up the Strathfarrar road with a large car park on the left.
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Start
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For information about Culligran cottages in the area Strathfarrar, click here.
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29/30 July 2015
This was a tougher expedition than expected. Maybe I am just getting old. Cycling the 23km with a big pack on my back was hard enough, before the undulating (but extremely pleasant) walk up the side of Loch Monar and eventually up the fine ridge to the equally splendid peak of Bidean an Eoin Deirg. Munros are determined by a subjective rating of their prominence rather than the strict 150m rule of the Corbetts and Grahams. In my view, Bidean an Eoin Deirg is a candidate for Munro status. This particularly seems the case when approaching it by its south-east ridge. This was narrower than I had expected and at one section, where wet slabs swept down on the south-west side. This gave an opportunity for some easy scrambling but any difficulties can be turned on the north-east side where the slopes are steep but broken.
The walk from Bidean an Eoin Deirg to its parent Munro, Sgùrr a' Chaorachain, was relatively straightforward and easy going, which is just as well as daylight was fading. I reached the summit at 21:35 and used the flash for the summit selfie.
The descent down Sgùrr a' Chaorachain's north ridge was not too steep and was reasonably gentle on my tired legs. Eventually, Lochan Gaineamhash came into view through the mist and I set about finding a reasonably dry pitch with a nearby source of running water. I would prefer no to use the standing water of the loch or its outflow. I pitched the tent in almost darkness. This was only my second time of putting up the tent, but one of its strong points is the ease of erection, though the guying system is a bit of a fiddle. Then cooking couscous with tuna washed down with Belgian hot chocolate. I had some difficulty starting the stove and ice formed on the outside of the gas cannister. Therefore, I stuck it in my sleeping bag so my stove could work more efficiently in the morning. I dropped off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, made from clothing and other stuff placed in a stuffsac. It was a cold night and I woke up in the dark cold hours. I did some rapid floor hip abduction exercises, at least, to the extent that I could within the confines of the bag. This generated enough heat to keep me warm until almost 08:00.
Thursday was forecast to be a fine day, but it was extremely cold and damp. slopes above were in a thick blanket of mist that was clearly going to take a couple of hours or more to clear.
Thursday was forecast to be a fine day, but it was extremely cold and damp. slopes above were in a thick blanket of mist that was clearly going to take a couple of hours or more to clear.
I was packed up and ready to go at around 09:30. By the time I had followed the outflow from the loch down to the bealach, the weather was beginning to clear and as I headed up the west ridge of Maoile Lunndaidh, the views revealed themselves: Fuar Thol, Sgorr Ruadh, Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgorr nan Lochain Uaine, Liathach and Beinn Eighe. The hill in the foreground is Sgurr nan Ceannaichean, which was a Munro when I climbed it in 1994 but it has since been demoted back to being a Corbett.
At around 870m, I met a man with a dog who was doing Maoile Lunndaidh, Sgurr a' Chaorachain and Sgurr Choinnich from Craig. A brief re-fuelling at Carn nam Fiaclan before I headed for the main top.
I headed down the north ridge and then east to Loch a' Chlaidheimh. Looking across the loch, I could clearly see the main objective of the trip, which was the Corbett An Sidhean.
There was a stalker's path up An Sidhean. Where the path faded, there were small cairns or a single rock placed on end or perched on top of a boulder - just enough to re-pick-up the path which continued most of the way to the top.
I followed an intermittent path down to Loch Monar. During the descent, The hills that most caught the eye were Lurg Mhor and Bidein a'Choire Sheasgaich.
I saw a fox down by the shoreline of Loch Monar. It struck me how effortlessly he seemed to run up the hillside at a pace that would put any fell-runner to shame. I continued back to the bike. I wanted to set up camp for the night but could not fine anywhere that was both flat and reasonably dry so I cycled down the glen for about four miles, where there are much drier meadows. I sensed that I was being followed by two men in a Range Rover. I wondered if it was their job to clear the glen at the end of the day. Eventually, they passed me and soon afterwards, I found a suitable place to camp. Next morning, talking to the gatekeeper, she said that they cannot stop people camping in the glen as long as they are not parking overnight. Those that are on foot or travelling by bike have a right to camp wherever they want. This is worth keeping in mind when tackling the four Munros on the north side of Glen Strathfarrar. There are certainly plenty of good places to camp in the middle section of the glen. It also offers an alternative approach to Carn nan Gobhar, Sgurr na Lapaich and An Riabhachan to the south.
Such adventures will need to wait another day.
Such adventures will need to wait another day.