[Trip Index] [Munro Index] [Home] 13th May 2007   Sgurr Choinnich Sgurr a Chaorachain Maoile Lunndaidh Map It was a cool and cloudy day but dry and the tops were looking mostly clear. From our holiday cottage in Garve I drove along to the start point for these three hills, a car park at the tiny hamlet of Craig on the A890. I actually drove past it a couple of times as it wasn't very noticeable, not to me anyway, for Craig is only a couple of buildings and has no obvious name sign in place. Anyway I did find it in the end, got kitted up and set off on the bike at 9.07. The track to the hills Cameron McNeish describes this track as 'an excellent forestry road' and adds 'I would strongly advise the use of a mountain bike for access to these hills'. Fair enough. A more complete description, however, might include something about the number of contour lines you have to ride over on the way. Personally by the time I reached the deer fence, about 2 miles in, I'd had enough. My heart rate must have been approaching 200, my lungs were blowing flat out and my temperature was enough to roast an ox let alone fry an egg. I dumped the bike by the fence, after pushing it for the last couple of hundred yards, and carried on on foot - it was easier and just about as quick. At least I'd have a couple of miles of easy freewheeling on the way back. First sight of Sgurr Choinnich River crossing After leaving the bike I ambled along the cart track for another mile and a half and then turned off where the river bends to the east and can be crossed via a rather insubstantial 2-strand wire bridge. One strand is to stand on and one strand to hold. All a bit wobbly and I took it very slowly and smoothly, leaning forwards against the top wire and trying to avoid starting any oscillations. I was soon across though and followed a decent path by the Allt Leathad an Tebhair for 1 ½ miles right up to the Bealach Bhearnais (11.10) , a distinctive platform at the junction of three glens. It's at about the 2000 foot level. From the bealach I turned east towards Sgurr Choinnich and began a moderately steep climb, taking in some scrambly bits where hands were needed. Nothing difficult though. A couple of brief showers of hail fell as I climbed but they passed on for the time being. Having crested the main shoulder I got onto a rocky, fairly narrow ridge which had vertical cliffs on one side and extremely steep slopes on the other. A place to tread carefully as a fall on either side would have been very unpleasant. Five hundred yards further along I came to the small cairn which marks the summit (12.25) Sgurr Choinnich with Sgurr a Chaorachain on the left The view from the summit cairn   After a brief pause I carried on and a straightforward descent and reascent, taking only 40 minutes, brought me to the summit of the next Munro, Sgurr a Chaorachain (13.10). It was very similar in aspect to the first one. By the trig point on Sgurr a Chaorachain I entered light cloud at this point and another hail shower reduced the visibility even further as I followed the compass down along the northern spur then east in order to loop round the far side of the lochan, Gaineamhach. As I lost height the mist began to clear and I saw that getting to the third summit was going to mean an awful lot of descent and reascent plus a good bit of horizontal slog. Briefly and rather spinelessly I wondered whether to just leave it for another day but the weather was holding and it would mean doing the long cycle/walk-in again if I backed out now. In the end I starched my upper lip, buckled down to it and pressed on. Maoile Lunndaidh looked quite formidable as I approached from the west but it turned out not so bad in practice. At least there was a well-trodden path most of the way, just about. The cloud closed in once again as I got onto the main ridge and then I had another bit of ascent to get past a subordinate hill called Carn nam Fiaclan. This latter peak leads on to a broad, fairly level grassy plateau, big enough for a game of cricket, and as I made my way across it snow began falling. I plodded on through the whiteness, following the compass, and finally arrived at the summit of Maoile Lunndaidh at 15.50. Snow falling on Maoile Lunndaidh It was cold, cloudy and snowy with very little to see so I didn't linger. I headed NW and once out of the cloud the snow stopped and I had a straightforward descent to the valley bottom. Here the ground was flat and boggy and a river lay between me and the track back. Waterfall on the way down I was pretty tired at this point and perhaps I wasn't thinking too logically. Whatever the reason, when I couldn't find a bridge over the River Meig, I decided that instead of scouting around for stepping stones or a shallow place to ford I'd attempt to run across the river so quickly that my feet wouldn't get wet. It doesn't work. On the other side of the river I sat and emptied water out of my boots, wrung my socks out and then set off on the long walk back to the bike. The track back Along the way I passed a few people - a couple with large packs who were camping out there, and a bunch of 7 or 8 14 year-olds who were in the couple's care. Further on I was passed by a couple of 40+ year old blokes on bikes - obviously more determined bikers than me. I arrived back at the bike around 6.50 and then had a fast and bumpy ride back to the car, braking every few seconds to avoid going too fast over the humps, holes and loose stones of the track. Back at the car 7.00.