Saturday May 20th
Sgurr Dhomhnuill
Day 2 of our short stay in Ardgour dawned a bit grey. It's not that
often you can do a great hill walk directly from the door of your
bunkhouse, but the Ariundle Bunkhouse is right at the start of a
superb walk to Dhomhnuill, which begins in the beautiful Ariundle oak
woods. According to the rubric on the notice boards, these are
preserved thanks to the coppiceing practiced by miners and charcoal
burners down the years. It makes a great start to a rough and remote
walk, to stroll through the newly green Oak groves, with everything
under the canopy seemingly smothered by vibrant moss and lichens,
accompanied by woodland birdsong.
We took the ridge of Druim Leac a'Sgiathain which is gained by a steep
path out of the upper Strontian glen which ascends past waterfalls of
the Allt Feith Dhomhnuill. (Note the FB shown on the explorer map has
fallen into the stream, but crossing was not a problem - might be
after heavy rain) The ridge of ascent was complex and knobbly - much
as we expected from previous day's exertions on Garbh Bheinn. Cloud
gradually lowered as we ascended, and although there was brightness
over Mull and out to the isles, our summit gained a topping of mist.
We were hoping to make the summit before the mist got too persistent,
so we by-passed Sgurr na h-Ighinn, and headed straight for the highest
point in Ardgour. A steep climb leads to the cone-like summit over a
slight intermediate spur. Cool wind and mist kept us from lingering
too long. On a bearing, we headed hesitantly NW towards the Ghlas
Bhealach, and were glad of a gradual lifting of the cloud to reassure
us that we weren't plunging over a precipice! As it was, the descent
is quite tricky enough, with route finding round and through steep
crags.
Climbing the broad, craggy, 803m unnamed dome to the NW of Dhomhnuill
proved a good move, as the clouds were rapidly breaking, and sunshine
emerging - giving superb views to Rum, Eigg, Ben Resipol, and the
improbable southern end of Loch Shiel which twist and turns to almost
meet the western sea. Could this really be the same loch which laps
around the Bonnie Prince Charlie monument at Glenfinnan? It seemed a
world away!
The rugged, high level ridge gives way after about 1.5km to the broad
and boggy looking Druim Garbh, and we decided to descend before the
slope break, to the south into the glen of the Allt Feith Dhomhnuill,
and head for mine spoil heaps and the upper track back into the oak
forests, and to the long trudge back to Ariundle. Superb, limpid
evening light enlivened the walk and the woods could not have looked
better - a huge contrast to the bleak upper glens.
Another rather cramped cook-up at Ariundle Bunkhouse, where a party of
"mature" walkers from Edinburgh entertained us with tales of derring
do on the Munros and in the Bothies over their walking years. Respect
to Helen, who completed her Munros having started them when she was
past 50! Hope for us yet? Well... easier if you live in Edinburgh I
guess!
Sunday May 21st
Creise and Meall a Bhuiridh
A superb morning in Ardgour had us somewhat reluctant to leave, but we
were due back in Manchester by the evening, so the plan was to do the
two Munros above the Glencoe ski slopes. Sunlight and blue water at
Corran Ferry, and hearing about how the rain was STILL falling in
England, had us appreciating our luck even more.
We were quickly at Blackrock Cottage, and threading our way swampily
across the sponge-like moor around the foot of Creag Dubh, and across
the wide glen of the Allt Cam Ghlinne. The weather looked set fair,
and the cold northerly wind had produced superb visibility. Sron na
Creise was our aim, and we tackled the long pull up to the skyline
with anticipation, then turned almost due south to ascend the steep
"nose". The first 2/3 perhaps, is steep grass and scree - not exactly
confidence building, but once the rock is reached for the last few
hundred feet, the scrambling is easy and enjoyable, and any sense of
exposure is minimal unless you seek out more precipitous sections.
Having said that, the situation is excellent, with wide vies over Glen
Etive, and over the Aonach Eagach to Ben Nevis and the Mamores.
MWIS gave a 60% chance of cloud-free high Lochaber summits, 90%
elsewhere. In the event, The Ben was cloud free all day, and blessed
were any who decided to tackle it on Sunday 21st... they would have
seen all you could possibly see from the Ben that day!
We were soon at the top of the scrambling section, and pulling up the
last slopes to Stob a Ghlais Choire, then a longer slog up on to
Creise itself. Rannoch Moor, Schiehallion (of course!) the Easains,
Meaghaidh, the Cairngorms, the Grey Corries, the Aonachs, the Ben, and
a multiplicity of NW peaks were jumbled around the horizon for a
visual feast. A view stretching from the Skye Cuillin to the Arran
mountains!
After all that, the traverse steeply down and then up to Bhuiridh, and
the descent through the ski areas, could only have been something of
an anticlimax, but with the satisfaction that the hail and sleet
showers that had obviously plagued the Orchy and Crianlarich hills to
the south of us managed to stay there.
Then just the long drive home to Manchester - wet from Loch Lomond
right through to home, with some cloudbursts that made us think just
what WOULD you do if that happened to you on the hill......
Paul
Leigh
Lancs