After KRO's comments last week about "local Corbetts" and " 30 minute drive time " we headed further North this week. ;-)
We left Crieff at 6:30 and took the A9 North, Always encouraging when Drumochter has visibility of 30mtrs due to low cloud and mist and Slochd is difficult due to heavily falling snow, but we pressed on regardless and soon the skies were brighter over the Black Isle and as we turned along the Ullapool road the sun almost broke through ! Parked up at Braemore Junction 164 miles and 2.5 hours drive time and headed onto the hill at 9:15 am. The path is way marked from the stile so simply follow the yellow arrows upwards ( red arrows on the way down ) and the path soon leads to the North of Home Loch and joins a very good track. We then took the advice of the Corbett book for a more scenic approach and turned left to contour all the way round the hill in a clockwise direction. The views from this track are simply stunning. The Fannichs had their winter coats on and were looking very pointy and An Teallach was picture postcard with snow on the terraces giving a layered effect and the skies behind the mountain were dark although the sun was on the snow ~ simply beautiful and not a camera between us today ;-( We took the unmarked track into the corrie . This track was mainly under snow but easy to follow but we then decided to leave it and head straight up the edge of the corrie for some great scrambling on the frozen rock. This route brought us just on the wrong side of the gully for the zig zag track upwards so once more we just took the boulder field head on and had a very good scramble over rock, snow and ice. All too soon the summit was reached about 2.5 hours after leaving the car. The views now included Beinn Dearg and super views of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven. After a short break we just took the direct descent towards Home Loch, picked up the early part of the ascent route and were back at Braemore Junction just before 1 pm. A short drive to the Aultguish for bacon rolls and a beer. ( much changed since my last visit ) and as KRO said now expensive at £6 for a bunk or £13.50 for Bunk and breakfast.
Thanks for that one. I remember doing it about ten years ago, but the waether was terrible, didn't see anything. A workmate was complaining about the Altguish the other day as they turned up with kids after a walk and were not allowed in unless they were having a meal. -- Muzz reply to muzz and not slash
"muzz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Thanks for that one. I remember doing it about ten years ago, but
the
Quoted message said:
waether was terrible, didn't see anything. A workmate was complaining about the Altguish the other day as they
turned
Quoted message said:
up with kids after a walk and were not allowed in unless they were
having a
Quoted message said:
meal.
Yep, the Aultguish is certainly different than it used to be. We used to regularly drop in when doing the northern Munros and at that time my son was anywhere between the ages of 10 and 15. We never had a problem, he was always welcome to have a cola while we had a beer. Even the atmosphere seemed different as in the evenings nearly every table would be occupied by walkers with os maps spread out and loads of banter, Where were you today ? Where you heading tomorrow ? etc etc. To be fair this was a late lunchtime visit and we were the only people in the bar but it does seem to have lost its character a bit. All the big sofa's and chairs that were behind the fireplace have now gone and been replaced by nice table and chairs set for dinner with wine glasses etc, Certainly not the Aultguish from 10 years ago
Nice to see you making an effort :-) Still, I'd love the luxury of a 6.30 departure, unfortunately that would place me smack in the middle of the morning rush in Glasgow! What put me off the Aultguish was the bar shutting when we were enjoying our pint (okay, it was twelve, but we were residents) and the breakfast time was fixed (which delayed our start). I wasn't as fed up as the Yorkshire chap sitting over for us who had another cup of tea with his breakfast and was charged another pound! To be fair, I think the couple in it now are relatively new to it, and may still be settling in, so there's hope there.
On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 09:22:33 +0000, muzz <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Thanks for that one. I remember doing it about ten years ago, but the waether was terrible, didn't see anything. A workmate was complaining about the Altguish the other day as they turned up with kids after a walk and were not allowed in unless they were having a meal.
After a few years abberation, when it was a great place, it seems that the Altguish has reverted to type.
A miserable sod in th Alltguish is a Highland tradition. I have had several unpleasant experiences there, like getting off a bus in a storm only to be told that the bunkhouse was closed for tonight only. Result a very tricky walk to Garve, once blown over. (I had skis so hitching was out)
"RJ Webb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
After a few years abberation, when it was a great place, it seems that the Altguish has reverted to type.
A miserable sod in th Alltguish is a Highland tradition.
QUOTE The (Wordsworths) were met by a harridan 'screaming in Erse' who could hardly spare time to show them their rooms. The place was as 'dirty as a house after a sale on a rainy day' and it was furnished so barely that it looked 'as if more than half the goods had been sold out'. It took a couple of hours to persuade the woman to light the fire, and supper consisted of 'a shoulder of mutton so hard that it was impossible to chew the little flesh that might be scraped off the bones, and some sorry soup of barley and water, for it had no other tase'. The bed sheets were soaking wet and had to be dried by the poor fire before the guests could go to bed. UNQUOTE
A description of the Wordsworths 1803 visit to the Kingshouse outside Glencoe, from "Walking the Scottish Highlands: General Wade's Military Roads" by Michael Pollard/Tom Ang.
