Sgor Lutharn (left) and Ben Alder (right)

Introduction
This group of hills is the most remote - and the most spectacular. Ben Alder cannot be done on one winters day by foot from a road. Big corries add an air of seriousness and are quite a sight to behold!

Garbh Choire and east face of Ben Alder

The plateau edge of Ben Alder

Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil
Ben Alder is the highest mountain featured in this section. At 1148m, it's plateau is one of the largest at this altitude west of the Cairngorms. The plateau covers about 2 sqaure km so it isn't too big but is big enough to get lost on in a whiteout. It's entire east facing aspect is craggy with big drops - in Spring snow it's quite a sight when seen from Dalwhinne. The best approach is from the north east where two scrambly ridges - Long & Short Leachas provide the best walks up to the plateau. Approaches from the west are grassier and less spectacular - steep homogeneous rounded slopes are the norm here.

Beinn Eibhimm's east ridge and Ben Alder

East of Ben Alder lies Beinn Bheoil - a more distinctive mountain with uninterrupted views along the entire length of Loch Ericht. The paths around here aren't too eroded and provide a smashing feeling of being "away from it all". The approach from the south at Ben Alder lodge follows quite a muddy path upto Bealach Brebag. But the path from Culra bothy is very well engineered and can be cycled easily up to Loch a Bhealaich Bheithe.

Ben Bheoil from the South West

Loch a' Bealach Bheithe and Ben Alder

Beinn Eibhimm, Aonach Beag, Geal Charn, Carn Dearg
North of the Bealach dubh lies a southwest-northeast ridge along which four munros lie. The ridge is often done as part of a walk from Corrour Station to Dalwhinne. This is easy and sees few problems. The narrowest parts of this ridge lie on the central approaches to the two middle munros - Aonach Beag and Geal Charn. The most impressive summit is Geal Charn - throwing down an impressive eastern face split into several corries.

Beinn Eibhimm, Aonach Beag and Geal Charn seen from the south

Ben Alder seen from Sgor Gaibhre to the west

West to east, we start off with Beinn Bibhinn. From Loch Ossian, a path follows the north bank of the Uisge Labhair. This is a well worn route, but not a fast one with a lot of up and down on the sides of the banks. Striking up the slopes to Beinn Eibhimm can be done pretty much anywhere, and after the deep heather lower down, the terrain yields to grass higher up. Walking east from Beinn Eibhimm to Aonach Beag, the ridge narrows and offers a pleasant walk with fine views southeast to Ben Alder and north to the Ardverekie forest.

Geal Charn is the next summit, and the highest in this chain of mountains at 1132m. The narrow ridge continues from Aonach Beag down to the saddle with Geal Charn, from where it begins to broaden out where upon reaching Geal Charn, you are greeted with a plateau. This plateau in winter is gaudred on many sides by steep cliffs, and so navigation in a whiteout will need to be precise. Staying on the north side of the plateau will lead you to an east ridge dropping down steeply (but without difficulty) to the saddle with the final summit - Carn Dearg. From here, the ridge broadens out considerably and upon reaching the final slopes of Geal Charn, the terrain changes from Cropped Grass to stoney fields. The summit cairn is the largest on this range of peaks. From here, the descent down to Culra lodge is the favoured route.

The west ridge of Geal Charn

Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn

Carn Dearg seen from Geal Charn

A side summit to Geal Charin, Sgor Lutharn, throws out the narrowest ridge of all on this range - The Lancet Edge. The top section of this is quite narrow giving mild scrambling on tilted slabs.

On the Lancet Edge