The view from Luinne Bheinn
to Rhum and Loch Nevis

The day dawned cloudy at 5.30am, the wind died down and the high humidity encouraged the midges to come out. They weren’t that bad and they seemed to get me to set off earlier at 7.00am. Cloud was swirling around the summit of Ladhar Beinn and getting progressively lower. I thought that the weather would turn for the worse and so I hurried up the hill expecting the worst. The ascent to the ridge got progressively steeper but I was soon on the broad knobbly ridge ready for the approach to the narrow bit. The view out to Skye looked gloomy and the mist continued to get lower. The wind was light but chilly.

The cliffs of Coire Dhorrcail

Stob a' Choire Odhair as seen from Ladhar Beinn

I was now on the steep and narrow rise up to the narrow part and the mist suddenly cleared away revealing the way forward to Ladhar Beinn. I didn’t find the ridge too narrow though many would find it scary. The ridge was the best bit of the whole day despite the cloud. There were few difficulties on the ridge for me and my backpack and I arrived at the summit at 9.45am where I met another early walker. The view out to Skye still looked gloomy but the other guy said that the forecast was for it to be nice for today. I had new faith that the weather would improve.

Sgurr Coire Choinnichean as seen from near Bealach Coire Dhorrcail

Ladhar Beinn as seen from Stob a' Choire Odhair

Time to make my way to the eastern end of the ridge where the path dropped steeply in a succession of two steps down to the bealach. Two small rocksteps added some interest to the walk but I was soon on the eastern summit ridge of the Aonach Sgoilte. I now had to make my way to Mam Barrisdale. The drop off the ridge was steep with the easy way demanding some good route-finding skills. The way off follows a faint path on a terrace leading off the lowest part of the ridge towards Stob a Chearcail. The route then drops down to a hollow and then backtracks southwards where easy slopes take you a long way down before a short steep grassy section to the grass flats below. This I found was the only easy route off a face that was otherwise composed of very steep grass.

Stob a Chearcail from the summit ridge of Ladhar Beinn

Luinne Bheinn and Sgurr a' Choire bheithe from Stob a' Chearcail

Loch an Dubh Lochain with Sgurr an Eilein Ghiubhais on the horizon

Ladhar Beinn seen from the East

It was lunch time and Luinne Bheinn beckoned. The ascent took 2 hours from Mam Barrisdale quite long due to dwindling water supplies. The ascent up the ridge was steep in places but quite easy and not really a scramble. By now the views were glorious with very broken cloud and far reaching views stretching east to Creag Meadiagh and Ben Nevis, south to Mull and north to Torridon. But it was the view to Loachan nan Breac and Sgurr Mor that grabbed my attention.

The view east from Luinne Bheinn
to Lochan nan Breac and Sgurr Mor

The descent east from the summit proved no problem apart from one rock ledge. By now I was getting close to my camp site at 3.45pm under strong sunshine and light winds. There was nothing for it but to relax for the rest of the day. I felt that this weather could continue on forever and the forecast was for tomorrow to be good. Meall Bhuide beckoned tomorrow and I was looking forward to its ascent.

Camping at the Allt a' Choire Odhair

Luinne Bheinn as seen
from Lochan nan Breac

I decided to be up later envisaging an easier day with few problems. The day dawned breezy with a fine view down to the Isle of Rhum. I would leave my pack taking only essentials for my walk to Meall Bhudie. It was deceptively windy at the bealach where I left my pack and ended up wearing too much clothing. The result was overheating on the walk to Meall Bhudie. The final ridge to the summit table crossed numerous slabs on its way up to the craggy but easy finish to the final summit where I was greeted with some fantastic views over Knoydart before I backtracked on my eastward journey.

Beinn Bhuidhe as seen
from Meall Buidhe

The ridge linking Meall Bhuidie to Luinne Beinn encloses a corrrie that is like no other that I have seen in Scotland. Smooth vast slabs characterise the slopes where a lochan nestles at the bottom. It must be one of those perfect places to go and camp at.

I returned to my pack and made my way back up to the summit ridge of Luinne Beinn. There was low cloud lapping the summits further east and presumed it was just overnight mist that had failed to evaporate. The cloud didn’t evaporate but continued westwards to give an overcast day for the remaining time. This was to my annoyance for the quality of the pictures would come out worse due to lack of sunlight.

I arrived at the path and then speedily made my way to Lochan nan Breac where a barking dog scared the life out of me! It was lunch time as I took a photo of Luinne Beinn before the cloud completely ruined the day.

I was now in a position to make my way up to my camp site at a lochan situated at the bealach between Sgurr na Ciche and Ben Aden. The way up looked steep and slabby from below but proved to be no problem. My main concern now was that I may have to camp at a place where there is no running water. There wasn’t any so I had to settle for the still water of the Lochan. Anyway I havn’t suffered any ill effects so far, so there was no problem there. I was given a closer view of the way up Sgurr na Ciche by the north east ridge and is look very craggy and inaccessible from here. I was concerned at this and it gave me some anxiety.

Camping between Ben Aden and
Meall a' Choire Dhuibh

Time to dump my gear and walk over to Ben Aden. The walk on the ridge crossed huge easy angled slabs and then I got my first glimpse of Ben Aden from this angle. It looked forbidding and I had second thoughts. Anyway I walked up to the final rise and the grassy ramp that I saw from a distance turned out to be quite easy. It turned out to be quite a nice route up with much route finding neccessary. I was just glad it wasn’t misty. The final summit proved to be the sharpest that I had visited so far.

Looking down to the East North
East ridge of Ben Aden

I’d thoroughly recommend people to ascend Ben Aden. You’re unlikely to find anyone else on it and it’s like an adventure playground with all its route finding problems. The East North East ridge of Ben Aden is regarded as a very fine grade 1 scramble according to the guide book ‘Scrambles in Lochaber’. I didn’t do the ridge but the upper part looked like some fun could be had out of it.

The final eastern slopes leading
to the summit of Ben Aden

I made my way down to my pack and made myself ready for bed. The forecast for tomorrow wasn’t encouraging ‘cloudy with possibly some sunshine and a few heavy showers, Sunday seeing a front coming through’. Ho Hum, back to the normal scottish weather service!

Ben Aden on the way
up to Sgurr na Ciche

Low Cloud hung over Sgurr na Ciche and the tops to the north and east were all like that, however, westwards lay brilliant blue sky and sunshine. I was optimistic about the weather especially when the summit of Sgurr na Ciche broke through the cloud bathed in sunshine. The overnight wind was dying down giving occasional problems with midges. It was time to see how forbidding the north east ridge really was.

The lower part turned out to be very easy with route finding not being a problem. Any scrambling was purely optional. I reached the upper section of the ridge and at last broke through the cloud giving me fantastic views of Ben Aden and Garbh Cioch Mor. The upper section of the ridge beyond the level section was steeper and gave some easy scrambles. At last I reached the motorway path and soon after, the summit. Darker clouds to the east looked far away. This was the weather front forecast to arrive the next day.

Garbh Chioch Mhor from the north east ridge of Sgurr na Ciche

Ben Aden from the summit of Sgurr na Ciche

Loch Quoich seen through the clouds from Sgurr na Ciche

It was now time to make my way down to the Feadan gap via the steep though easy path. The route off felt a lot easier than the picture in the guide book looked which was of some relief. Time now for Garbh Cioch Mhor.

Sgurr na Ciche from Garbh Choich Mhor

The ascent of this next summit was short being only a rise of 150m but it gave some pleasant rock steps to negotiate. By now I felt accustomed to the steepness that characterised the Knoydart mountains and walked up the slopes without any second thoughts about doing so. It seemed that in Knoydart, easy ways up could be easily found through forbidding looking slopes. Ben Aden and Sgurr na Ciche were testimony to this.

Sgurr na h- Aide from Garbh Choich Beag

The walk off Garbh Chioch Mhor was over a series of minor dips and rises that went on for 2km. This proved to be exhausting work when combined with the rough nature of the path preventing a fast pace to be made. By now the low cloud had evaporated only to be replaced by higher cumulus cloud. It looked distinctly possible that a shower would burst out later on. After filling up my water bottle at the Bealach nan Gal I hurried up the very steep path to the summit of Sgurr nan Coireachan.

An Eag from Sgurr nan Coireachan

Sgurr na Ciche and Garbh Cioch Mhor from Sgurr nan Coireachan

The dark clouds were now distinctly closer as I hurried down the east ridge weaving my way around the slabs that make up the ridge. There was not a breath of wind so far and the midges proved to be bothersome even up here. It was time for lunch on the summit of An Eag, I didn't want to be a victim of a lunchtime deluge.

An Eag marked a turning point in the ridge for I was no longer above Glen Dessary but now above Glen Kingie. The rain finally broke on the summit of Sgurr Beag. A man suddenly appeared going the other way. 'Any chance of some B&B?' he asked jokingly, 'afraid not.' Was my reply. He was the third person I met on the ridge that day. I met no one else until the following Wednesday which was suprising considering the next group of hills were easily accessible. It was time for the 250m ascent to Sgurr Mor, it looked daunting standing at the bealach. The rain increased to a moderate tempo and that was the way it remained until the final Corbett.

Once off Sgurr Mor, I was met with the final summit of the day. It also felt the toughest given the amount of climbing already done that day. It felt forever to do the 180m of ascent. The wind was now up and chilly. I reached the summit with great relief and was now making my way down to the campsite. I noticed a ptarmigan that always wanted to walk ahead of me, even when I was zigzagging my way down it always seemed to want to walk in front of me in the direction I was going. I havn't a clue why this is but it probably wanted my biscuits or something like that.

Time to camp, the rain stopped for the night just as I arrived so my tent went up with the inside dryshod. The breeze was strong enough all the time to keep the midges away which was a relief. I had nearly finished the munros in this wilderness and it felt like there was at last light at the end of the tunnel.