Over The Hill

Day 7 - Having left Skye yesterday and pitched our tents in the camp-site at Morvich, we were now ready to take in two days walking in this region where you have a multitude of mountains to choose from, you really are spoilt for choice. The South Glen Shiel Ridge counts amongst its tops a total of seven Munros, and is often traversed as a single, and very long walk. We discussed a number of options before settling on making an east to west traverse starting from the Cluanie Inn and taking in four of the seven Munros along the ridge.

Until the mid-1950s the old "Road to the Isles" ran from the Tomdoun Hotel in Glen Garry, through Glen Loyne and over the bealach to Glen Shiel, a desolate and remote region in which two large dams were built during the 1950s, forming Loch Loyne and Loch Cluanie, the old road being abandoned in favour of the new stretch of the A87 which skirts both of these man-made lochs beyond the massive dams which now sit at the head of each loch. It was over this stretch of the old road that we walked from just below the Cluanie Inn towards the bealach, thinking as we did of how it must have been to travel this road in the depths of a highland winter, initially by the "drovers" with their cattle, and later, as the main motor vehicle road to Skye.

A kilometre or so beyond the high point of the bealach, and with Loch Loyne firmly in view, a small cairn marks the start of a narrow but well defined stalkers track which zigzags up the steep south east ridge of Creag a'Mhaim; it is a wonderful climb, with fantastic views opening up at every step of the way, as the track leads directly to the summit cairn, at 947m, our first Munro top of the day; and one to celebrate, as it was Lawrie's 100th Munro, so out came the Fairy Cakes.

In good visibility we could clearly see our second objective, Druim Shionnach almost two kilometres along the broad, grassy ridge, a relatively easy walk, with one small rocky section to scramble over and which we completed in good time and surprisingly quickly found ourselves on our second Munro summit of the day, Druim Shionnach, at the slightly higher height of 987m. However, the weather was changing, and as we left this summit, a drizzly rain started to drift over us, bringing that dull grey mist which just seems to surround you and blank out everything around.

The euphoria of a quick stroll between tops soon disappeared as we set off on what transpired to be a long and undulating haul through the mist and over no less than three tops before dropping to a narrow bealach leading to the final steep climb to the summit of Aonach air Chrith, at 1021m our highest Munro of the day. By all accounts, this summit should have given us quite spectacular views along what is probable the most impressive section of the ridge, the narrow, rugged Maol Chinn-dearg but unfortunately visibility was no more than a few metres, and so we were denied the views we so hoped for

The ridgeline along Maol Chinn-dearg proved to be the most rugged and jagged section we had come across today, with a number of points where hand-assisted holds were required, either to scramble up the rocky outcrops, or lower oneself safely down a bad step or two; however, the going eased on the final climb to the summit as the narrow rocky ridge gave way to grassier slopes. Again, the mist denied us a view from this, our final Munro for the day, Maol Chinn-dearg, 981m.

Heading north-north east off this summit, a narrow but very clear path descends Druim Coire nan Eirecheanach in easy stages ending with a series of sweeping zigzags as it drops down to cross the headwaters of the River Cluanie a few hundred metres from the A87, where we danced a jig to fend off the midges while awaiting the return of the big yellow van after collecting Lawrie's car from our starting point at the car park along the track from the Cluanie Inn.

A great day on a ridge with much to offer - And all rounded off with the most beautiful sunset over Loch Duich as we enjoyed a late meal in the Jac-O-Bite (I know, we were camping, but no need to give up some of the finer luxurious in life!).