Over The Hill

We set ourselves a challenge we hoped we could complete – to climb two new Corbetts back to back, but we didn’t anticipate quite such high temperatures (in the mid 20s) for our days away. Minimal gear and plenty of water in the backpacks was the order of the day. We decided to splash out and booked into Morvich Campsite so we could make full use of the facilities and enjoy a shower! Who did we meet but David and Christine Clark who had spent the night there. We were advised to pitch the tent when we arrived as there may not be any choice if we left it till our return from the hill. So we eventually set off at 11am, later and warmer than planned, but we only had to eat, shower, and go to bed when we returned.

Sgurr Gaorsaic is a remote Corbett in Kintail, overshadowed by higher Munros specifically Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan to the NE and Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) to the SW. The streams from the watershed at Loch a Bhealaich at the foot of our hill run east to Glen Affric and north to Glen Elchaig, our destination for the next day. The route to our top was very straightforward, and there is an excellent path to follow, and at the start the wild flowers were so pretty and so abundant. Views of our route opened up as we climbed, and as the gentle wind was on our backs, the temperature rose as we climbed. Hats on and plenty of stops on our way to the crossing of the Alt Choire an Sgairne, and although it was tempting to linger here and paddle, time was marching on, so we refilled the water bottles and promised ourselves a “boots off” moment on the return journey. We saw four folk ahead of us on the way up, but they headed to the Munro. No-one was going to our hill, I wonder why?

After the steeply rising zigzag path we took the left fork, still climbing to the Bealach an Sgairne at 500m, which is marked by a large cairn, and has great views east and west, and best of all, a lovely cooling breeze. After a short break here, we dropped 120m to the Loch a Bhealaich, knowing we had to reclimb this on our return. Normally the ground around the head of the loch is boggy, but we were lucky, as it was virtually dry after the long spell of amazing weather. A line of old fence posts marks the route up the steep south side of Sgurr Gaorsaic. It was a bit of a trudge but eventually we made the top. The lochan near the top was virtually dry and we had to search for the rather insignificant cairn. Lovely views of the nearby Munros and a 2nd lunch at the cairn at 3.30pm raised our spirits – Beinn Fhada, A Ghlas Bheinn and Sgurr nan Ceathramhnan, and the Cuillins on Skye just peeking above a line of cloud.

Time to make the return journey, knowing we had to climb those 120m again to the bealach. We spotted a small clump of the pretty “Grass of Parnassus” and a few “Golden Rod” looking nothing like the garden variety and this plant was identified for us by a member of our group, Idris Scott, who is a fount of all floral knowledge. Drifts of bog cotton looked like little stars on our way down from the top. The welcome breeze, now on our faces, kept away the pesky flies and clegs.

The promised paddle was a lifesaver. It was now 6pm and 12 hours on from leaving home that morning. We got back to the campsite at 7.30pm and after unloading the bikes (needed for the next day) we enjoyed a reviving G&T, ate supper, had a shower and set the alarm for another 6am start.

What more proof do you need? We are totally mad.