Knoydart Adventure (5 - Sgurr na Ciche)

2nd June 2009  
Sgurr na Ciche, Garbh Chioch Mhor and Sgurr na Coireachan


So, after a good overnight sleep in the car, the sun rose early, and I was ready to set off just after 6am.

I took the track branching off to the left, dropping down past Strathan to cross over the river, then turning right up into the forest.  By taking this route, I was able to cycle about 8km up the south side of Glen Dessary (left),  with good views across to the the hills on the north side.  

After an hour, I came to the end of the track, and dumped the bike.  A path / track crossed the river, and continued on the north bank for a mile or so, then climbed very boggily up out of the forest to join the main path up the glen.  

Once on this path, progress was rapid through the upper part of the glen - desolate apart from a (temporarily) abandoned JCB / digger!

I followed this path for a short distance, then branched off it on a bull-dozed track which climbed steeply up the hillside onto the SW shoulder (above) of Garbh Chioch Mhor - a fine place for a rest, overlooking Coire na Ciche.  Quite a few deer around, grazing quite unconcerned at my presence.


Continued on round the shoulder to the foot of Feadan na Ciche (left), a steep boulder filled gully leading up to the bealach between Sgurr na Ciche and Garbh Chioch Mhor.  This provided 20 minutes of fun, scrambling up to the 845m col at the top.   
"Feadan" means whistle.  Apparently, it is named because of the way the wind whistles through the col, but today it was silent!  

Quite a dramatic place, with the cliffs of Sgurr na Ciche on the left, and of Garbh Chioch Mhor on the right.

From  the col, a 200m climb up a steep rocky path, and suddenly I was standing on the summit at 10.35am.   What a wonderful viewpoint!

Spent 25 minutes on the summit (right), enjoying the views - although it was hazier than it had been earlier in the week. Savoured the alone-ness, and fortified myself with food and coffee! 

(left) view down Loch Neivs from summit of Sgurr na Ciche

The ridge ahead over Garbh Chioch Mhor (above) looked rough and inviting, so, suitably refreshed, I scrambled back down from the tiny summit area to the bealach.  

From there, a steep pull up over a series of rocky steps (passing a solitary soul heading the other way) took me to the top of Garbh Chioch Mhor in about 50 minutes from Sgurr na Ciche.  Two more Munros - numbers 226 and 227!


Garbh Chioch's rocky summit delayed me for another 20 minutes, again enjoying the views and the sense of being alone in this magnificent wilderness.

The precipitous north side of Garbh Chioch Mhor (right) with the boulder strewn coire below - a dramatic place to be.

(Sgurr na Ciche behind to the right)


The next 30 minutes were an exhilirating rough walk along the ridge to Garbh Chioch Bheag, a Munro top, again with dramatic cliffs on its north face. (below, as seen looking back from Sgurr na Coireachain)

Next, the path dropped fairly steeply alongside a dry stane wall to another bealach at 740m.  Here I met another Computing teacher, Andrew Wilson, and stopped for a chat - only the second person I had seen all morning.  For the bealach, another steep grassy climb of 200m to the final Munro of the day, Sgurr na Coireachan.  Contemplated briefly the option of continuing on to Sgurr Mor, but decided against it.  Just to make sure I didn't change my mind, I continued over the main summit, and stopped for the final rest of the day on Sgurr na Coireachan's SE top.

From here, the descent was long and steep on a faint path down the south ridge (left), and I was glad to get to the forest track at the bottom.  


A short scramble down through the woods, and at 16.05 I was back to my bike.  


Finally, a 40 minutes cycle back through the forest to the car at Strathan - a superb day!


16km cycle, 12 km walk, 1350m climb, 10.5 hours
Munros 226,227 and 228
Tops 378, 379, 380, 381




Note: Sgurr na Ciche is probably one of the most badly pronounced Munro names.  It shouldn't sound like "quiche", more like Key-Chu!