19,18,17,16: Strathfarrar Four

The Strathfarrar Four (29th July 2011)


After a few days over in Lossiemouth waiting for the wet westerly winds to abate, we headed back towards the hills on Wednesday 28th, encouraged by a better forecast for the next day.  Once more, we pitched the tent at Cannich, and marvelled at the arrival of "das Rollende Hotel"- a bus with a sleeping trailer, fold-out dining shelter, and about 40 passengers - a truly bizarre sight (below)!

Das Rollende Hotel at Cannich camp site

Next morning, we were up early to get to the gate at Struy for 9am.  The road up Glen Strathfarrar is a private one, with locked gates, open from 9am to 8pm in the summer months, and by arrangement at other times.  As a further restriction, only 25 cars are allowed up at any time.  We found three other cars waiting, so that was fine.


It was a lovely drive up the glen, and we soon reached the starting point for the walk just beyond the top of Loch Beannacharan.  I dropped Anne off here at 9.30am to begin the walk, then drove another 7km up the road, to the planned end point of our walk.  Leaving the car there, I cycled back down the glen, and set off up the path at 10am.

An initially good track turned into a boggy squelch for a mile or so up the Allt Coire Mhuillidh.  I walked for a while with another solo walker, and soon we were heading up to drier ground on the broad south west ridge of Sgurr na Ruaidhe ("reddish peak").  About half-way up we caught up with Anne, then overtook another solo lady walker (who turned out to be from Gattonside, only a few miles from Selkirk).  Soon the ridge began to ease off, and 2 hours from the car, we reached the summit cairn.   A sociable lunch spot ...

summit of Sgurr na Ruaidhe, with Carn nan Gobhar in background

We didn't remain long, though, as the air felt quite cold and damp.  After 15 minutes, the chap in the blue cagoule set off  westwards towards the next Munro, Carn nan Gobhar.  We followed son after, and made quick progress down grassy slopes to the intervening bealach - where we caught up with him and handed over the lunchbox he had left behind;  pity - I was looking forward to the chocolate biscuit!


From the bealach, more easy grassy slopes led us up toward the boulder-strewn top of Carn nan Gobhar (992m), the second Munro of the day.  Hang on a second - weren't we on Carn nan Gobhar (992m) this time last year?  Yes!  Bizarrely enough, there are two Carn nan Gobhars, exactly the same height, and only 14km apart - one in the Mullardoch range, the other one here in the Strathfarrars.   Maybe they were named after the same goats!  (we didn't see any).

Anne on Carn nan Gobhar, with Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais, Creag Gorm a'Bhealaich and Sgurr Fhuar Thuill in the background

Anyway, we lingered a few minutes on this one before heading off down the grassy highway to the next bealach, then up the steep curving ridge of Sgurr a' Choire Ghlais, the day's highest point at 1083m.  The mist was coming and going on the twin tops of this peak, so we didn't linger for long (but made sure to visit both cairns), before continuing westwards.  After skirting around the initial boulder field, we were soon back on springy mossy turf - a joy to walk on. Yet another bealach lay ahead, and a scalloped ridge leading up to Creag Ghorm a'Bhealaich, a fine peak in its own right, although only designated as a top.

Creag Ghorm a' Bhealaich from Sgurr a 'Choire Ghlais

looking back to Sgurr a'Choire Ghlais from Creag Ghorm a'Bhealaich

Another 10 minute rest here before continuing.  Each of the last sections had taken just under an hour, easy walking, but the final two tops were much closer together.  

Twenty minutes after leaving Creag Ghorm a' Bhealaich, we passed over the top of the 4th Munro, Sgurr Fhuar-Thuill (peak of the cold hollow) without stopping, and 15 minutes later we were on Sgurr na Fearstaig, the most westerly top - little more than a rounded hump at the end of the ridge.  Job done!

the final stroll to Sgurr na Fearstaig

We sat on the final top at 4pm, enjoying the view, but mindful of the "locked gate", we didn't linger too long, and were soon headed down the fine stalkers' path towards Loch Toll a' Mhuic.

the start of the route down past Loch Toll a' Mhuic below Sgurr na Muice

In less than 2 hours, we were back down to where I had left the car, and all that remained was to pick up my bike, and enjoy the run back down Strathfarrar to Struy.

Summary:

4 Munros + 2 tops

17 km walk + 7 km cycle

1560 m climb

8 hours 

Log:

left bike	09:55
Sg.na Ruaidhe	11:55 - 12:15
C. na Gobhar	13:05 - 13:15
Sg. a Ch. Ghlais	14:10 - 14:20
Cr. Gh a' Bhealaich	15:10 - 15:20
Sg. Fhuar-Thuill	15:45
Sg. na Fearstaig	16:00 - 16:10
road	18:00

posted 15/04/11  D. Bethune