Gleouraich and Spidean Mialach

Gleouraich and Spidean Mialach

13^th June 2009

We had a lovely journey up from Selkirk on Friday evening – Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe all looking splendid – and set up camp at Glen Nevis campsite at 6.30pm.

Rain overnight tested our new space age tent (left).  We had decided that in our old age, it would be nice to have a tent in which we could sit up on chairs and stand up to get dressed!  So, no more strolls round campsites to see if ours was the oldest tent there!

After the overnight rain, there was a blanket of low cloud, but it looked like it would lift, so Anne and I  set off in faith, and drove up by Loch Garry and Tomdoun to Loch Quoich.  There was still could hanging around the tops, but it was definitely improving as we set off from the car at 11.30am.  No long walk in here!  The excellent stalkers’ path climbs directly from the roadside, up through rhododendrons and onto the open hillside above.  

Soon we were looking down on Loch Quoich (right) as the path zig-zagged up to Sron a’ Chuillin.

After a steady ascent, the gradient levelled out along the ridge of Druim Seilach, with Glen Quoich far below to the left, and Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich opposite.   

Was that a light aircraft landing strip we could see below us at Alltbeithe (or perhaps Ryanair’s “Inverness” airport?!)

We followed the excellent path round above Fraoch Choire to where it stopped abruptly at a stalkers’ shelter at 850m.  A short steep climb up the ridge above, and we arrived at the rocky summit at 2pm, just as the cloud lifted off.  

A fine view appeared along the ridge to the east.  Compared to the grassy slopes of the south side, the view to the north side revealed dramatic rough rock-strewn  corries (Garbh Coire Mhor and Garbh Choire Beag) and  the south Cluanie ridge across Easter Glen Quoich.

After a 20 minute rest on the summit, we continued on along the ridge, over the subsidiary top, Craig Coire na Fiar Bhealaich, then down to the bealach at 746m.  

Ahead of us were three sweeping curves of the ridge around the heads of Coire na Fiar Bhealaich, Coire Leacach Mor and Coire an Spidein, leading to the 2^nd Munro, Spidean Mialach.  

Behind us, a heavy shower was  sweeping in from the west.  Would it miss us, or catch us?  Unfortunately, it caught us half way to the summit, so we struggled on in the wind and rain, reaching the summit at 16.10.  We “cooried doon” inside the cairn for a few minutes, hoping for the shower to pass over.  We picked up a rather nice-looking top, which looked like it had been left by accident recently – maybe we could return it to its owner (perhaps the walker we had seen ahead of us earlier in the day).

No sign of the shower passing over, so we set off down the hill – wind and rain in our faces now.  The rain soon stopped, and the views across Loch Quoich reappeared (right) to Gairich, Sgurr Mor and Sgurr na Ciche. 

We made good progress down the SW slopes of the (rather wet) hillside and round the north side of Loch Fearna.  

Here we picked up a good stalkers’ path across Coire Mheill, then followed it down through the rhododendrons and back to the car.  

(left) Gairich across Loch Quoich

Hastily removing our boots, we jumped into the car just in time as the swarms of midges detected fresh blood!

No sign of the other climber – he had already left (probably driven on his was by the midges!).   However, we spotted him at the road end, waiting for a lift, and, sure enough, the top was his, and he was glad to get it back!  Only slightly disappointed that I couldn’t claim it for myself!

Lovely evening drive back to the campsite.  

10km walk, 110m climb, 7hrs 15mins, Munros  229 and 230, Tops 382 – 384.