Bike 5.7km + 280m, walk 14km + 1100m, bike 5.7km. Glen Carron.
Craig (A890) (07.30), followed the track, a combination of walking the steep bits and biking, to GR078467 where I left the bike (08.40). Made my way across to the new path/track heading up to Bealach Bhearnals (10.05) with heavy snow above 450m. Followed the west ridge of Sgurr Choinnch to its summit (11.40), and the continuation ridge in the mist to Sgurr a' Chaorachain (12.35). A broad ridge lead to the top of Bidean an Eòin Deirg (13.15) where I had some lunch looking steeply down into Strath Mhuillich through the murk, with occasional glimpses of Loch Monar. I got back to Sgurr a' Chaorachain (14.10) and followed the north ridge. I didn't like the look of the steep descent onto Coire Choinnich, so opted for a weakness east of the Allt an Lubain Bhuidhe, avoiding the heavily laden slopes of the coire it drained from. I got down to the track at GR 091467 (15.30) glad that the wall of rain and mist had held off until then. The track took be back to the bike (15.50) follow by a fairly rapid, if wet, descent back to the van (16.15).
I had hoped to include an ascent of Maoile Lunndaidh but partly due to the heavy conditions, and partly due to tiredness from paddling to the end of Loch Mullardoch and overnight camp, I realised I wasn't moving fast enough. The challenge then was then getting off the hill with the 'considerable' avalanche forecast for north east to south west slopes, and most of the northerly slopes being very steep and rocky. I was glad I had a print off of the 1:25k map which showed the diagonal line of weakness I took, it is not at all clear on the 1:50k. The alternative would have been to retrace my route.
Area :
Glen Cannich to Glen Carron
This area covers the peaks north of Loch Mullardoch and south of the A890/A832 Strathcarron to Garve road. The fourteen Munros in the area are handily split into two ridges either side of Glen Strathfarrar and a cluster of five to the north and west of Loch Monar. Sgurr na Lapaich (1150m) and An Riabhachan (1129) are the highest peaks on the southern side while Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais (1083m) is the tallest on the northern side. Mountains in the list are all about 900m. The area to the south of this is Glen Affric and Kintail.
