Scotland|Coire nan Laogh, Tom na Gruagaich, Sgurr Mhor, Horns of Alligin, Allt a Bhealaich, Abhain Coire nan Laogh, Incheril, Gleann Bianasdail, Meall Each, Coire na Sleaghaich, Slioch, An t-Aon Cheum, Sgurr an Tuill Bhain, Coire na Sleaghaich

Torridon June 2010 - Photo Gallery

On the way up to Torridon on Friday afternoon, we stopped near Cruach on the A9 near Dalwhinnie, to climb the Graham, Creag Ruadh; a pleasant walk in improving dry weather.

On Saturday, we drove up the small undulating Road towards Diabaig, until we reached a large car park by the side of a small bridge; a gap in the vegetation shows the start of a path at the side of the bridge. After a short walk uphill, you get beyond the trees and follow the visible path across moorland; the ground steepens, there are some large rock steps, and a steep rugged path leads upwards across the face of the corrie wall. After a long walk upwards, the summit of Tom na Gruagaich is not much further.

There followed a steep, rugged descent, with much clambering over boulders and careful progress down a steep exposed path to a wide col. There was a big steep climb up to the summit of Sgurr Mhor, and there were intermittent, intriguing views of the ridge beyond. From Sgurr Mhor there was a long undulating descent before tackling the Horns of Alligin, although looking back to Sgurr Mhor it looked a good deal more exhilarating than the ridge ahead. There was some interesting scrambling up on to the airy ridge of the Horns, and one or two interesting steps on the way down; my long legs came into their own on several occasions.

The most interesting step downwards requires you to face into the rock and hold onto a natural rock rail, before another long-legged step downwards. After that there was a less steep walk downwards to a cairn, it was feeling nice and comfortable, but I should have know better; it was still a long way down and most of the height was lost in another steep, rugged descent. After the hard work of getting down the steep hillside, there was still a long walk back to car park.

On Sunday, we drove down Glen Torridon, through Kinlochewe, before turning off to the big car park at Incheril. There was a long walk by side of a river; the bracken was dense, it gave way to trees, and the path disappeared in swampy ground. We crossed the river, there wasn't much water in it but plenty of mud; after climbing up above the bank there was a more obvious path, leading to a footbridge.

After crossing the footbridge, we followed a path by the side of the river, very close to the riverbank, with good close-up views of waterfalls that would have been spectacular in wet weather. Eventually the small path turned left; at a small cairn we came to the more more obvious path that should have been found earlier. There was a long climb up to a big corrie; there was a splendid view of what looked like a table-topped hill. We walked over rising grassy, and occasionally swampy, ground up to the steep corrie wall; an obvious slanting path takes you up to a pair of lochans. Heavy rain started to fall as we started to climb up the steep eroded ridge; on reaching less steep ground the rain stopped.

Having reached a cairn at the top of the rise, it became obvious that it wasn't the summit, and surprisingly we were not on the plateau of a table-topped hill; the summit was on the other side of a big depression. It wasn't as hard a climb as it looked, but it was far enough, up to the summit of Slioch, the ridge ahead has a spear-shaped appearance that must have given its name to the summit too. After a short descent you have to walk along a narrowing ridge towards the impressive- looking steep-sided hill; it wasn't quite as narrow as it looked but it was pleasantly bouldery and airy.

There was a faint path descending the broad ridge on grass, but it disappeared, or more likely I lost it; we carried on downwards, on steep grass back to the corrie, and then retraced our steps back to the car park.