On a sunny morning Frank and me drove from Glen Strathfarrar to the Mullardoch dam. We left our car at the parking below the dam and embarked on our hike of the Mullardoch Four Group. From the dam we followed the path on the north side of Loch Mullardoch and soon crossed the little gorge of the Allt Mullardoch. From there we walked following a path of sorts and reached the Allt Taige which Frank crossed by jumping over some slippery stepping stones while I prefered to wade through the stream after some hesitation and deliberation.

From there it was a steady and beautiful walk on the easy path which leads to the stalkers’ bothy at the foot of the Allt Socrach and the Allt Coire a’Mhaim. There we rested after about three hours of walking and then we continued up the track by the Allt Coire a’Mhaim way into the corrie of the same name. Once we got there we crossed the bowl of the corrie over some boggy ground and then climbed the steep grassy south-eastern ridge of Meall a’Chaisg. After having walked over two flatter stretches of grass and a final steepening weeventually got to the corrie rim and could see the summit of An Socach on the other side of the corrie.

We continued along the curving ridge and reached the summit of An Socach after 5 hours an 50 minutes of walking. What a perfect view point! We enjoyed the views of the Glen Carron and Strathfarrar hills and rested for some time. Then we packed our stuff. The summit of An Socach being the turning point of our tour we now continued along the ridge in a roughly easterly direction across the deep gap of Beallach a’Bholla to the first top of An Riabhachan. The climb to this top was steep and on the final section we had to cross a tiny snow field. Once at the 1040 metre top we drank some water and took a short break before continuing to point 1086 … [Read More]

On our first day in the Strathfarrar Region of the Highlands we set out to walk the group of four Munros which are easily accessible from Glen Strathfarrar once you are past the locked gate at Inchmore. This being no obstacle to us since we stayed at Culligran, we drove the road leading into the glen in order to determine whether we wanted to do the walk clockwise or anti-clockwise. Finally after some minutes of definite indecision we reached the dam of Loch Monar and had a look around there. A desolate but beautiful spot of the Highlands. Then, finally, we made up our mind and left the car at the parking close to the confluence of the River Strathfarrar and the Allt Toll a’ Mhuic.

From there we walked up the (landrover-)track on the right-hand side of the burn. The going was easy enough and we soon reached Loch Toll a’Mhuic. There we saw eight elegant white swans swimming on the water of the loch perched beautifully below the cliffs of Sgurr na Muice. A highly enchanting and totally unexpected image. From the Loch we climbed the grassy path into the upper corrie. From there we walked in mist over increasingly steep and treacherous snowfields until the fog finally cleared and the way ahead to the beallach between Sgurr na Fearstaig and the first Munro of the day, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, was revealed. On the ridge we met another walker with whom we chatted a bit. From the summit of our first Munro we pressed onward and followed the easy ridge over Creag Choire a’Bhealaich and the subsequent col to Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais the highest and most impressive hill of the tour. At the cairn of Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais we had a break and a snack. Then we descended the north-western ridge of the hill which was still covered in steep snow. We met another group of three hill-walkers, relatives of the gentlemen we ran into before. From the bealach between Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais and Carn nan Gobhar it … [Read More]

On our first day in the Strathfarrar Region of the Highlands we set out to walk the group of four Munros which are easily accessible from Glen Strathfarrar once you are past the locked gate at Inchmore. This being no obstacle to us since we stayed at Culligran, we drove the road leading into the glen in order to determine whether we wanted to do the walk clockwise or anti-clockwise. Finally after some minutes of definite indecision we reached the dam of Loch Monar and had a look around there. A desolate but beautiful spot of the Highlands. Then, finally, we made up our mind and left the car at the parking close to the confluence of the River Strathfarrar and the Allt Toll a’ Mhuic. From there we walked up the (landrover-)track on the right-hand side of the burn. The going was easy enough and we soon reached Loch Toll a’Mhuic. There we saw eight elegant white swans swimming on the water of the loch perched beautifully below the cliffs of Sgurr na Muice. A highly enchanting and totally unexpected image.

From the Loch we climbed the grassy path into the upper corrie. From there we walked in mist over increasingly steep and treacherous snowfields until the fog finally cleared and the way ahead to the beallach between Sgurr na Fearstaig and the first Munro of the day, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, was revealed. On the ridge we met another walker with whom we chatted a bit. From the summit of our first Munro we pressed onward and followed the easy ridge over Creag Choire a’Bhealaich and the subsequent col to Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais the highest and most impressive hill of the tour. At the cairn of Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais we had a break and a snack. Then we descended the north-western ridge of the hill which was still covered in steep snow. We met another group of three hill-walkers, relatives of the gentlemen we ran into before.

From the bealach between Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais and Carn nan Gobhar it took us … [Read More]

On our first day in the Strathfarrar Region of the Highlands we set out to walk the group of four Munros which are easily accessible from Glen Strathfarrar once you are past the locked gate at Inchmore. This being no obstacle to us since we stayed at Culligran, we drove the road leading into the glen in order to determine whether we wanted to do the walk clockwise or anti-clockwise. Finally after some minutes of definite indecision we reached the dam of Loch Monar and had a look around there. A desolate but beautiful spot of the Highlands. Then, finally, we made up our mind and left the car at the parking close to the confluence of the River Strathfarrar and the Allt Toll a’ Mhuic. From there we walked up the (landrover-)track on the right-hand side of the burn. The going was easy enough and we soon reached Loch Toll a’Mhuic. There we saw eight elegant white swans swimming on the water of the loch perched beautifully below the cliffs of Sgurr na Muice. A highly enchanting and totally unexpected image. From the Loch we climbed the grassy path into the upper corrie. From there we walked in mist over increasingly steep and treacherous snowfields until the fog finally cleared and the way ahead to the beallach between Sgurr na Fearstaig and the first Munro of the day, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, was revealed. On the ridge we met another walker with whom we chatted a bit. From the summit of our first Munro we pressed onward and followed the easy ridge over Creag Choire a’Bhealaich and the subsequent col to Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais the highest and most impressive hill of the tour. At the cairn of Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais we had a break and a snack. Then we descended the north-western ridge of the hill which was still covered in steep snow. We met another group of three hill-walkers, relatives of the gentlemen we ran into before. From the bealach between Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais and Carn nan Gobhar it … [Read More]

On our first day in the Strathfarrar Region of the Highlands we set out to walk the group of four Munros which are easily accessible from Glen Strathfarrar once you are past the locked gate at Inchmore. This being no obstacle to us since we stayed at Culligran, we drove the road leading into the glen in order to determine whether we wanted to do the walk clockwise or anti-clockwise. Finally after some minutes of definite indecision we reached the dam of Loch Monar and had a look around there. A desolate but beautiful spot of the Highlands. Then, finally, we made up our mind and left the car at the parking close to the confluence of the River Strathfarrar and the Allt Toll a’ Mhuic.

From there we walked up the (landrover-)track on the right-hand side of the burn. The going was easy enough and we soon reached Loch Toll a’Mhuic. There we saw eight elegant white swans swimming on the water of the loch perched beautifully below the cliffs of Sgurr na Muice. A highly enchanting and totally unexpected image. From the Loch we climbed the grassy path into the upper corrie. From there we walked in mist over increasingly steep and treacherous snowfields until the fog finally cleared and the way ahead to the beallach between Sgurr na Fearstaig and the first Munro of the day, Sgurr Fhuar-thuill, was revealed. On the ridge we met another walker with whom we chatted a bit. From the summit of our first Munro we pressed onward and followed the easy ridge over Creag Choire a’Bhealaich and the subsequent col to Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais the highest and most impressive hill of the tour. At the cairn of Sgurr a’ Choire Ghlais we had a break and a snack.

Then we descended the north-western ridge of the hill which was still covered in steep snow. We met another group of three hill-walkers, relatives of the gentlemen we ran into before. From the bealach between Sgurr a’Choire Ghlais and Carn nan Gobhar it … [Read More]