Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Munro 2007 - Day 22: 7th May
Monday 7th May
Beinn a’ Beithir
Sgorr Bhan (Top) 947 m (Munro Top 19)
Sgorr Dhearg 1024 m (Munro 36)
Sgorr Dhonuill 1001 m (Munro 37)
Distance: 17.4 km
Ascent: 1237 m
Time: 6:50 hours
Mountain name: Beinn a’ Beithir Pronounced: Bine yer Veeyersh Translated:
Hill of the Thunderbolt
Mountain name: Sgorr Dhearg Pronounced: Skor Jerrack Translated:
Red Peak
Mountain name: Sgorr Dhonuill Pronounced: Skor Ghorneel Translated:
Peak of the Donalds
Beinn a’ Beithir
Sgorr Bhan (Top) 947 m (Munro Top 19)
Sgorr Dhearg 1024 m (Munro 36)
Sgorr Dhonuill 1001 m (Munro 37)
Distance: 17.4 km
Ascent: 1237 m
Time: 6:50 hours
Mountain name: Beinn a’ Beithir Pronounced: Bine yer Veeyersh Translated:
Hill of the Thunderbolt
Mountain name: Sgorr Dhearg Pronounced: Skor Jerrack Translated:
Red Peak
Mountain name: Sgorr Dhonuill Pronounced: Skor Ghorneel Translated:
Peak of the Donalds
Beinn Bhan and
Sgorr Bhan
Sgorr Bhan
Summit, Sgorr
Dhonuill
Dhonuill
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Weather: It had been showery in the morning and there was still a strong wind, but less strong than yesterday. In
the afternoon there wasn’t much gap between the showers and showers were of rain, hail, sleet and snow at
altitude. There was a strong wind around the peaks. The cloud base was lifting, and then dropping when the
showers came in, but it was typically about 700m
Nature notes: The Ballachulish Shinty Pitch, which I had mistakenly thought was a football pitch, was host to a
number of feeding Oystercatchers and Common Gulls.
Despite the weather there were sheep up to about 800m and sheep with lambs up to about 700m.
Ballachulish Slate Quarries: It is no coincidence that most of the houses in the district are slate-roofed.
Ballachulish has a big slate quarry that was operating for 300 years and is the main reason for the existence of the
village. Slate could be exported from the small port and later by rail when the railway was built along the coast
from Oban.
The route: I parked at the information centre in Ballachulish and headed out of the village past the school and up
Gleann an Fhiodh. As soon as I reached the open mountain I followed a small path up the NE ridge of Sgorr Bhan.
There were rock steps on this ridge (Scrambling grade 1). From Sgorr Bhan I dropped down a little then climbed
the soaring ridge of Sgorr Dhearg. There was then a big drop to 757m before climbing the sometimes rocky ridge
to Sgorr Dhonuill. I returned to the col then dropped down to the north. When I reached the forestry the route was
unclear. There is actually a small path to the east of the stream. When I eventually reached the forest roads I
followed these to St. John’s Church on the A82 and followed the road back to the starting point.
Personal notes: I had Breakfast at the Clachaig Inn which seemed to have moved upmarket since the days when it
was the focal point for Scottish climbers. I bought some supplies from the Spar in Glen Coe Village and then
refilled the water tanks in the van at Ballachulish. I was about to set out at about 11.30 am when it started raining
heavily again so I had another mug of tea. It was still raining when I set off at 12.20pm. The rain eased off but
returned heavily when I reached the rock-steps on the NE ridge of Sgorr Bhan. Fortunately the scrambling was
fairly easy but I wouldn’t have been keen to descend the ridge in these conditions. Once I got past the main
difficulties the conditions got appalling. The wind was blowing hail and rain horizontally and as I reached the final
ridge to Stob Bahn the rain turned to snow and it was blizzard conditions. Despite the full waterproofs, balaclava
and substantial gloves I was wearing it was extremely cold and I could hardly feel my fingers. The Blizzard
conditions continued on the climb up the narrow ridge of Sgorr Dhearg and until I was well down the other side.
For the first time on this Munro attempt I was unable to take summit photos because I didn’t want to stop and
take my gloves off to use the camera in these conditions. It was certainly conditions in which it would be easy to
get hypothermia. The east ridge of Sgorr Dhonuill was sufficiently sheltered to allow me to warm up and the
narrow summit ridge with crags dropping precipitously to the north could have given interesting views in good
weather. I stayed on the summit long enough to take a summit photo, despite being attacked by hail being blown
almost horizontally.
There was no clear path for the descent into the corrie to the north. It was really just finding your own way
down a fairly easy grass slope with minor crags to avoid. It was sheltered so the only problem was that it was
extremely boggy with any small paths appearing to be more like little streams. The absence of a path meant it was
unclear where to enter the forestry. I soon found myself in an area with steep boggy slopes ending in impassable
crags. The path doesn’t actually go along the stream as it is shown in the sketch map in the guidebook but is
further to the east and only follows the stream as it gets closer to the forest road. I probably lost about 30 minutes
before I discovered a way down and eventually discovered the path. It was raining heavily again by the time the
forest tracks brought me down to St. John’s Church. One curious item in the garden of the church vicarage was an
old fashioned railway signal. I hadn’t known that there was a railway here, but the map shows a dismantled railway
joining the present railway at Connel, just north of Oban.
I hadn’t taken a break during the walk as the conditions were too cold to stop!
Overnight: It continued to rain most of the evening. I drove round to Loch Creran, another sea loch, and spent the
night in the car park of a nature reserve on the minor road (This would have been the main road before Loch
Craven was bridged) which goes round the head of the loch.
the afternoon there wasn’t much gap between the showers and showers were of rain, hail, sleet and snow at
altitude. There was a strong wind around the peaks. The cloud base was lifting, and then dropping when the
showers came in, but it was typically about 700m
Nature notes: The Ballachulish Shinty Pitch, which I had mistakenly thought was a football pitch, was host to a
number of feeding Oystercatchers and Common Gulls.
Despite the weather there were sheep up to about 800m and sheep with lambs up to about 700m.
Ballachulish Slate Quarries: It is no coincidence that most of the houses in the district are slate-roofed.
Ballachulish has a big slate quarry that was operating for 300 years and is the main reason for the existence of the
village. Slate could be exported from the small port and later by rail when the railway was built along the coast
from Oban.
The route: I parked at the information centre in Ballachulish and headed out of the village past the school and up
Gleann an Fhiodh. As soon as I reached the open mountain I followed a small path up the NE ridge of Sgorr Bhan.
There were rock steps on this ridge (Scrambling grade 1). From Sgorr Bhan I dropped down a little then climbed
the soaring ridge of Sgorr Dhearg. There was then a big drop to 757m before climbing the sometimes rocky ridge
to Sgorr Dhonuill. I returned to the col then dropped down to the north. When I reached the forestry the route was
unclear. There is actually a small path to the east of the stream. When I eventually reached the forest roads I
followed these to St. John’s Church on the A82 and followed the road back to the starting point.
Personal notes: I had Breakfast at the Clachaig Inn which seemed to have moved upmarket since the days when it
was the focal point for Scottish climbers. I bought some supplies from the Spar in Glen Coe Village and then
refilled the water tanks in the van at Ballachulish. I was about to set out at about 11.30 am when it started raining
heavily again so I had another mug of tea. It was still raining when I set off at 12.20pm. The rain eased off but
returned heavily when I reached the rock-steps on the NE ridge of Sgorr Bhan. Fortunately the scrambling was
fairly easy but I wouldn’t have been keen to descend the ridge in these conditions. Once I got past the main
difficulties the conditions got appalling. The wind was blowing hail and rain horizontally and as I reached the final
ridge to Stob Bahn the rain turned to snow and it was blizzard conditions. Despite the full waterproofs, balaclava
and substantial gloves I was wearing it was extremely cold and I could hardly feel my fingers. The Blizzard
conditions continued on the climb up the narrow ridge of Sgorr Dhearg and until I was well down the other side.
For the first time on this Munro attempt I was unable to take summit photos because I didn’t want to stop and
take my gloves off to use the camera in these conditions. It was certainly conditions in which it would be easy to
get hypothermia. The east ridge of Sgorr Dhonuill was sufficiently sheltered to allow me to warm up and the
narrow summit ridge with crags dropping precipitously to the north could have given interesting views in good
weather. I stayed on the summit long enough to take a summit photo, despite being attacked by hail being blown
almost horizontally.
There was no clear path for the descent into the corrie to the north. It was really just finding your own way
down a fairly easy grass slope with minor crags to avoid. It was sheltered so the only problem was that it was
extremely boggy with any small paths appearing to be more like little streams. The absence of a path meant it was
unclear where to enter the forestry. I soon found myself in an area with steep boggy slopes ending in impassable
crags. The path doesn’t actually go along the stream as it is shown in the sketch map in the guidebook but is
further to the east and only follows the stream as it gets closer to the forest road. I probably lost about 30 minutes
before I discovered a way down and eventually discovered the path. It was raining heavily again by the time the
forest tracks brought me down to St. John’s Church. One curious item in the garden of the church vicarage was an
old fashioned railway signal. I hadn’t known that there was a railway here, but the map shows a dismantled railway
joining the present railway at Connel, just north of Oban.
I hadn’t taken a break during the walk as the conditions were too cold to stop!
Overnight: It continued to rain most of the evening. I drove round to Loch Creran, another sea loch, and spent the
night in the car park of a nature reserve on the minor road (This would have been the main road before Loch
Craven was bridged) which goes round the head of the loch.