DHC Torridon Weekend
29th Sept to 1st Oct 2023
There were 8 of us on the Torridon weekend (Ruth, Steve, Sandy, Donald, Chris, Ken, Jane and Bob) staying at the Torridon Hostel. The weather turned out to be OK especially given the recent torrential rain and a wide range of good walks were done including Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, and coastal walks.
Saturday
On Saturday Donald did the two Beinn Eighe Munros, getting some good views of the triple buttress on the way up.
The Triple Buttress
Steve, Ruth and Sandy were targeting the Graham , An Ruadh-Mheallan but to turn the walk into a full day they wandered over the two Beinn Alligin Munros first. The clag and mist didn't clear until they dropped westwards off Sgurr Mor where they disturbed a pair of Ptarmigan. Underfoot was surprisingly dry given the rain in the preceding week and they enjoyed great views to both our target hill and over to Applecross. Approaching An Ruadh-Mheallan from the east gave a nice perspective of the hill and on the descent back to the road Steve spotted a pair of Golden Eagles high overhead. A great day aided by the luxury of using two cars.
The Summits in the clag!
Walking between An Ruadh-Mheallan and Beinn Alligin.
Ken, Chris and Bob did the two Corbetts, Ruadh-stac Beag and Meall a’ Ghiuthais from the car park at the side of Loch Maree. The cloud and mist came and went but generally there were good views of the surrounding hills. Ken found an interesting “armchair” rock on the descent from Ruadh-stac Beag. A mystery item was found in the rocks of the summit cairn – any ideas what it is ?
Good views on the summit plateaux
Ken's armchair
Tough going underfoot!
The mystery items found under the summit cairn.
Jane walked from Diabeg to Craig with some excellent coastal views. Craig used to be a Youth Hostel but is now a bothy.
Looking down into Loch Diabeg
On the Saturday evening we had a DHC potluck supper which was a very convivial evening with plenty of good food and wine in the pleasant surroundings of the Torridon Hostel. Everyone had bought a dish or proved themselves to be a demon washer upper (even bringing their own marigolds!)
Sunday
The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t quite as good but plenty of good walks were had.
Sandy headed off towards Loch Maree where after a cafe stop to let the rain clear, climbed Beinn a' Chearcaill. Good stalkers paths took him firstly up the glen and then into Core Briste. Interesting rock formations on the hill with the summit being a very large and flat plateau covered in boiler plate slab. Great views to Beinn Dearg, the Flowerdale Corbetts and across Loch Maree to Beinn Airigh Charr. The return on slightly higher ground afforded a great view of Slioch.
Views across Loch Maree
Good views of Slioch
Donald headed east to Achnasheen and climbed the Munro, Fionn Bheinn.
Chris, Ken and Bob headed to the Torridon Inn to park and do Beinn Damh. The original plan to do a circular walk was abandoned when we saw that the river was in spate and that a river crossing by ford would be required. We opted for going up and down by the stalkers' path to the main ridge instead.
Views down to Loch Damh
Beinn Damh summit
Jane enjoyed a short walk along the Torridon shoreline watching dippers and getting good views up to Ben Damph.
The Torridon shoreline looking up to Beinn Damh
Monday
Sandy stayed on an extra night and after getting the go ahead from a party of stalkers climbed Meall a'Chaorainn, the Graham mate of Fionn Bheinn above Achnasheen. Lots of deer activity, hinds and the odd stag in the glen but a bit of a dull tramp once on the hill, over a long and gradual ascent.
Bob Elder
