Lurg Mhor and Bidein a’Choire Sheasgaich from Craig
Statistics
Area: Kyle of Lochalsh to Garve
Munro’s: Bidein a’Choire Sheasgaich, Lurg Mhor
Corbetts: Beinn Tharsuinn
Date walked: 25/07/2012
Time taken: 9.4 hours
Distance: 31 km
Ascent: 2000m
The Route
Introduction
I had been planning do bag a number of Munros this week but due to the weather I didn’t get started until Tuesday bagging Maol Chean Dearg. Even then it was rainy and the hills were clagged in so I was not enjoying it.
The Walk
I set of on the Wednesday to bag Bidein a’Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor with the addition of the Corbet Beinn Tharsuinn, hoping of course to add Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a’Chaorachain to the round if I was feeling ok. The weather was slightly better than the preceding day but only five minutes after leaving Craig and crossing the railway the rain came on. I stopped to put my waterproofs on but the rain didn’t last long so I stopped again to remove my waterproofs. As I stopped a large white horse which was grazing in the field came over and nudged me looking for some food. Being a softie I went back to the car and returned with a large apple which the horse woolfed down. I was then on my way on the good track.
After 3km there is a gate and once through the gate there is a great view of the Corbet Sgurr nan Ceannaichean. I was feeling good at this point and made good progress, past a couple of wild campers, and up the good track to the Bealach Bhearnais. From here I ascended the Corbet spot height skirting around the top for the final ascent to the Corbet Beinn Tharsuinn. The going although pathless at this point was easy enough underfoot and not too steep. I was surprised as I approached the Bealach below the Corbet summit to find four white horses. Now I know I am not quite right but now I am hallucinating hahaha. However, when the largest sauntered over and nudged me I knew it was real. Unfortunately I didn’t have any apples on me so he wasn’t going to be fed on this occassion.
So next it’s an easy drop down past the Lochan heading South West then South to the Bealach again over easy terrain heading for the wall which I could see from quite a distance away. The climb up to the spot height looks quite impressive. There is a path which follows a good line up through the crags, although faint in places, and I had no problems ascending apart from a fatigue setting up in my legs. I was eating and drinking and taking plenty of breaks but I was dog tired. There is a short climb to the summit whereupon I had another rest with more refreshments. I had passed a couple of walkers on the way in but didn’t think I was moving too fast? Its now an easy enough walk to Lurg Mhor dropping and climbing 150m or so and again I was hurting on the ascent. I met another walker coming down from the summit. We discussed routes back out and the consensus was to come back to the lowest Bealach below Lurg Mhor then head North East down to and crossing the Bealach an Sgoltaidh, then head Northish Up to Bealach Crudhain and back to Bealach Bhearnais.
It didn’t take long to get to Lurg Mhor summit and after a short stop I then heading back as described. I decided to drop down and cross the Allt Bealach Crudhain to walk on the obvious path I could see from higher up the hillside. This was a mistake. The good path quickly turns into a deer track and then into nothing with undulating boggy ground to cross. The last 200m of ascent up to Bealach Bernais was harder than it ought to have been and I was struggling. I arrived at the Bealach knowing I still had 9km to walk to get back to the car. Not only that a lady that was perhaps 15 minutes behind me on Lurg Mhor beat me back to the Bealach hahaha. She had stayed up high and traversed across below the Corbet which was my original planned route.
She had walked in and set up camp on the Bealach so her day was now over. I knew Sgurr Choinnich was only an ascent of 400m over 1.5km but I knew I couldn’t do it. I seem to have lost my enthusiasm and my stamina and my will all at once. Not sure where I go from here.
