A Day on Ladhar Bheinn in the Rough Bounds of Knoydart

by - 20:50 on 25 July 2007

To be honest, our day on the big hill started badly. We suspect our landlady had imbibed a little freely the night before in the pub. Anyway, we had to knock on her door to get her up to make us breakfast. It made for an hour’s delay and we never got it back.

Then there was the matter of the route. The usually totally reliable Scottish Mountaineering Club Munros guidebook’s description of Ladhar Bheinn suggested that, if coming in from Inverie (see previous blog), then the way was northwards into Gleann na Guiserein, circling eastwards to the ruined house (Folach), then a slog up the western flanks of the hill via Coire Garbh (the ‘rough corrie’ – there’s a surprise) to reach the summit ridge. Afterwards, the guidebook advised, the route should be continued eastwards, with great views in all directions, especially to remote Loch Hourn, then down and over rough grounds, west along a ridge, before eventually circling back to the village via Gleann an Dubh Lochan. Got that?  Yes, you do need Ordnance Survey Landranger map number 33.

  To any reader who has not yet climbed Ladhar Bheinn: do not go this way. Start from the Gleann an Dubh Lochan and do it in reverse – that is, anti-clockwise from Inverie. In the years of walking and climbing I cannot think of a more tedious, relentless slope than the pull up from the woods of Gleann na Guiserein - a lonely, empty place. Once on the ridge, at least the reward was a northwards view, strictly speaking out of the ‘Rough Bounds’, though it looked pretty rough to me (or was that how we were feeling?).

The top, hitherto clear all day, then caught the cloud and removed the view just as we reached the summit. Some hillwalkers, at least, will know this feeling: mid afternoon, in cloud, uncertainty of the route ahead, except a guidebook warning and a map suggestion that it is broken ground. Go on and complete the circular route - or go back? We applied the usual Scottish hillwalking criterion that if it is difficult to spell, it is often difficult to walk over. You’d be surprised how often this works – I mean, we were going to end up in a glen spelt 'gleann’. So we went back – yes, down that tedious slope. Naturally, the cloud lifted again as soon as we turned our backs. Grrr. If only we’d been an hour earlier… 

All right, I can hear the hoots of derision from the hardened walkers and hill stravaigers but it was getting late, honest.

Anyway, we made it back in time for dinner at our hostess’s and I chose the lamb shank, which was overcooked to the point that it was vulcanised. But that’s another story. Altogether a rough-ish day in the rough bounds. But still a great experience to see such wildness. 

Troubled by midges and clegs? - this is distinct possibility in Knoydart this summer! - then go for the natural option with Mozzy Off! http://www.naturalbeautyscotland.com/department/midges_beware_/

More Scottish blogs from Gilbert Summers

 

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