Scotland's Mountain Ridges

Page 93 – Castle Ridge

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Approach
There are two customary approaches to the north side of Ben Nevis, both much of a muchness. One takes the Tourist Track from Glen Nevis, escaping just below the mind-numbing zigzags and contouring around the NW shoulder of Carn Dearg to join the Allt a’Mhuilinn by the CIC Hut. The alternative tends to be more popular with climbers: From the North Face car park near Torlundy head SE through trees, soon turning right. One kilometre later a left turn takes steep muddy slopes into the upper valley of the Allt a’Mhuilinn, and thence over sticky bogs to the CIC Hut. This path has recently been given a partial upgrade, firming up some of the worst boggy bits.

Updated text should read:

Approach
There are two customary approaches to the north side of Ben Nevis, both much of a muchness. One takes the Tourist Track from Glen Nevis, escaping just below the mind-numbing zigzags and contouring around the NW shoulder of Carn Dearg to join the Allt a’Mhuilinn by the CIC Hut. A nice new path connects the Tourist Track with the north tip of Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, where it simply terminates; a decision on continuing to the Allt a’Mhuilinn is currently pending (summer 2007). The alternative approach up the Allt a’Mhuilinn from the North Face car park near Torlundy tends to be more popular with climbers. The old route ascended a series of muddy slopes that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Somme. These are currently being bypassed by a new path which climbs through plantations to connect with the forestry track used as a car park by local guides; beyond the gate at the end of this track the route then continues on its old course up the Allt a’Mhuilinn. This latter path has also enjoyed a partial upgrade, firming up some of the worst boggy bits.

Page 210 – Suilven

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Approach
Throughout the approach, Suilven dominates the landscape. Take the surfaced track beside beautiful Loch Druim Suardalain, and through the grounds of Glencanisp Lodge. At the time of writing the estate has just been bought by the Assynt Foundation, an alliance of local people making good use of Scotland’s community buy-out legislation to secure the area’s future on behalf of all residents rather than a dynasty of lairds, to be run with the twin aims of local economic development and regeneration of the natural landscape. This is a fantastic example for communities elsewhere to follow. Keep heading roughly E through fields and thickets of gorse, where the track becomes a path. For several kilometres this undulates gently, following the N bank of the wide boggy valley of the Abhainn na Clach Airigh.

Updated text should read:

Approach
Throughout the approach Suilven dominates the landscape. Take the surfaced track beside beautiful Loch Druim Suardalain, and through the grounds of Glencanisp Lodge. The estate was purchased in recent years by the Assynt Foundation, an alliance of local people hoping to secure the area’s future on behalf of all residents rather than a dynasty of landowners, with a view to regenerating both the local economy and the natural landscape. This was widely hailed as a flagship example of community buy-out, supported by many in the hillwalking fraternity and funded in part by landscape preservation bodies. However in the light of such support a recent proposal to build a windfarm on a prominent hillside close to Suilven seems rather ironic. Is this really in line with the Foundation’s core aim ‘to safeguard natural and cultural heritage of the land for future generations and the enjoyment of the wider public’? Keep heading roughly E through fields and thickets of gorse, where the track becomes a path. For several kilometres this undulates gently, following the N bank of the wide boggy valley of the Abhainn na Clach Airigh.

Page 239 – Cuillin Main Ridge Traverse (info section)

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Time Your guess is as good as mine. The current record, set by an extraordinarily strong contender, stands at just under 3hrs 30mins between the two terminal summits. At the opposite end of the ability scale, two full days is far from unusual. In friendly weather average parties should reckon on something like 10-16hrs, plus a lengthy moorland tramp to start and finish.

Updated text should read:

Time Your guess is as good as mine. The current record, set by an extraordinarily strong contender, stands at just over 3 hours 17 minutes between the two terminal summits. At the opposite end of the ability scale, two full days is far from unusual. In friendly weather average parties should reckon on something like 10-16hrs, plus a lengthy moorland tramp to start and finish.

Page 243 – Cuillin Main Ridge Traverse

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Inaccessible Pinnacle
This menacing shark’s fin forms the true summit of Sgurr Dearg, and is famously the only Munro that requires a rope. In truth many of the other Cuillin Munros are nearly as technical, if less exposed. The pinnacle can readily be avoided, though this would be a shame. Climb the razor-sharp E Ridge in one long roped pitch, which must rank as Britain’s airiest Moderate. Abseil the shorter vertical W side, from a reassuringly substantial hawser under the summit block.

Updated text should read:

Inaccessible Pinnacle
This menacing shark’s fin forms the true summit of Sgurr Dearg, and is famously the only Munro that requires a rope. In truth many Cuillin Munros are similarly technical, if less exposed. The pinnacle can readily be avoided, though this would be a shame. Climb the razor-sharp E Ridge in one long roped pitch, which must rank as Britain’s airiest Moderate. Abseil the shorter vertical W side, from a reassuringly substantial hawser under the summit block. A recent rockfall hasn’t adversely affected the abseil, though the adjacent North West Corner (a VDiff route on the W side of the pinnacle) was damaged.