Beinn a’Bheithir - a wonderful round from Ballachulish

PREVIOUS visits to Beinn a’Bheithir, the multi-topped massif that lords it over Ballachulish, Duror and Appin in Argyll have invariably met with considerable frustration because of forestry operations.

My oldest memory of the hill, which has two Munro tops, goes way back to the early seventies and are somewhat dimmed by the mists of time. I can recall sweating up through dank and misty forest plantations, tussling with low branches and falling into peaty furrows. Beyond the forest the weather was just as bad but a sudden clearing of the cloud, like a curtain being lifted on a stage, revealed a grey tumbled landscape, enough to take my breath away and form an impression of wild country, but the curtain fell again almost immediately and once more we were swathed in cloud.

More recently a friend and I climbed the hill from the old manse on the A82. It was a gloriously clear day but forestry clear-fell covered the path creating a horrendous assault course. Once we had negotiated the jumble of branches and logs we found ourselves in a delightful wood beside the Allt Guibhsachain from where steep slopes led to the narrow north ridge of Sgorr Dhearg, at 1024m one of the two Munros. We decided not to bother with the other Munro, Sgorr Dhonuill, 1001metres that day, but followed a horseshoe route round a delightfully narrow ridge to Beinn Bhan and then down through almost impenetrable forest again back to the car.

Nowadays, many of our forests are much more user friendly with waymarked routes and paths through the trees. Probably the most popular route to the two Munros of Beinn a’Bheithir begins in Glennachulish, just west of the curiously named Dragon’s Tooth golf course in South Ballachulish. At the end of the public road a forestry car park marks the beginning of the forest trails, one of which loops it way high into Gleann a’ Chaolais the big corrie that’s formed by the embracing ridges of the two Munros. At the top of this trail a cairn marks the beginning of a footpath that climbs up through the remaining conifers to the open hillside then continues, if rather sketchily, to the high bealach between the two Munro tops.

There were a number of hill-walkers on this route last weekend, trudging up to this high bealach before we went our separate ways, some climbing Sgorr Dhonuill first, others tackling the easier slopes to Sgorr Dhearg and leaving the steeper, rockier climb to the western Munro as a highlight of the day.

Both summits offer remarkable views – the sweeping ridge of Sgorr Dhearg curves round to Beinn Bhan and beyond the long fjiord-like Loch Leven bites hungrily into the landscape. Further south the pass of Glen Coe lies between the long ridge of the Aonach Eagach and the steep-sided Bidean nam Bian massif. You don’t actually realise how narrow Glen Coe is until you see it from here. In the south, across the great jumble of the Blackmount and Glen Etive hills Cruachan stood out clearly, its tops still fringed with snow.

While Sgorr Dhearg is a great viewpoint Sgorr Dhonuill is even better, but you have to work a little harder for its rewards. A much narrower and rockier ridge leads to the summit and last Sunday it was awkward in the icy conditions but as I finally crossed the broad summit ridge to the cairn the reasons why I climb mountains suddenly swamped me in a flow of emotion. It was a combination of endorphin rush mixed with the notions of freedom, the insignificance of man against the more lasting realities of these ancient glens and hills and the simple, child-like pleasure in being up high, with an eagles-eye view of the watery west laid out below.

Loch Linnhe stretched out towards the Sound of Mull and away in the far distance the Paps of Jura rose above the sparkling sea. Closer at hand Ben More of Mull stood defiant and across the loch, rising from a bright green sward, Garbh Bheinn of Ardgour rose on steep rocky flanks. The classic combination of sea and mountain reminded me once again that there are few places on earth as glorious as the coast of the western highlands.