When a Corbett has the beating of a Munro.....Cul Mor

Hill: Cul Mor
Type: Corbett
Height: 849m

Yesterday I bagged an easy Munro and today was meant to be an easy Corbett. Well one was a relative jaunt for your fit granny and the other, well quite hard work. Walkhighlands describes it as a fine peak and indeed it is.

View from the start a bit gloomy

Cul Mor is the highest of the Assynt Corbetts and has very steep flanks on every side bar this easterly ascent. As I got ready at the car any memory of fleeting heat had long gone. The wind was still wild but much colder. The top of Cul Mor was in cloud, the joys. Of course my gear is shorts and a light waterproof jacket. Final test for the tendon would I even bother?
Well yes, I headed up the well made stalkers track wondering if this was a good idea as the tendon throbbed away. I knew from previous walks that once I started climbing it would ease off and thankfully that happened.
With the amount of rain the good path was still pretty boggy in places.
About a quarter of the way up I reached a cairn where the path became a full time bog, they have obviously had lots of rain up here too.

A brief glimpse of the twin peaks, Cul Mor right, and some of the mini cairns

After this another cairn is reached and the landscape changes to a rocky plateau. The rounding gradient means you never see too far ahead of you so there is a multitude of small cairns to head towards. Apart from the the final section of Ben Nevis I don't think I have ever seen so many cairns on a hill. There is no doubt it would be easy to get lost on this section in bad weather if you cannot navigate, no path to talk of. I could hear calling from the stones and eventually spotted a well camouflaged brown bibbed Dotterel staring at me.

Descent route crosses the steps or come down Creag nan Calman. Cul Beag peak on the left in background

Finally the top of this section on Meallan Diomhain is reached and the special geography of this area is in full view.
After the relative flatness of the landscape Cul Mor is seen in all its glory with two main peaks separated by a sweeping ridge. Creag nan Calman, the smaller peak, is on your left and could be used as part of the descent. Cul Mor looks quite intimidating as i know I am heading off to climb up near the crags not seen from here, heart rate up.
There is also a geographical phenomime known as solifluction terraces where a set of ridges come down like steps, ice age melting and refreezing.

Looking back down the final ridge, steeper than it looks

I took the anti clockwise route across some pathless terrain before coming across a reasonable track. This continued to arch before climbing the steep slopes of Cul Mor. Excellent views looking north, sadly the last views for a while.

A glimpse of the viewing potential

Once the track peters out at the boulder field it is full on scrambling for a short section. I enjoyed that bit but others might not. It reminded me of the section heading up towards Bidean nam Bian, good fun.

Sron Gharbh ridge shows itself, for a minute I thought I might get along it

The tops are in cloud but the weather gods open briefly to show the western ridge over to Sron Gharbh which would normally be an extension of the walk.
That weather gap did not last long as the clouds descended to the lowest today and of course nae views from the cairn.

Gloomy cairn but a spot to escape the wind if nobody else around, Covid isolation

I was in full navigation mode as I headed towards the ridge and the clouds opened for 10 seconds, just enough time to show me how close I was to the crags and a long drop. Although I was aware of the proximity of the edge, my mind said drift in a bit, so I did.
I walked past my descent route for a few minutes but decided the cloud was not going to lift so no point in walking over to the spur of Sron Gharbh, brilliant views apparently if clear but not today.
It took some careful navigation to get back on route, visibility was about 20 metres.
I reached the soft sandy area, strange to be walking on almost a beach, another indication of the geology of this area and our past.

Exiting the cloud heading to the left of that bump ahead

I was dropping out of the clouds and had found a good track but my Walkhighlands route wanted me to come away from it. I did but in retrospect I would have stayed with the track or climbed the other peak and descended from there.

Love the velvet antlers

The contouring was pretty demanding, steep wet rocky sections and grassy/rocky terrain full of traps, not a lot of walking fun but short lived.
The consolation was that I spotted a red deer hind with a calf ahead but also just below a stag was grazing away. he looked up but either could not detect or smell me, or could not be bothered and continued grazing, a great sight so close up. Look at the velvet on those antlers glistening in this light. My concern was that I was directly in between the stag and the hind. When he caught my scent thankfully he trotted off in the other direction.

Spotted

After this contouring I reclimbed the stony slopes to join up with a cairn and start my descent.

Back at Meallan Diomhain, looking back Cul Mor, Suilven peaking out and Canisp on right

I knew there were a couple of walkers some way behind me but now the bus had dropped everybody off. Four different parties (two foreign), some with kids, not all looking good to make this summit but here's hoping.
The descent has excellent views, not the least the ridge of Knockan Crag. The visitor centre and trail is worth a visit, educational in understanding how this is one of the oldest landscapes around. The circular walk has excellent views for little effort.
Back at the car I was aware of my tendon but not as bad as yesterday and this was much more awkward walking. Probably wake up unable to walk, it has been a strange injury.
Sitting at the car stuffing my face with cake and looking across the way at it's smaller twin, Cul Beag, which although smaller looks even tougher, maybe when back later in the month. Cul Mor was still coming in and out of cloud. A return visit required to see those views properly, but that won't be a hardship.
Ok, that's the warm ups done the true extent of the injury will be found out tomorrow, a big, big day ahead.

Wildlife: Meadow Pipit; Dotterel; Red deer stag + hind with calf.
Ascent: 795m
Distance: 12.4km
Time: 4.32