Remote Glas Bheinn.....The hill of the ticks

Hill: Glas Bheinn (Grey Hill)

Type: Corbett

Height: 776m

Feeling better today so decided on a bigger test. I was thinking about Quinag but not really in that shape so opted for its singular neighbour, Glas Bheinn. I knew this was a 6-hour ramble today, but the forecast was the best day of the trip so made use of it.

Two options for this hill and I opted for the longer, less direct route. I parked at the car park near the Inchnadamph Hotel. My jinx is still with me as my GPS did not have this walk in its memory. I knew I had set it up last night but no idea what happened. Mmm decision time. The hills were shrouded in cloud but were forecast to lift. I did have my OS map and compass, with the route highlighted so old school today, off I went.

After the hostel I bumped into a couple of walkers staring at a map. Are you heading to the Munros they asked? Nope, we looked at their map and got them right and to be sure I walked the track with them to their cut off. But because we were talking, I missed my cut off into the hills indicated by a very small cairn.

This is a Corbett, not an almighty Munro so no motorway size tracks here. I was expecting a small wooden post as this is also a section of the Cape Wrath trail. It has a reputation as an extreme challenge so maybe markers don't go with it.

Gate to nowhere

The non-obvious path now became a recognised one and had me puffing as I climbed to reach the old gate to nowhere, by this time I was sweating back style, where had this heat come from, jacket and hat off.

The only sound was the gurgling of the river as I ploughed on climbing all the time.

I reached a small shelter with a wooden bench, room for two but a good view of a waterfall, more about this shelter later.

After about an hours walking I got my first view of my target the ridge still in cloud.

More ups and downs on the rocky/stony/boggy narrow track but at least someone had put some work into it. But this is real isolation, a very remote piece of our land.

Eventually the path descended via a very boggy section to reach the outflow of the larger Loch Fleodach Coire. This was the bit I was unsure about, if the river was in spate turn back time. Although the stepping-stones were slippery and some of them submerged it was passable.

Green lochan

After crossing the outflow where was the path? I walked along the very boggy edge of the loch to meet another burn crossing, then another!! Some trampled grass indicated a path, yippee. But it was going up away from where I wanted to be albeit I knew from my map that it would turn around higher up. Looking at the terrain a direct route to the base of the hill was clear but unpredictable. Being on my own I stuck to the path for now. With the ups and downs there is a lot more ascent than the hill height suggests.

Heading for grassy rake mid left

Now another decision as my map was now differing from the Walkhighlands description which thankfully I had downloaded as text on my phone. I had to take a much longer walk than expected to the base of the hill, crossing some very wet and boggy sections.

Turning from grass to boulder scree

A few of these hiding in the grassy bog

I knew this was now a series of elevations to the plateau. Sticking to grassy sections as much as I could I reached an open grassy area surprising some hinds but were they bothered, nope.

1st of a few sightings

The next two lifts were awkward boulder/scree sections. Now I was into proper Assynt Corbett tops terrain.

Finally a plateau was reached but no sign of the top. I had seen what I thought was the top cairn but just a line of sight one. Easier walking with areas of grass and stones but aware of how close to the drops I was.

Then I spotted it over the plateau at 10 o’clock so a different angle to the one I was on, yes I had not been looking at the map. With relief the big cairn and shelter was reached. Decent views but not the best I have had on these hills, not a patch on Breabag for instance. Looking back the clouds were romping towards me so I wasn't hanging about.

Quinag

Looking back along the plateau

Canisp & Suilven

Glad to be off the scree. More deer on the grass

Inchnadamph looks close but still a few hours away

The views over to Quinag showed its tops still covered in cloud. Nice views out to sea and the stony landscape close by. As I was self-navigating I wanted to get away from the steep drops before the cloud covered me. Big plateaus can be awkward to navigate for my skillset.

Heading back to the stepping stones, Conival's peak just in shot

Snap doesn't do waterfall justice, the noise was spectacular and soothing

Got back down, over the moor and across the stones safely and climbed back to the shelter for my sandwich. I sat on the grass listening to the waterfall tumble down from its great height, genuine tranquillity. A wilderness all to myself. Just as I finished my sandwich, I noticed a tick crawling up my arm. I killed it but noticed another on my underarm. As it was despatched, I saw one on my jacket sleeve and another on my rucksack. Despatched those two then headed off at a pace with still at least another hours walking. On the descent I felt something on my neck and scalp, three more times, each a tick was killed but now every itch or whatever had me paranoid.

Almost back. Took this on the ascent as loved the sky.

Was I glad to get back to the car and go through all clothing and gear but no more ticks found. Thankfully likewise back in the shower.

Overall, ticks aside, a superb long-distance ramble. Certainly not one to be walked in poor weather unless absolutely sure of your outdoor skills. This is genuinely one very remote place. I was solo in more ways than one, not another person spotted. But it is a while since I had the buzz of solo walking in a remote environment. Certainly not a feeling I get in group walking or even with just one other. This being alive buzz only comes from solo walking. You really can get Scotland to yourself.

As I looked over at Quinag it was heavily covered in very dark clouds, I made the right choice.

Ascent: 900m

Distance: 18.1km

Time: 5.38

Wildlife: Chaffinch; Meadow Pipit; Red Deer (hinds); Raven (heard); Buzzard; Scotch Argus; Red Admiral;