Fiona Bagging from Corrour: Creag Ghuanach and Beinn na Cloiche

Find out about a hiking adventure in February when my friend Cath and I walked to the summits of two remote mountains Creag Ghuanach and Beinn na Cloiche, from Corrour.

View of Loch Ossian.

A big adventure from Corrour

A walk to reach two remote Highlands mountains was always going to be long outing but when Cath and I reached a crux point at a river crossing, we realised it was going to be a much bigger undertaking.

Our plan, mapped as accurately as we could before setting off from Loch Ossian Youth Hostel on the Corrour Estate to the summits of Creag Ghuanach and Beinn na Cloiche, had revealed a route of around 26km and close to 1220m of ascent.

At first, we followed a pleasingly easy-going Landrover track that undulated and descended west and then north-westerly. The morning was bright and patches of blue sky gave us hope that the dry forecast would be correct.

To our left, the wide ridge of Leum Uilleim, a mountain that features on Scotland’s list of 222 Corbetts, loomed lonely but majestically amid a vast moorland of grass and heather. Behind us, we looked up at the Munro, Beinn na Lap, one of 282 Scottish mountains with a height of more than 3000ft.

Ahead, we had our first glimpse of a long, narrow stretch of freshwater, Loch Treig, which glimmered in the weak sun. The track led us along the southern shore of the loch, skirting to the north of two rocky lumps of land before crossing a wooden bridge over a river, Abhainn Rath.

It was a river that we would be paying close attention to as we began the climb of Creag Ghuanach.

Setting off from the hostel to walk two Fionas.

Leaning signage!

Cath crosses a bridge.

Ascent of the first Fiona, Creag Ghuanach

Leaving behind an obvious path along Abhainn Rath, which eventually takes walkers to the town of Fort William or the village of Kinlochleven in the west, we zig-zagged our way steeply uphill on a rough terrain, carefully picking a route between crags and over grass, moss and bracken.

We were grateful to be sheltered for the time being from a northerly wind although we could hear it rushing over the mountain top.

Each time as we stopped to catch our breath, we looked down to the glen and discussed the state of the river. We were keen to cross on stepping stones as marked on the OS map, but we were concerned the water level would be too high.

For now though, we pushed upwards, finally cresting on to a high plateau after a 1200ft climb and met the strong wind face on.

Cath and I on the summit of the first Corbett.

A small pile of stones sat on a rocky outcrop at 2037ft elevation and after quickly checking our descent route, we set off again.

Creag Ghuanach is one of list of 231 peaks known as Grahams and defined in metric measurements as between 600m (1968ft) and 762m (2500ft) tall.

One of the reasons for choosing Creag Ghuanach and another Graham, Beinn na Cloich, for our adventure was their relative height, which Cath and I hoped would give us the advantage of staying below the clouds and away from the worst of the buffeting wind.

Walking downhill, our eyes returned to the river – and the closer we got to the bank, the more we doubted our plan to reach the other side. Recent rain had swollen the water volume and created a strong current.

While the large stepping stones were just about evident, they were well below the water’s surface.

Summit of Fiona 2.

Wade though – or walk round?

This was our crux decision: Whether to wade across a river in spate, up to our thighs, and continue our shorter planned route to the next summit, or if we should find an alternative way.

Reluctantly, we had to conclude that option one was too dangerous and, frustratingly, option two would add many miles to our day.

And, so, with heavy hearts we plodded back along the river bank and towards Loch Treig. After a short stretch on the shore agin, we turned south on to a path that would eventually lead to Beinn na Cloiche, albeit on the opposite side to the one we had expected to ascend.

We took some comfort from the new route, which although boggy, stoney and rutted, was easy to see and ascended gradually through a wide but sheltered glen. With a renewed sense of purpose, Cath and I picked up the pace and strode out companionably.

The views were also a treat with rugged mountains on both sides and another dramatic stretch of water, Blackwater Reservoir, in the distance.

Did you know?: Corrour is a privately owned 57,000 acre Highland estate on the edge of Rannoch Moor.

A long walk back to the hostel.

Ascent of Fiona number 2: Beinn na Cloich

More than four miles later, we came to the southern flank of Beinn na Cloich and again we stepped off a path on to thick, untrodden vegetation. Choosing as direct route as possible, we climbed steeply, hoping the summit would come quickly.

It didn’t, of course, and over 365m of ascent our second Graham taunted us with false top after false top, until eventually we reached a small cairn at 6454m elevation.

Resting just below and out of the wind, Cath and I contemplated the map again. We had the choice to return to the glen path, or strike off north and descend a less hospitable terrain but in a more direct line. Both would return us to the shore of Loch Treig.

We decided on the latter option and while the ground proved to be an uncompromising patchwork of grassy tussocks, bog and rocks, it felt good to be heading back towards the hostel.

Did you know?: Loch Trèig, translates as “loch of death” in Gaelic. Folklore has it the loch was the home of a fierce supernatural water-horse called the “Each-Uisge”.

Loch Ossian Youth Hostel.

Return walk to Loch Ossian Youth Hostel

The extra miles and unplanned additional ascent had cost us time and left our leg muscles weary – and, at the lochside, we realised we still had another four miles to walk on the track we had so joyfully descended at the start of the day.

That earlier descent meant a re-ascent, including almost 200m of climbing, and a race against the daylight. Cath’s feet had become badly blistered over the many hours of hiking and my energy reserves had diminished.

We munched on jelly sweets, pushed on as fast was we could tolerate and just as the sun was setting, we opened the door of the hostel again to be greeted by friends who had been enjoying their own adventures all day.

A welcoming hostel with friends

As we were handed welcome glasses of wine and served plates of pasta, Cath and I checked our GPS watches to discover our planned route had been extended by an extra 10k and another 200m of climb.

However, we also reflected that the rewards of the day far outweighed the challenges. It had been a privilege to bag two remote mountains in an area of spectacular wilderness, with impressive solitude and against the odds of nature.

How to get to Corrour

Corrour is accessible only on foot, by bicycle or by train. Corrour Station lies between Rannoch and Tulloch stations on the Glasgow to Fort William West Highland Line. Check scotrail.co.uk for times.

There is accommodation a mile from the station at Corrour at Hostelling Scotland’s Loch Ossian Youth Hostel.

For other accommodation see: www.corrour.co.uk.

It’s also possible to wild camp according to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.