Beinn Dearg, Ullapool - 18th July 2017

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

It was in May 2009 that I walked 3 out of 4 of the Ullapool Beinn Deargs with the Morley gathering. I remember it as a particularly rough year. I'd been diagnosed with Crohn's, had umpteen operations, 'investigations', and failed at a number of drugs to try to gain control. It did end fairly well with me being put on yet another which did eventually help. And obviously, bagging 3 munros was pretty good going for the time. So much has happened since, but the mountains were still there. The one I'd missed was Beinn Dearg itself...

It was early, I was awake and restless well before the alarm. Eventually around 5am I got up, the chance of sleep would have been slim and any I did get unlikely to do me much good. Faffing with breakfast, making sure I had lunch, water, etc in my pack took me to 7am. The roads to Ullapool were relatively quite on this weekday morning so I made good time. At Inverlael the height barrier at the entrance to the walkers car park was open - I didn't have to be creative in parking the van on the verge. An enterprising couple had camped on the grass beside the gravel parking. More walkers turned up. I set off on the track to the forest at a brisk pace as there was a long walk-in before things started to get serious.

Approaching the end of the forest a couple on bikes came puffing by me and stopped by the gate into Gleann na Squaib. They were going to leave their bikes locked up here at the end of the track and continue on foot. She was going to Cona Mheall (pronounced something like: conna-val). She caught me up later as I stopped to take photos but I don't know what he was doing. Gleann na Sguaib is a beautiful long glen climbing steadily at first with the meandering River Lael in the bottom. Heather and to some extent bracken lines the banks of the river. Ahead the dark crags of Beinn Dearg's dramatic northern face stand out. A small cairn marks where the path splits, to the left a narrow paths heads for the slopes of Eididh nan Clach Geala. Continuing, the upper glen becomes rougher, rivers cross the path, and the feel really changes. You are now amongst mountains.

I pass Lochan Lathail, and wondered if anyone has camped on it on it's small island. Weed on the lochan bottom fluoresced brightly in the sunlight. I continue on, climbing out of the coire the lochan sits in is steep and the path zigzags wildly. I refilled my water bottle from one of the streams crossing the path. It was cold, clear, and tasted lovely. Ahead, lay more unnamed lochans and another climb, hopefully the last. I was starting to feel tired. I noticed a large boulder with a small cairn above me, grateful as I recognised it from before. This is finally the col.

Seeing the wall on the far side of the col gives me a bit of a boost. It's been a long walk in. I cross boulder strewn ground, skirt another lochan, and a few boggy patches dotted here and there. Just over the col I join the path alongside the wall right beside a small cairn. A marker to those coming off the top to turn left here. Following the wall up the north east ridge it looks pretty much as I remember. An easy start, then it climbs steeply around and over boulders. Many of the boulders in the wall are massive, I wonder who built it?! I clamber over some boulders and surprisingly deftly hop others. Occasionally a path appears skirting an area only to consist of loose gravel. Given the choice I attack the boulders. None of them are too big to scale somehow. Taking a breather I notice a couple are below me making quick progress. The gradient eventually eases and the boulders thin out. The wall makes a turn to the right and I know I've got this. I go through the gap in the wall at the corner and follow the path through further less angled boulder fields.

The large summit cairn sits at the eastern end of an elongated dome above Coire Ghranda to the east. I have it to myself for only a couple of minutes before the couple reach it as well. In the distance Ben Wyvis and friends stand out. Loch Glascarnoch is nearer than I expect, it's waters, typically, look to be very low. Round to the west is An Teallach, an icon of a mountain. Stac Pollaidh could be seen in the haze along with Suilven. They are distinctive, yet are not munros but who can deny they have a certain something special about them. I didn't stay long. The breeze had morphed into a bit of a hoolie, but the heat of the sun was getting to me. I took lots of photos, wandered about a bit and grabbed some more food to eat on the way down. It was a long way back, and wasn't going to be any easier than coming up.