Ben Wyvis & All His Tops

9 September 2010 (Archival Post)

During a week at Ullapool, Richard wanted a day off after our ascent of Conival & Ben More Assynt the day before so he went off to do his own thing and I went for an ‘easy’ day on Ben Wyvis. However, at that stage, I wasn’t sure whether I was going for the whole thing (including all 3 tops) or just An Cabar to Tom a’ Choinnich. I was determined at least to do the full main ridge though. It all depended on the weather and how I was feeling when I got there.

I set off in gleaming sunshine and sped rapidly across the Dirrie More – what a superb drive that is from Ullapool! Despite it being 25 miles, I was parked in the Wyvis carpark within half an hour – round our way it would have taken an hour! I’d had a good lie-in so it was 1130 when I arrived.

An Cabar – Ben Wyvis

It was pretty warm going up the great new path through the forest and I soon ended up zipping off my legs (trouser legs that is). I was feeling pretty tired to start and soaked my buff in the burn (take that how you want 😉 ) – sticking it cold and soaking back on my head made me feel miles better. I soon reached the foot of the steep path up An Cabar. I was a little waylaid on the first part of this section as it contained the best bilberries I’d seen all year – I was soon looking like a heart-attack victim with blue lips…

There were people ahead as I started to ascend the massive stone-pitching – the steps are about a foot tall – quite big for stone pitch steps! This ensures reasonable progress but is quite tiring, even for someone with my leg-length. I soon caught up another couple having a rest – she was finding it hot – she should’ve soaked her buff too! There was a lone figure further ahead making rapid progress but I soon saw this involved cheating by missing poor ol’ An Cabar out and taking a path below it straight for the main summit! (I met her later however and had to forgive her as it was her local hill so she probably did it most weeks).

Massive Stone Pitch Steps!

Halfway up An Cabar

Little Wyvis

The climb up to An Cabar is pretty strenuous and I was a little unhappy near the top where the new path goes on the right-hand side over the craggy bits! I would have preferred the old route up the middle of the ridge myself – another lady at the summit later said the same thing. By the cairn of An Cabar I was now in thick mist but the way is obvious so I plodded off along the gentle and pleasant ridge on one of the paths.

I soon came across another cairn on what appeared to be a summit but decided it was much too soon – getting the map out confirmed I was only partway there as it is a couple of miles along the ridge. I plodded sightlessly on along the easy ridge… The map indicated that, to my surprise, there were crags over the right-hand side – I peered over and there was some broken crag and steep slopes. Soon the summit cairn appeared with three people and a dog. I sat for a short while and had a coffee and ate half of the slice of Richard’s wonderful tealoaf I’d brought and joined in the conversation a bit but the others were all dog-owners so had much more in common.

Ben Wyvis’s Craggier Side

After about 5 minutes I’d zipped my legs back on as it was getting pretty cold, taken a bearing along the rest of the ridge (I needed NNW), saw a path setting off in that direction, put my compass back down my t-shirt and set off along it. I keep making that mistake!

After about 5 minutes descent of the ridge I popped out of the mist. What I saw ahead was completely wrong! Instead of the ridge curving left and going up to Tom a’ Choinnich, it gently petered out on a slight downhill and some rocky ground – hmmm… I fished my compass out and checked it – I was heading east! I went across to the other side of the ridge and peered back into the mist – I could vaguely see I was over a valley with more mountain the other side – totally wrong. Further study of the map showed I’d come along the short eastern spur of the mountain – duhh!

There was nothing for it but to go back to the summit cairn where the others were just leaving – I felt really stupid! I took another NNW bearing and set off along it – soon another path materialised. I decided to follow it but keep my compass in view and check it continued NNW… It did and I soon re-descended out of the mist to the correct view – Tom a’ Choinnich rising to my left across a col. I noted that the tops out the back of the mountain were out and in full sun. They’re a couple of miles away so I debated for a while whether to go for them or not. In the end I decided I really wouldn’t want to do them separately, they were in lovely weather and that I should go for it and not be so lazy!

The Top of Glas Leathad Beag

It was best to first ascend to the shoulder of Tom a’ Choinnich on a narrow trod and then set off across the back of the hill for the ridge which takes you out on the long walk to the tops. It was good going so I ran all the downhill bits and some of the flat bits.

Just before the top, there is another hill – this is the steep bit. It was short but quite a grunt up it – I was glad to get to the top and continue the gentler ridge across a dip to the top.

The top came much sooner than I thought and I touched the cairn and turned round to see spectacular weather forming over the main Wyvis ridge. The sky had gone very black and the crags looked magnificently brooding – I took a few photos while heading back to Tom a’ Choinnich. On the return, there was a superb corrie below me on the right above Wyvis Lodge and its loch – looks a beautiful valley going past the lodge.

Tom a’ Choinnich from Glas Leathad Beag

Glas Leathad Mor (the main summit)

I was soon puffing up the back of Tom a’ Choinnich – the ascent of which seemed to go on forever…

At the top I briefly surveyed the long route back to the An Cabar path. The Forestry Commission sign had assured that there was a path back along the forest edge but I couldn’t see one – I could see it was very rough ground however and quite a few miles. I thumped rapidly straight down the ridge on the rough, steep hillside. Even my legs felt the strain – not my knees (they never do) but the roughness was giving my feet and ankles quite a bashing and I felt like I was getting shinsplints!

Ben Wyvis from Tom a’ Choinnich descent

I reached the bottom of the ridge and crossed the peat-hagged col looking for the path coming from the little hill next door. By the time I started to ascend the slight hillside going up to the forest I knew there was no path. I couldn’t decide whether to just follow the edge of the forest (where the path should run) or follow the burn through the trees to the forest road about a mile away… but first I had to get to the burn where I knew walking would be much easier along the bank.

The peat hags and tufts seemed to go on for ages until I finally reached the burn. I then found there was a nice deer path going along the far bank – and more juicy bilberries! When I reached the point where the burn disappears into the forest I still couldn’t decide whether to try to follow it or just to continue along the forest edge. I saw a gate back on the far river bank but couldn’t see an obvious path leading from it into the woods – the river had become wider and more awkward to cross by now too. I wavered for a while, climbed up the bank along the forest edge (seemed quite a climb as by now I was pretty tired) and had another look. I still couldn’t see anything useful so decided it was the forest edge walk.

Shortly after I’d ascended quite a bit more through various bad bogs, I looked back again and could see a faint path across the river running under the forest edge heading for the gate. Never mind, I’d gone this way now… I squelched on…

After a short while I saw a stile over the deer fence into the forest – that must mean a path, I thought… I climbed over it and saw a slight path heading into the trees and a firebreak. The firebreak continued but the path gave up immediately. Never mind, the firebreak would do, despite being very boggy indeed…

A few minutes into the forest I noticed a dark shape ahead which made me feel uneasy… I looked up to see a large stag looking challengingly at me and not too many yards away – oo-err! I know that mostly stags are afraid of us but thought he’d probably see this as his territory and me as a threat or a competitor. I started to worry… It was too far for me to run back to the stile and was uphill anyway – I can’t run uphill… and I’m damn sure I can’t outrun a stag! We stared at each other… I thought my only chance if he charged was to run round and round a tree – it would look funny anyway 😉

I thought if I hid briefly, he might take the chance to leave so bobbed into the trees. After quite a few seconds, I peeped my head out to see the firebreak was clear. I still had to pass where he’d been though. Filled with trepidation I set off creeping down the firebreak. As I got closer I heard his high-pitched warning bark to the others – he was still very close indeed… I continued even more cautiously and after another minute or so was relieved to hear more barks but much further away – phew! But the whole ride stank strongly of deer which continued to make me feel uneasy all the way down it (sorry, no photos of the stag – he might charge!)

After about a mile vehicle tracks appeared in the soft ground. The firebreak then headed back under Ben Wyvis in completely the opposite direction to where I wanted to go! I assumed though, that the vehicle tracks meant I must be heading towards the forest road proper. I also knew I hadn’t reached the burn I was following earlier so hadn’t lost too much ground.

Luckily in about half a mile the firebreak did reach the forest road where it was only about another mile back to the carpark. I had another quick coffee, got quite midged, then plodded wearily back to the car. I was surprised to see the whole walk had only taken just over 6 hours.

Stats: 17.5 miles, 4293 feet of ascent, 6 hrs 15