Date: Thursday 20th July 2023
Company: Myself and Ann-Marie
Distance: 23.2km, Ascent: 1120m
Time: 7Hrs
On Thursday morning, Ann-Marie picked me up from home on the way to Mallaig from where we caught the 10.15am ferry to Inverie.
Western Isles ferry at Mallaig:
The forty-five minute crossing from Mallaig to Inverie passed very quickly as we watched the sea for cetaceans. I managed to spot two Harbour Porpoise
.Approaching Inverie:
On reaching Inverie, we walked from the pier to the Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse where we would be spending the next three nights. By the time we reached the bunkhouse, dropped-off our bags and filled our water bottles it was already 11:30am. It had originally been our intention to spend the rest of the day chilling in Inverie but I reckoned we still had sufficient time for an out and back ascent of Ladhar Bheinn via An Diollaid. We therefore set off walking from the bunkhouse back towards the centre of Inverie.
Route:
As we walked back through Inverie, we passed the Old Forge pub. While there would be many highlights to this fantastic visit to Inverie, the Old Forge being closed was not one of them. Looking forward to the pub re-opening and revisiting.
A short distance past the Old Forge, we took the Mam Uidhe track which I last walked in 2010 to ascend the Corbett, Beinn na Caillich.
Walking along the Mam Uidhe track:
On reaching the track junction at Folach Gate, we took the right fork which leads towards Folach and beyond to Ladhar Bheinn.
Track junction at Folach Gate:
As we walked along the track we listened to the birds singing and watched the dragons and damsels flying above the track.
Following the Gleann na Guiserein track towards Folach:
On reaching the bridge over the Allt Coire Torr an Asgaill, a short distance before Folach, we stopped for a drink and to put on gaiters. A short distance beyond Folach we commenced our ascent towards An Diollaid.
Folach:
Our route of ascent is often used as the descent route when undertaking a longer circuit of Ladhar Bheinn from Inverie. There is a path to follow from base to summit which makes for easy walking.
Ascent of Coire Garbh towards An Diollaid:
For the fairly relentless >500m of ascent to An Diollaid, we paced the ascent taking a 30 second rest after every 100 paces. I've found this works well on relentlessly steep ground.
Looking back during ascent:
We met a couple of young lads just before An Doillaid and another couple, perhaps father and son, a short distance beyond An Diollaid. Always nice to meet others on the hill.
As we were undertaking an out and back via the same route we took the opportunity to leave our rucksacks for the final 300m of ascent.
Ascent of Ladhar Bheinn from An Diollaid:
Looking back towards the head of Loch Nevis:
The ascent of Ladhar Bheinn via this route was very easy compared to my previous ascent from Kinloch Hourn via Barrisdale.
Looking back towards An Diollaid and beyond to Beinn na Caillich:
Solifluction on Ladhar Bheinn's upper slopes:
Despite the weather being mixed, it was good to get a view down to Kinloch Hourn. The people we had met during the ascent advised they didn't get a view from the summit as it was capped in cloud. We were fortunate in that the cloud temporarily lifted above the summit as we approached.
Looking down to Loch Hourn:
I recognised the trig point from photos seen on various recent web reports.
Trig point:
View towards Ladhar Bheinn's summit from the trig point:
From the trig point we continued along the ridge to the summit which lies a short distance beyond.
Approaching the summit of Ladhar Bheinn:
Ladhar Bheinn summit:
On reaching the summit we continued on a short distance to also visit the viewpoint cairn before returning back the same way collecting our rucksacks on the way down to An Diollaid.
Loch Hourn from the viewpoint cairn beyond the summit:
Descent from An Diollaid towards Folach:
As we walked back at a good pace, we managed to catch the Knoydart shop just before it closed. It was nice to have a cold beer after the hill
.Time for a beer on return to Inverie:
From the shore at Inverie we walked back to the Foundation Bunkhouse where we spent the first of three nights in really enjoyable company.