Gairich and Beinn Tharsuinn & Sgurr na Feartaig; 15 June 2025
Gairich
As we left Inverness there was a sense of hope that maybe the weather experts had got it wrong. We had expected light rain and wind but here we were looking up at blue sky and sunshine. We headed off in our cars towards Invergarry thinking ... hmmm maybe it wouldn’t be a soggy day after all.
So, seven of us started our walk in muggy, slightly windy conditions, first crossing the impressive Loch Quoich Dam and expressing our thanks that midges do not like breeze. From here we could see the craggy northeast face of Gairich (‘the roaring’) covered in cloud. The mood was upbeat and everyone ‘gelled’ straight away.
The path was rough and boggy and everyone did their best to keep their socks dry. It was when we started to climb the zig zaggy stalkers path of Druim na Geid Salaich the drizzly rain made its appearance and at that point most of the group decided to don their waterproofs. We soon reached the plateau of Bac nam Foid where the path became less distinct. The damp weather did not seem to have affected our spirits as we pushed on towards steeper ground; however the lively conversation died down as we decided to conserve our energy and concentrate on breathing through those steeper sections! At this point we were well up into the cloud and any hopes of clear panoramic views or ‘selfies’ with a stunning backdrop of scenery behind us were dashed. The path kept to the left of the ridgeline at first and with more zig zags and heavier breathing we reached the foot of another steeper section, this path would eventually take us up onto the ridge but not before we conquered a tiny bit of simple scrambling.
We decided not to hang about at the summit as there really wasn’t much to look at in the cloud and mist other than the circular cairn at 919 meters and each other’s sandwiches and rolls! The rain continued to fall very lightly but it was not cold.
We returned the same way with more or less everyone commenting that the boggy bits seemed to be boggier and putting our vaulting skills to use! The banter was good and it being my second meet up I felt welcomed and at home with the group. I had some really helpful conversations with Martin about map reading and walking on scree and Tim’s jokes kept the party atmosphere going!
Although we did not get the superb views of Loch Quoich and the peaks of Knoydart and Glendessary, I think it would be safe to say that everyone enjoyed the day and the opportunity to be in nature and walk with others who share a passion of being outside even if it was a ‘dreich day’.
Taking part: Martin, Stela, Tim, David, Jan, Michael; and Prospective member Rachel.
Words: Rachel; Photos: Rachel and Martin
Beinn Tharsuinn & Sgurr na Feartaig
Our group of Mel, Donna, John, Richard, Lukasz, Kieran, Rob, Taz and Orla the dog set off at a quick pace on their way to Beinn Tharsuinn to escape the midgies in the Craig forest carpark. The going was good along the track taking us up to the first views of the glen although summits of both Corbetts and Munros were invisible in the mist.
We arrived at the wire bridge (just 2 wires) providing an interesting crossing of the river, but the going continued to be good on the other side following a stalkers path. Arriving at the Bealach Bhearnais, we left the path and headed into the clag up a steep grassy slope that thankfully turned out to be a lot shorter than it looked! The ridge line treated us to many false summits and it was with relief that we arrived at the very small summit cairn on Beinn Thasuinn.
Lukasz, Kieran and Rob were keen to climb Sgurr na Feartaig on the way back whilst the rest of us retraced our steps. They caught us up after the Shoogly bridge, heading back together along the track where we could enjoy a good chat and the view down to Achnashellach. A long but enjoyable walk with a great team, especially Orla!
Taking Part: Mel, Donna, John, Richard, Lukasz; Prospective members Kieran & Rob, and Guest Taz, not forgetting Orla the dog!
Words: Mel
Photos: Kieran & Lucasz
