Liathach finally done

Liathach in June without snow

Six or so years ago my friends Willy, Margaret Anne and myself came down off the Spidean a’Choire Leith Munro of the Liathach Ridge having been faced with a terrific snow storm in June!  At last I was back again on a day of sunshine and cool winds.

A constant stream of hill walkers were ahead of me, or passed me, as I plodded up so I was surprised to get as close as ten yards away from a young stag which had eight or ten points in the antlers, with the velvet covering on the horns very pronounced.  He was grazing away unconcerned about how close I was passing. I put it down to the hard winter and he was determined to enjoy the young grass shoots. I have never been that close before and could smell the muskie odour very clearly.  No other deer was to be seen all that day.

Higher up the hill I could clearly see the three summits which had been snow covered last time and after much plodding I reached the third and final summit – in five hours.  I was very slow due to a strain in my Achilles tendon.

At the summit I could look down to the other end of the ridge and swithered about continuing on – but I had done the other Munro before – so after half an hour of day dreaming I started off back down to the car. The whole walk had taken ten hours in total and I was very tired by the end. When I got back fairly late to the hotel they said they had nearly got in touch with the mountain rescue people!

The other views are of previous Munros including Beinn Eighe.

Advertisement