Читать книгу Walking the Corbetts Vol 2 North of the Great Glen - Brian Johnson - Страница 12

ROUTE 1

Dun da Ghaoithe fort of the two winds

Start	Scallastle Forestry Commission car park (NM 71260 37530)
Distance	16km (10 miles)
Total ascent	890m (2900ft)
Difficulty	The suggested ascent route up the E ridge is steep at the top and crosses a couple of rock bands which will be awkward to climb. It would be unwise to climb the E ridge in poor visibility when it would be difficult to see the weaknesses through the crags. The author would not want to descend this ridge because of the steepness and the difficulty of finding a route through the crags from above. Inexperienced or timid walkers, or experienced walkers in poor weather, should traverse to the N ridge and climb that ridge. Take care with the descent route in poor visibility as it is very steep on the left-hand side and there are crags to the S.
Time	4hr 50min
Summits	Dun da Ghaoithe (766m, 2512ft), Mainnir nam Fiadh (754m)
Maps	OS Landranger 49
Access	From Craignure head NW along the A849 and turn left to Scallastle Forestry Commission car park which is just before the Isle of Mull Hotel.
Note	If you prefer not to climb the top of the steep E ridge you could veer off to the right and contour to cross the Allt an Dubh-choire burn and climb to the N ridge which is easier. The main alternative is to climb and descend by the recommended decent route.

Dun da Ghaoithe is an attractive hill rising above Craignure at the junction of Loch Linnhe, the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull. The steep N-facing slopes with bands of rock on Mainnir nam Fiadh are particularly impressive.

Scallastle River in Coire Mor, Dun da Ghaoithe

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Follow the track from the car park, ignoring a left-hand turn, until you reach the Scallastle River (55m, 69610 37160) with its impressive waterfalls. Cross the bridge, turn left and continue until the track recrosses the burn (110m, 69530 36720). Leave the track just before the bridge turning right up a faint, boggy path along the right-hand side of the burn to a gate in the deer fence (45min, 155m, 69370 36470). Continue up rough pasture along the right-hand side of the burn. When you reach a small tributary on the right (270m, 68760 36190), by two large erratic boulders, head NW up the hillside onto the Maol nan Damh ridge and gradually veer WSW towards Dun da Ghaoithe. After crossing some easy rock bands, the ridge steepens and reaches a short but difficult rock band, which can be easily crossed at a small gap (at 650m, 67430 36420). The final 100m of climb is up a mixture of scree and grass to reach the top rock band. The author climbed this in bad weather and found it uncomfortably steep and slippery. It is the sort of broken crag which probably has an easy way through, but only if you can see it clearly from below. After passing through this rock band it is easy going to the summit of Dun da Ghaoithe (2hr 30min, 766m, 67260 36210).

The summit is a big rockpile which is probably an ancient burial mound. Head S, veering SSE, to a saddle (700m) and up to the trig point and another rockpile on the summit of Mainnir nam Fiadh (2hr 50min, 754m, 67660 35340). The author’s GPS measurements suggest there is actually very little difference in height between Mainnir nam Fiadh and Dun da Ghaoithe.

Head ESE, veering E, down a narrow ridge. Be careful in mist as it would be easy to head down a ridge going off SE. The ridge broadens to reach a good track by the top communications mast (3hr 15min, 550m, 69190 35190). Follow the track, turning left by the lower communications masts (425m, 70290 35840) on Maol nan Uan and down to Achnacroish Farm where the track becomes a tarmac road which is followed down to the A849 (4hr 15min, 20m, 72670 34950). Turn left and it is now a 3km road walk through Craignure and back to the Scallastle car park (4hr 50min).