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ROUTE 6

Garbh Bheinn rough mountain

Start	Abhainn Coire an Iubhair (NM 92850 59730)
Distance	12km (8 miles)
Total ascent	1310m (4300ft)
Difficulty	The rough path up the SE ridge of Garbh Bheinn has occasional rocksteps and slabs to climb. The suggested route is only for experienced mountaineers in good weather. It involves finding the only feasible route through the steep crags down the N face of Garbh Bheinn; a route which is not obvious from above and would be very difficult to follow in bad visibility. Most walkers will want to return by the ascent route rather than follow the suggested traverse of Beinn Bheag and Druim an Iubhair. This is one of the most difficult mountains on the Scottish mainland to explore and not a mountain on which inexperienced walkers should take any chances.
Time	6hr 25min
Summits	Gharbh Choire Bhig (823m), Garbh Bheinn (885m, 2903ft), Beinn Bheag (736m, Graham), Sgurr Mhic Eacharna (650m, Graham)
Maps	OS Landranger 40 and 49
Access	Follow the A861 E from Strontian and park beside the old road bridge across the Abhainn Coire an Iubhair, about 600m before the junction with the B8043.
Note	Walkers should think of returning down the SE ridge as the normal descent route. Another possibility is descending steeply NE from the saddle between Garbh Bheinn and Garbh Coire Bhig. There is a bit of a rough path down the corrie, but the author has not tested this route and it looks rather unpleasant when viewed from across the glen.

Garbh Bheinn is a magnificent mountain. Steep crags protect the mountain on all sides and it is a mecca for rock climbers and scramblers as well as walkers. It appears to be impregnable from most directions and the SE ridge is the only relatively easy approach. There are good views across Loch Linnhe towards Glen Coe.

N face of Garbh Bheinn

Garbh Bheinn provides some of the best rock climbing and scrambling in Scotland. Details of the scrambles can be found in the Cicerone guide Scrambles in Lochaber by Noel Williams. Pinnacle Ridge, a difficult scramble, and the Great Ridge, an easy rock climb first climbed by JH Bell [CHECK BC - JW DOUBTS THIS] and W Brown in 1897, are fine routes on the NE face of Garbh Bheinn in Garbh Choire Mhoir.

Cross the bridge and follow a rough path up the SE ridge of Gharbh Choire Bhig. This path, which is occasionally boggy and sometimes indistinct, especially where it climbs rocksteps or crosses rocky slabs, takes you to the summit of Gharbh Choire Bhig (1hr 40min, 823m, 90820 61710). Follow the path steeply down to a saddle (750m, 90440 61930). The path up Garbh Bheinn continues NW, to avoid the cliffs on its SE face, before turning NE to the summit cairn on Garbh Bheinn (2hr 15min, 885m, 90440 62200).

In bad weather, or if you have any doubts about your ability to navigate through, and descend, very difficult terrain, you should descend by the ascent route. The featured route heads WNW to a small pond on a shallow saddle (845m, 90140 62320). Turn sharp right (NE veering ENE) down grass slopes to reach a gully (775m, 90370 62520) just before you reach the N ridge of Garbh Bheinn. Descend carefully, on grass beside the boulderfield, NW down the gully and keep to the right of the burn that appears further down the mountain. Aim for the obvious grassy saddle on the ridge on your right, then go about 50m left (E) to the top of a gully, marked by a small (easily missed?) cairn (690m, 90140 62820). Descend the gully, bypassing difficulties on the left, to the saddle separating Garbh Bheinn and Beinn Bheag (2hr 45min, 535m, 90050 63070).

You will now be traversing the rocky ridges of Beinn Bheag and Sgorr Mhic Eacharna. Although rocky the going is generally easy. Head NW until the slope eases, then head NE, veering E, over two tops (690m, 90240 63320 and 696m, 90670 63450) and on to the highest summit on the Beinn Bheag ridge (3hr 50min, 736m, 91470 63520).

Descend roughly ESE to a saddle (485m, 92230 63220) and over a minor top (625m, 92620 63140) to the summit of Sgorr Mhic Eacharna (4hr 55min, 650m, 92870 63030). Continue SSE down the grassy Druim an Iubhair ridge, avoiding a few crags, before veering SW towards the bottom, back to the parking area (6hr 25min).