Cheesecake via The Bendronaig Hilton

[ChrisM]

TRIP REPORT: Show trip details

MORE REPORTS: View all trip reports by this author

---

Hills: Bidein a' Choire Sheasgaich and Lurg Mhor
Date: Saturday 19th April 08
Weather - Cloud lifting to above summits. A wee bit windy.
Attendees - Me, DaveG and JohnK
Time: From bothy, 5 hrs 10
Dog news: No problems.


Click on images for bigger versions.

Click here for the memory map track.

After seeing the pics of Bendronaig bothy on this site we decided that the Attadale approach for these hills would be a good choice. The plan was to head up very early, walk into the bothy, dump lots of gear and push on to climb the hills the same day. That's precisely what we did.

6am start from Edinburgh saw us on the Achnashellach road at around 9:30am. Passing the layby near the station, DaveG said he saw Waterjobbie and Sheepdogcatfish. Quickly turned the car round and said hello. They told us of the guy they'd met the night before, his epic walk and all his stories! They said we'd recognise him if we drove through the village. "He looks weathered." We left them to climb Sgorr Ruadh and Beinn Liath Mhor and we drove the last few miles to Attadale.


The very start at Attadale Gardens.

A fresh breeze kept us cool and the fantastic track meant the miles didn't take as long as we had expected. The first steep rise can be seen a long way off, zigzagging up the woods with a line of pylons.


Loch na Droighinn -Man those bags were heavy!

There are a couple of steep sections. I would definitely be pushing a bike up them. We were glad to reach the highpoint of the track.


First views of cloudy Cheesecake and Lurg Mhor.

You also get to see the bothy from miles away. Made us think we were nearly there when we still had around 40 mins left to walk.


Lodge on the left, bothy on the right.

Made it here in a very quick 2hrs 30mins. Well we thought it was quick given we had lugged 10kg of coal between us and enough booze to last a week. Bothy was empty (apart from someone's last movement in the cludgee. TWO buckets of water to shift it! ).

A main room with a small wood burning stove, a sink (no running water) and a WC off. 3 other sleeping rooms each with a fireplace. 2 very small and one larger one on the left. We commandeered the room on the left which was more than big enough for 3 bods.

All our feet were in a sorry state already! Boots off and much plasters and compeed before we set off for the hills.


Sail Riabhach at 771m is on the way to Sheasgaich.

We headed off up the track towards Sheasgach.


Shoogly

Then we had to decide when to split from the track and tackle the lump ahead of us. I was rather vocal in wanting to make a beeline for it but was shouted down. I kept pestering until the other 2 let me have my own way to shut me up.

And the climb started. Quickly rising too.


Looking back to where the bothy sits.

Spotted a lizard basking in the warm sun.


Green and scaley.

After being so careful not to touch it in case it scooted off before I got a picture, we prodded the little fella once we'd taken his portrait. Very dead! Well we did see a live one a little later but he scuttled under a rock before I could take a photo.


Nearly on the ridge.

Poor John was feeling it today. I can only assume the small amount of 10k race training I'm doing just now has made a big difference to my hill fitness. I felt great!


On the ridge with Sheasgaich summit in the distance.

It really was great to get onto the ridge. The weather had lifted completely and we looked down to Bearneas Bothy.


Pleasant undulating ridge.


Last steep bit just to make you earn it.


John coming up to the summit.


John and Dave at the cairn.

Ahhh! Bliss. Fanstastic views.


Lurg Mhor.


Looking past John and Dave to Loch Calavie.


The Bearneas Bothy is down there somewhere.

And so we plodded on to tag our next hill - Lurg Mhor. Some nice snow to cushion our steps to descend down to the col.


Lurg Mhor from the bealach.

Not much looking forward to this climb but it proved less hard than we had thought.


Looking back to Cheesecake from Lurg Mhor's west slopes.

Lots of footprints in the snow to follow. Not that navigation was a problem in such great visibility.


Me and Dave on the top.

Brill. The ridge along to the east top of Lurg Mhor looked superb. Dave and I trotted along for a better look.


Looking back to John near the summit.


Dave dancing on the ridge to to Meall Mor.

And so we plodded back to the bealach and then headed down towards the loch and the track which would take us back to the bothy.


Loch Calavie.

Came across this digger that John tried to steal.


Stop thief!

The track was great and we got back to the bothy just after 6. It had taken us slightly more than 5 hours from when we'd left the bothy. And! As we approached we were met by another walker who had walked in while we were on the hills. A smiling, weathered face greeted me and I immediately thought of Waterjobbie and Sheepdogcatfish's companion from the evening before. "Hi. Did you end up drinking whisky in a camper van last night?", "Yes, how did you know that?" And so we had met Alan.

Alan was great company and we were all pleased we had another person to share our booze supply, thus tempering our hangovers to come.

Dave was jealous that John and I were able to change into slippers. (Luxury!) We headed out to enjoy the sun and sip the chilled chardonay that Dave had chilled in the burn.


John and Dave enjoying the evening sunshine.


Sail Riabhach from the bothy.


John, Alan and Dave. Drinking in the sunshine -it doesn't get much better than this!

Headed back inside for our tea at about 8pm! I provided a fish starter with tins of lobster, crab and salmon with oatcakes. John then served up a fantastic lamb stew with rice and pitta. Cake and custard for pudding!! Yum!

We spent a very enjoyable evening listening to Alan's stories. Oh by the way Waterjobbie, he hasn't done the Grahams yet. He's done about 80 and thinks they're evil!

Wine, port and whisky.


The whisky gets opened.

All dog tired we hit the sack around 1am. And when we woke there was no sign of Alan. Dave actually reckons he was the spirit of the hills!! He was very entertaining and if anyone else from the site happens to bump into him, buy him a pint of real ale and enjoy his stories.

Headed back out the next morning in glorious sunshine.


A steep bit.

Back at the car and the day was just superb. Disappointed to be heading home and wished we three had a full week of travelling and walking ahead of us instead of heading home.

A really great trip!
_________________

[sheepdogcatfish]

Cracking report
Alan (the weather-beaten one) did say he was heading out to a Attadale and a bothy right enough.
The bloke must consume some amount of alcohol
Maybe he's like an afterdinner speaker?

[Clova]

Great report and pictures Chris Nice to see a different route to these hills, compared to mine from Achintee to Bearnais bothy. My sack was so big I tipped over into a burn when I stopped to fill my bottle. Keith just about died laughing before he pulled me up!

You're right about the climb to Lurg Mhor not being too bad - I was surprized by that as well.

Well done on getting those two in the bag!
_________________
"Sun comes up on these mountain braes and it's breaking on the high ground...." C and R MacDonald

[johnm]

Great report, really enjoyed it. Bothy looks like a tempting option for these hills.

[OwdJockey]

A great trip report Chris

Has all the ingredients.....great weather, great companions, great photos, great scenery etc etc...........

[JimH]

Excellent report Chris. Really enjoyed that. Thanks.
Certainly given me a real feel for those two. You'se looked as though you'se had a great time

[Dreamer]

Good effort, i remember that landrover track as the steepest i've ever been on. Like the shot of BaCS.

[Heleng]

Great report Chris - shame you can't win trip report of the month

You guys know how to live! Chilled chardonnay, salmon, lobster - it don't get much more civilised than that.

[PeteHaggs]

Superb.

[waterjobbie]

Great report.Nae wonder Allan does about 10 miles a day with the amount of swally he consumes.I hope he(Allan) manages to reach Poole in September before gout sets in

[fmck]

Nice pictures there, the turd in the bog was there last Saturday. Not mine I would like to add I opted for the hillside. I noticed there was coal and loads of wood there and wish I had noticed this earlier and saved you the bother.
I got dropped of at the end of the tarred road and picked up at the Strathcarron hotel returning via Creag Dhubh Mhor(Graham). I noticed someone else had cycled in, it certainly would be an interesting return journey

[kinley]

[ChrisM]

[SimonP]

Wonderful report. What a day. The pictures brought my round of those hills back to me. Nice to see that bothy getting some use.

[kathy]

A few skelped faces there too, methinks!!