Fourteen hardy Stockets climbed aboard Gordon’s Luxury Coach at Mile End School early on Saturday morning. Silvester did an excellent job of tearing around the top of the Cairngorms but even so it was more than three hours after leaving Aberdeen that we rolled past turf-roofed houses in Glen Feshie and were deposited at the end of the road.

Unusually the Munroists had a shorter route and so we bid farewell to the Glen Dwellers, led by Steve who disappeared off in what appeared to be the wrong direction. They were actually heading further south down Glen Feshie to pick up a Glen that would eventually bring them through to Whitebridge. Apparently it was a lovely walk with spectacular landscapes, marred slightly by the onset of blisters for one unlucky trekker.

Meanwhile, the Munroists were heading up on a good track around the lower slopes of xxx before finally gaining the plateau by way of a steep slog up an eroded path. Initially sun had driven off the layers but by the time the plateau was reached most people were back on with midlayers and waterproofs against a wind that was driving cloud, rain-like into our faces.

Without a dedicated leader the task of navigating was shared amongst the company. Maps were consulted regularly in the mist and very often when a path ran out we were referring to our compasses. In unpleasant conditions we identified a suitable spot on the map for lunch, and after a rapid descent down a landrover track we found it by a gushing burn.

Lunch was a relatively brief affair and we were soon crossing over and heather-bashing our way up the other side, making our way for the top of Tom Dubh and Liz’s prime objective of the day. Premature celebrations occurred when I found a small mist-shrouded cairn but the group’s opinion was that given the subsequent rise in the ground beyond me I was not yet at the top. A few minutes later a much more substantial cairn was found and with a little help from multiple GPS units, our position was identified as on top of Tom Dubh. In the mist it could just as easily have been Tom Buidhe.

Coming off this seemingly innocent and insignificant top we came across the great obstacle of the day, the Allt Luineag, which came down a steep sided, almost straight gully. With the water high and fast it posed something of a puzzle and only some brave venturing forth with poles took the first person across the rocks to the other side. Three intrepid folk headed further upstream to try their luck and successfully reappeared a few minutes later.

With regrouping achieved again compasses were taken out and by reading the countours we found our way across another spot height and then on to the final slope of Monadh Mor, a steep grassy slope with occasional rocky patches. The summit was soon achieved after only a little discussion of the slope of the plateau. It was still very misty so after brief discussions we again split, three headed by Liz seeking a different way off the plateau by way of Glen Geusachan, and the remaining heading now southeast along the broad summit towards Beinn Bhrotain.

Using the crags as a handrail we navigated our way across the narrow col and then up the final bouldery slopes to the Bhrotain plateau. In thick mist we regrouped and discussed the probable location of the summit. 10s after heading off in our chosen direction we found the trig point.

The potential for compass treachery and moving of trig points was discussed before photos were taken and a last intake of energy. After refreshments we continued, taking a south-easterly bearing and descending down into Coire an t-Sneachda. Eventually the burn in the coire became more of a stream and we were able to follow it as it tumbled off the hill and into the River Dee.

As we came off the hill the views opened out and we had atmospheric views deep into Glen Dee and the feet of some of the Cairngorm giants.

After a final stop to shed layers we trooped off down the track by the river, catching up walkers from the low group shortly after passing White Bridge. The coach was found at the Linn of Dee and then we had a wee wait for the folk who had avoided the summit of Bhrotain.

Our attempt to stop at the Inver was foiled so we continued onto the POW in Ballater where a more obliging bar attendent served tea to those who wanted it and beer to the sensible folk.

A much shorter coach ride back got us to Aberdeen for 9:30pm. A long but ultimately rewarding day.

I don’t think it is too often that a weather dependent plan works out on the west coast of Scotland but luckily for us today it did. A forecasted shift in the wind from south west (laden with moisture) to north-east (dry and cold) occured sometime in the wee small hours. By Friday morning the skies were clear, Beinn Damh could be seen from the window (complete with summit) and the air felt fresh and full of optimisim.

Just before 9:30am we rolled up at the Beinn Eighe car park and within a couple of minutes were heading up on the good track that had brought us around from Coire Mhic Feacher a few days before. The views already were stunning, a high wind wrapping a blanket of cloud tightly around Liathach but with the sun shining down on all sides.

After an easy walk up to a point below the scree slopes of Beinn Eighe we turned aside and made our way up easy sandstone slabs to the foot of Stuc a Choire Dhuibh Bhig were we picked up a narrow path, half hidden by heather that wound its way steadily up the mountain, threading a route between the terraces of rock that make Liathach look almost impreganble from the road.

Not far below the ridgeline we reached a wide balcony with views both up Glen Torridon and away west down the Loch strewn Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil towards Beinn Alligin. From here it was a brief, enjoyable scramble through some fine sandstone to reach the ridge.

The strong wind had already blown the cloud from the eastern end of Liathach so we continued to enjoy the sunshine. Up ahead however the summit of Spidean a Choire Leith, the first Munro and still a couple of kilometres away, was shrouded in mist.

With the first bit of scrambling done it was now a fairly easy walk along the ridge, occassionally passing through boulder fields, to bring us to the eastern summit. Along the way we enjoyed fantastic views all around, to the Coulin forest south, and north towards Fisherfield.

As we climbed the final few meters we were plunged back into the cloud and upon reaching the broad summit found a tyipical Torridon mountain view.

Pausing for a bite to eat was a good move though as the fresh easterly wind started to blow the cloud through and before long we had views both north and south and back east along the ridge we had come.

Then, in a true moment of drama, the cloud to the west was torn away and we finally got our first view of the Pinnacles which make the Liathach traverse so famous.

I’d of course made the mistake of reading a few too many accounts of the pinnacles and so was more than a little nervous as we descended towards them. As we approached our guide advised that if we had any tripping to do we should get it out of our system in the next 100 yards. This was particularly important as the wind had picked up and though this had been good for dispersing the cloud, it was not so good for maintaining balance on narrow ridges.

With some trepidation we boldly ignored the avoiding path to the south of the pinnacles and made our way up to the first scramble. From now on the camera was more often tucked safely away in the bag but it is safe to say there were some spectacular views from these rocks which very often gave exposed views to one side but a more sheltered feel to the other.

It was very enjoyable scrambling that brought us forty five minutes or so later off the last pinnacle. I felt that they had been exaggerated. It certainly was nothing like the Cuillin. Whilst airy there was consistently a feeling of some security. Perhaps this was simply the effect of having a good guide who had gone to the trouble of carrying a length of rope in case anyone in the group felt unhappy. It wasn’t necessary.

As we approached Am Fasarinen the exposure reduced and now we could enjoy the views along to the second Munro summit of Mullach an Rathain. The bright waters of Upper Loch Torridon could be seen on the left and to our right the Beinn Alligin massif dominated the skyline.

The final walk along the ridge was much less exciting after the pinnacles but by no means dull. The final pull brought us up onto the rocky summit where we could pause to take in the views that now opened up all around us.

Away to the southeast the Cuillin of Skye, jagged and enticing could be seen whilst away to the north the mountains of Fisherfield stood tall amidst the wilderness. Slioch and Loch Maree were visible and to the south we could see into Applecross. It was fabulous in the late afternoon sunshine.

After twenty or so minutes on the top we ended our traverse by leaving the summit and heading down a steep rocky path that eventually brought us down alongside the Allt an Tuill Bhain.

The descent was fairly rapidly and we soon emerged on the roadside where a group of National Trust for Scotland were just heading away from a day working on path construction.

A quick walk along the road took us back into Torridon whilst our guide retrieved the minibus from the Beinn Eighe car park.

Beinn Eighe apparently means File Mountain, but to call it just a mountain doesn’t seem to quite do it justice. It’s a massive, sprawling massif that occupies a good proportion of the land between Loch Maree and Upper Loch Torridon. With its cap of quartzite it has a particularly distinct, almost Pyranean look about it, particularly once you breach the defenses and get inside the huge central coire.

We approached it from the south, parking at the slightly less used car park near a small stand of trees. Here a good path wound its way up the gentle slopes of the mountain and in towards Stuc Coire an Laoigh. At first the weather was overcast but muggy and although we had set off quite kitted up layers were shed as we got higher up the mountain.

As we got higher we got closer to the cloud base and the final slog up the deeply eroded path that wound its way left of some crags took us finally up and into the mist. We reached a cairn that marked the col below Spidean Coire nan Clach and paused for a bite to eat. No surveying of the scene was done as the scene had well and truly disappeared.

After a short climb along the ridge we dumped our sacks behind the trig point (how many trig points aren’t actually at the summit of their parent hill, as in this case?) and scrambled our way up through the lovely, fiddly quartizte splinters and crags to the summit. This was my 20th Munro!

After pausing to enjoy fine views of Scottish mist, a feeling on the exposed summit which gave a strange sense of standing on almost nothing, we returned to the sacks and began our traverse of the ridge.

In fact, traversing between the two Munro summits takes you on a horseshoe around the fabulous Coire Ruadh-Staca. As we came down the trig point a combination of loss of elevation and gain in cloud height caused the views to suddenly open up. Ahead the mighty crenallations of Liathach were very close, and over to our right, away around the ridge was the second summit of Ruadh Stac Mor.

It was a fairly easy walk along the ridge although at times it was very rocky underfoot. It was easy to get distracted by the views of the mountains that were opening up all around. Of course, having left it behind us the summit of Spidean Coire Nan Clach rapidly lost its cloud cover.

I ascended to the summit of the minor top Coinneach Mhor which is recommended simply for the views down from the head of Triple Buttress over Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair to the Torridon Hills beyond and then to Loch Maree.

We paused for a second bite to eat at the small col which marks the head of the screes down into Coire Mhic Fhearchair. From here the views back across the Coire to Spidean Coire Nan Clach were superb.

Now it was an easy walk north across the grass and boulders that led up to the summit of Ruadh Stac Mhor. The final push involved a brief clamber up some jagged quartzite although for the less adventurous a path also achieves the same destination.

From the summit, now thankfully cloud-free, we had stunning views all around, both back across the ridge to Spidean Coire Nan Clach and down into the Torridon Forest, Flowerdale, Loch Maree, Fisherfield and the jagged pinnacles of An Teallach. Given that Ruadh-Stac Mor stands slightly off the ridge we had views down into the two main coires, in particular the buttresses of Coire Mhic Fearchir.

The top was relatively busy when we arrived but gradually other walkers drifted off until we too were retracing our steps to the col at the head of the scree.

At first the descent was slow and cautious, moving together down quartzite steps away from the eroded path so that any rockfall wouldn’t have time to gain too much speed. Then we had the choice to continue down the quartzite steps and then clamber down a boulder field to reach the coire floor, or else to scree sunday rapidly down. I chose the second option and the scree, particularly in the middle third of the run was very good. Larger rocks near the bottom slowed progress but we were soon heading through the marshy land to the head of the Lochan.

It goes without saying that Coire Mhic Feachir is an incredible place. It feels like stone giants, aged faces weathered by years of exposure are gazing down at you. Watchful and silent. It is a natural amphitheater.

We wandered slowly around the lochan with views opening up in front of us. Behind us the three buttresses grew in stature. It was quite shocking though to see the tires, engine block and fuselage of the WWII bomber that crashed into Beinn Eighe shortly after the end of the war.

From the far end of the lochan we got the classic views back to Triple Buttress. We also took the opportunity to gaze out across the wild lands towards Flowerdale.

From here it was a relatively straightforward path around the base of Sail Mhor with Liathach looming ever larger in front. We then came down through the narrow gap between the two, crossing a wide stream by good stepping stones and making it back to the road without too much trouble. The final view of Beinn Eighe was quite different to the first earlier that day – it had been an excellent traverse.