Alan Rowan bags a couple of tough Grahams
THE Knoydart hills of Meall nan Eun and Slat Bheinn sit eyeballing each other across Glen Barrisdale; but, despite being such near neighbours, there’s a mighty drop separating these two Grahams.
Many choose to climb them individually, but each is still a long day. Combining them means accepting you are in for some hefty ascents. In both cases, the wonderful Barrisdale Path is the main artery leading to their heart.
If you tackle Slat Bheinn first, it means a longer walk in. Meall nan Eun is a shorter initial ascent, but you are faced with two big reascents to get that second summit and out again.
I decided on a third
approach with more distance but less climbing. I would tackle Meall nan Eun first.
The loss of height already gained for the big push to Slat Bheinn was unavoidable. But instead of the second uphill struggle I would drop down the long, slabby east ridge to Gleann Cosaidh, then follow the shores of Loch Cuaich and finish with a couple of miles of road walking. My option was 25km but a mere 1300m in height gain.
I began from the Coireshubh ruin near Kinloch Hourn, early mists melting away to reveal blue, cloudless skies.
The descent was hindered by fields of bracken and heather, but at least there was no problem hopping across the river. I got my head down and started plodding upwards again, temperatures already beginning to soar. The Barrisdale Path is always a joy – a twisting, undulating trail along the shoreline of Loch Hourn – though in some places the rhododendron bushes were thriving so much that it was like walking through a tunnel, and a machete might soon be needed for passage.
My initial optimism in spotting what I thought was a path rising towards Meall nan Eun was soon dashed as I ploughed into more deep heather and bracken. The reward for a sweltering, sweating, constant incline was a spectacular 360-degree view taking in all the peaks of Glen Shiel and on to Knoydart and Ardgour. Amongst them sat Slat Bheinn, with Ladhar Bheinn a constant companion, spread across the canvas to the west.
I had heard that the descent off Slat Bheinn could be tricky, but despite the massive slab pavements all around it was easy enough to find a grassy way through to reach the surprisingly wide and green spaces of Gleann Cosaidh.
The last kilometre or so to the lochside was more troublesome, with bracken and huge, vegetated tufts making a consistent footfall impossible.
Just as my patience and energy were fading, I hit a track; and ,despite a bridge that had been reduced to three individual pillars, I managed to boulder-hop the water and hit the road for the last stretch. My feet had taken a hammering. An 11-hour round trip into Knoydart and out again in blistering heat, with rarely a path in sight – but I still reckon it was the best option.