Alan Rowan spends a long day in the hills

THE Munros of Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a’ Chaorachain are a natural pairing, but the long approach suggests staying high and adding the more solitary Maoile Lunndaidh to the round makes sense. The extra hill adds around 365m ascent and 8km distance to the day; but the track sections are fast either on foot or by bike, and the extra climb is never too taxing.

I set off in the morning gloom of late autumn, waterproofs and midge repellent at the ready, pleasantly surprised that neither had to be called into action. I was able to cross the Allt a’ Chonais without using the wire bridge; and the rise to the Bealach Bhearnais

was steady, the turn and climb up the series of rocky steps to Sgurr Choinnich accompanied by the roaring echoes of the rutting stags.

Rolling grey meant the summit remained an in-and-out affair, as did the continuation to the highest point of the day, Sgurr a’ Chaorachain (1053m). I was greeted here by a cairn coated in white, the first snow of the season, but the day had started to turn and the surrounding hills made themselves known again.

The vast bulk of Maoile Lunndaidh filled the horizon to the east. It’s a fair drop to the lochan resting under the northern crags, and then a wet walk to the Drochaid Mhuilich where the big reascent begins. I suppose you should know what to expect when you are heading for ‘the bare hill of the wet place’.

The plunging faces of Bidean an Eoin Deirg are constant and welcome companions during the walk across. This fine peak is often championed as being worthy of elevation to a separate Munro rather than a Top, and from below it looks to have a good case. But looks are deceptive and the drop between it and Sgurr a’ Chaorachain is not enough for it to qualify as a separate mountain.

Maoile Lunndaidh is also a hot topic when it comes to Munro status. There are three prominent high points around the huge, curving plateau, and over the years debate has raged over which should be classified as the main summit.

Sir Hugh Munro declared Maoile Lunndaidh the highest point in 1881, but later mapping showed Creag Toll a’ Choin to be higher. It remained the main attraction from

1921 till 1981, when Maoile Lunndaidh was reinstated with a spot height of 1007m. More modern maps give both summits a height of 1005m, and in 2014 a survey clarified that Creag Toll a’ Choin was the highest point although this has still not been officially ratified.

The nature of the mountain means anyone climbing it is likely to sweep round all three tops on the horseshoe, the big selling point being the stunning corries that bite in on either side rather than the summits.

The escape from the bare hill of the wet place inevitably involves more squelching. Once off the high parts of the ridges, there’s a tiring trudge across a couple of kilometres of runnelfilled ground to the track.

The long trek out doesn’t seem so bad after that. [Captions clockwise from top] Maoile Lunndaidh summit; Rugged Fuar-tholl Mor; A rainbow during the climb to Sgurr a’ Choinnich