Rise to the challenge of Torridon’s thrilling, precarious peak
A head for heights gives rewards on Liathach
I reckon the first thought most hillwalkers have when they initially catch sight of Liathach is: How on earth am I going to climb that?
More than any other Scottish mountain, it looks utterly impregnable. It’s a vast lump of a hill, intimidatingly steep. End to end, the mountain stretches for 7km (4.4 miles) – and a finer, more exhilarating 7km you will not find in Britain. Liathach actually has two Munros.
Spidean a’ Choire Leith is the highest and lies toward the eastern end of the mountain. The western peak, Mullach an Rathain, was only promoted to Munro status in 1981.
Like the other Torridon mountains, Liathach seems to thrust almost directly from sea level to Munro height. All the hills here sit apart from one another, great solitary giants rising from the plains below. The lands here are sparsely populated and roads are single-track. The area gives a sensation of remoteness, wildness. More than that, though, it feels old. It’s ancient – primeval. The bedrock here is among the oldest rock on the planet. Liathach has a claim as the most visually stunning of all Scotland’s mountains – and it’s a hard claim to contest.
Torridon is the most incredible place for hillwalkers in Britain – and Liathach is arguably the finest of the area’s mountains. It’s perfectly possible to climb the two Munros and omit the ridge between – but to do that would be to forgo one of the greatest mountaineering days the UK has to offer. The traverse of Liathach is a Scottish mountaineering classic – and I’d urge anyone with appropriate scrambling experience to do it. It’s a thrilling day out.
At times it’s a Grade 2 scramble but most of the difficulties can be bypassed if need be. Far below the ridge runs a path that bypasses all the scrambling – but it looks more precarious than sticking to the ridge. My advice, pick your weather and enjoy it!