The Saddle (1011m) (Munro 105) via the Forcan Ridge , Sgurr na Sgine (946m) (Munro 106) and Faochag (909m) - 23/07/2023
Distance: 13km; Ascent: 1350m; Time: 8h30m
I did this walk with Alan (brother-in-law) and Benedict (nephew).
We parked on the A87 in Glenshiel. The route involves a steady ascent on a good path to reach the Bealach na Craoibhe north of Meallan Odhar. From here we had our first views of the daunting Forcan Ridge. We turned south and continued to climb to the base of the ridge at ~750m. From here there is over 1km of narrow rocky ridge with a steep drop off on either side, involving much scrambling and a 250m altitude gain to gain the summit of The Saddle at 1011m. This was a challenging and exhilarating experience. Fortunately we had good weather with some cloud cover so that it was not too hot and little breeze. The views of the surrounding mountains and to the sea lochs and isles were some of the finest in all Scotland. The descent to the Bealach Coire Mhalagain was steep and followed by an even steeper ascent of the rocky slope of Sgurr na Sgine. |
The first top of Sgurr na Sgine is at 942m but you have to go a further 500m along an undulating rocky ridge to gain the additional 4m and reach the summit at 946m. By this time I was feeling very weary but the "descent" route involves a 50m ascent to reach the top of Faochag. At 909m this is just under Munro height (914m) and is considered a subsidiary of Sgurr na Sgine. From the top of Faochag there is a long, steep and arduous descent back to the road.