Liathach - A Traverse of The Grey One - Alex Rambles
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Liathach. The undisputed king of Torridon. It surely battles with An Teallach for the gong of Britain’s finest single mountain. This is a mountain of regal majesty. It rises from Glen Torridon in an uninterrupted thrust of layered sandstone topped with jagged ramparts and austere quartzite domed summits. Its north facing aspect is all the more wild and impressive, with tumbling crags and dramatic cories coupled with a hinterland of dotted lochans and muscular peaks. When you bare in mind that this is some of the oldest exposed land in the planet, you quickly realise that you are in the midst of something truly special.
To truly get a sense of Liathach’s grandeur, you have to get amongst it and up onto its ridges. From below, this looks an impossible task, as its battlements look impregnable. However, there are ways to ascend and descend, though they are few and far between. This is a large part of Liathach’s aura; once you are committed to the ridge it really feels like you are cut off from the World below. Once you hit the main summit of Spidean a’Choire Liath, the sight ahead of the ridges and summits yet to come confirm this feeling. Exciting and threatening in the same breath.
Although the character of the landscape is vastly different, it is difficult not to liken Liathach to The Aonach Eagach in Glencoe. Both feature two Munro summits that are separated by a knife edge ridge containing numerous pinnacles, offering serious grade two scrambling. In Liathach’s case, these are the spectacular Am Fasarinen Pinnacles. Whilst the scrambling is not quite as sustained as on The Aonach Eagach, the surroundings are mesmerising. The esoteric mountains of the Coulin Forest rise up to the south, Loch Torridon stretches seaward to the west and ahead sprawls Liathach’s most spectacular summit in Mullach an Rathain - The Peak of the Row of Pinnacles. Completing the panorama are Torridon’s hinterland peaks of Baosbheinn and Beinn Dearg and, beyond all of this, the likes of mighty Slioch and distant An Teallach. Highland splendour.
A traverse of Liathach is life affirming. Spectacular in every sense. It is no wonder the mountain is battered by superlatives from outdoor writers and enthusiasts alike. One of the greats. I have ticked it off the top of my Scottish mountain bucket list, where it has been replaced by a winter traverse that is supposed to be the finest winter mountaineering expedition in Scotland: a full winter traverse… of Liathach.
The soundtrack is absolutely fitting for that beast of a mountain! Great video.
Gulp! I did it many moons ago, about 30 years or so. If I had known what it was like I would have chickened out but I am glad I did it back then. I certainly couldn't do it now lol. I don't remember the vertical climbing, perhaps there are alternative paths that skirt round the pinnacles. It was certainly the scariest challenge I have undertaken. Thank you for posting this fantastic video. If I have nightmares tonight I will know who to blame!
Nailed the ridge Alex. Love the exposure and gritty soundtrack.
That's a great film. What ace music too.
What a day that was eh.
Thks for sharing and getting me interested in doing it.
Thanks for the kind words! It’s an incredible hike. Can’t wait to get back to Torridon one day. The music is my own and I’ve had some nice comment on this one, not so much on my Beinn Alligin one though haha!
Hey Alex, Great video's. My to do list of mountains is getting bigger :)
You were lucky with the weather by the look of it. Very challenging and beyond my capabilities,but enjoyed watching! Thankyou.
WOW, Now thats a mountain, didnt think anything like that existed in the uk Specktacular and the views around truly Awesome, Brave man, Brilliant video,ATB, Les.
Jesus, that's taken me back a few years and now wondering how I actually did that and my first Munro!!! Youth is a wonderful thing. Great video and music.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the music as it was my own composition hehe! The GoPro makes it look slightly more full on than it actually was but what a beautiful ridge it is!
There are some great mountain walks in Torridon, and walkers and scramblers should not miss out on them. However I found that Liathach glares back down at you from seemingly unassailable heights, often topped by a dark cloud, and it's all too easy to find an excuse to go and do something else. Excellent video.
Brilliant video of a brilliant mountain. I did a winter traverse of Beinn Eighe in February - Liathach from there looks awesome. There is no way though I could cope with the pinnacles - I think I will do Spidean a' Choire Lèith and view the pinnacles and then go back down!
Stephen C I cant wait to get up there in winter. I was there last February but it was when that awful thaw had descended, so there was no snow!
Its a great mountain traverse and very exposed in places but these cameras are a bit daft.
Yikes! That’s an airy old scramble.. great video thanks for posting
Got to be honest, never heard of it before but WOW! Spectacular climb/scramble/ridge walk and the views and drops were breath taking. The music was so appropriate, which adds to the drama of a superb watch! Cheers Alan
Alan METALMAN - Hiking & Outdoors Thanks for the comment! It’s ridiculous the wealth of great hiking in Scotland. An Teallach and Skye are top of my bucket list now!
This video gives me the fear lol, I take it the wide angle just exaggerates the exposure? Absolutely stunning
Yeah the GoPro makes things look tastier than they are. But Liathach is nonetheless not for the faint hearted.
Excellent my most favourite mountain
Looks absolutely awesome! Great video!
Hi Alex that is a fantastic ridge walk. It's always been an ambition of mine to climb beinn alligan thanks for sharing cheers Glenn
I did the pinnacles years ago. The rock felt solid on the ridge but the exposure was huge. Not a place to be on a windy day!
This takes me back to around 1984. I did the traverse then. My friends and I stayed in the Ling Hut.
Great vid Alex. Looked like a fun route with stunning views. I need to get my ass to Scotland as I’ve only ever done Snowdonia and the Lake District. ATB Ant 👍🏻😉
Liathach looks a lot scarrier and more exposed in places than I'd imagined. Respect.
Great video of The Grey One. This beast and An Teallach are Britain's finest for sure. Funny how some of the comments have never heard of these fine mountains. Thanks for sharing. Take care. Mick.
That made me want to puke, LOL, Iived in Torridon for 3 years so drove the glen countless times and marvelled at this mountain. I only ever managed Tom na Gruagiach once from the western side which I could walk from my house and the other time from the wee car park up the Corrie towards the horns of alligin. Great video.
Great video of a fantastic hill............that music is horrendous though 🙉
Great video and description,subscribed and waiting for more :) By the way what is this song named?, fits perfectly here giving this extra "horror feeling"
Kris Thanks for the kind words. The music is my own, it’s called The Behemoth and I thought it suited Liathach as a mountain.
@@alexfoxfield8517 thanks, yeah fits here 100% :)
great Video bud! I follow you on Instagram... can't wait to start hitting the munros but need to bag all the wainwrights first and get my head used to the heights.. Not great with heights but I will plod of regardless because the view are totally worth it. !
Beard Boots and Blisters Thanks for the kind words. Have you done Sharp Edge on Blencathra yet? If you are happy with that, you’ll be happy with most of what Scotland can throw at you!
@@alexfoxfield8517 I haven't but I have seen sharp edge, I'm still to do Striding edge yet which doesn't seem as bad as sharp edge.
Beard Boots and Blisters Yeah I’d say the natural progression is Striding, Sharp, then Tryfan and Crib Goch in Snowdonia and then onto the likes of Aonach Eagach in Scotland. Totally worth spending the time pushing your comfort zone!
Definitely, can't let your fears hold you back lol. I'll have to try and catch striding edge when it's not as busy which isn't much especially in the summer.
:-)
Great video, not sure about the 'music', though. Liathach is my all time favourite mountain with An Teallach on the subs bench. Climbed and traversed it three times. Thanks for posting. :-)
Alex would you like to collaborate?
Your camera exaggerates the exposure.
Paul Truswell I completely agree with this comment. I was up Liathach yesterday and when came back to watch this video in retrospect I found that the camera angle exaggerated the narrowness of the ridge. Yeah there is bits you have to watch and but you’re not on the knife edge that is portrayed here.
Ps) if you need over exaggerated drama, leave that to Ant Middleton...
Thank you I had suspected that but fair play for the direction and atmospheric music nonetheless
S
Probably get more views if you toned it down with the stupid music.