This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.
Total Ascent
712 m
An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.
Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.
Route Time
5 hrs
The horizontal distance of the route.
Route Distance
17.92 km
The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.
You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.
Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.
Notes
Easy route in the Monadh Liath hills.
Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.
We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.
Travel Information
Head to: Newtonmore
From Newtonmore (A86) travel W 2km on minor road to end of public road by bridge over Allt a' Chaorainn.
Route Waypoint Map
The total ascent is 712 metres. Allow 5 hours to complete this 17.92 km route.
In winter months please check the local snow conditions at sais.gov.uk.
The hillphones service can inform you of stalking activities in the area.
Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.
The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.
Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.
Route Information
Waypoint Detail
Start from parking near bridge
NN69349978
Distance
Altitude 312 m
1
Head WSW on road to Glenballoch House
NN68119936
Distance 1.55 km
Altitude 315 m
2
Follow the track by Allt Fionndrigh NW
NH65900196
Distance 3.55 km
Altitude 515 m
3
Bear SW and ascend on path
NH65760174
Distance 0.33 km
Altitude 555 m
4
Leave path and head NW to head of Gleann Ballach
NH63990307
Distance 2.25 km
Altitude 685 m
5
Ascend SW to ridge
NH63280276
Distance 0.82 km
Altitude 890 m
6
Bear SE to summit of Carn Dearg
NH63550239
Distance 0.47 km
Altitude 945 m
7
Reverse route to return
NN69349978
Distance 8.96 km
Altitude 312 m
A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.
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Rating & Reviews
Rating & Reviews
Rated:
from 5 votes
Click Stars to Vote
Your Rating
Written by
Adam Rixon
on 23 Sep 2011:
A 4-star rating? Really?! Initial walk in from Glen Banchor car park
is OK on a good track, but the section between the end of this track
and the head of Gleann Ballach is among the worst terrain I've ever
encountered on a 'recommended route'. Bogs, tussocks, deep
muddy trenches with no sign of an 'easy' line, for 2km! Did I miss
something? By contrast the final ascent is fine, the summit ridge
actually very pleasant, and the Gleann Lochain descent we took
was an improvement on the walk-in! 2 stars from me.
Written by
Allan Reid
on 20 Jun 2010:
Did this on a beautiful June day with a fresh Northerly breeze. Rather than retrace steps from the top we walked South along the summit ridge past the 923m summit towards Carn Macoul then descended West to Loch Dubh, lovely spot. From there followed Allt an Lochan Dubh
Written by
Martin Joyce
on 03 Mar 2008:
In winter conditions (with the path invisible)I found this route confusing. Basically I left the path for stage 3 too quickly and got far too high on the east side of Gleann Ballach, mistaking a fringe of crags high under Carn Ban (not shown on the 1:50,000 map) for the ascent to the ridge. By the time I realised the mistake I was loth to lose the height so continued around the head of the corrie over all sorts of interesting snowy obstacles. In the end I found myself forced up almost onto the top of Carn Ban itself. Whatever, I felt Carn Dearg gave me a great day out.
Written by
Chris Bowles
on 07 Apr 2006:
The round of Carn Dearg, Carn Sgulain & A'Chailleach is an enjoyable outing, but it is also a long one some 24km. Began with Carn Dearg, walking along the foot of it before approaching it at the shoulder between it and Carn Ban. The traverse of several tops to Carn Sgulain is long and tiring but offers good views all round. It ends with a traverse of A' Chailleach and back to the start point at Shepherd's bridge. Not sure if the route is feasible if the snow is fresh and deep, luckily we had hard frozen snow, I do believe though that these hills have more character in winter.
Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map,
a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.
