UKH

Has anyone descended the NW ridge of A’ Mhaighdean to Carnmore via Fuar Loch Beag?

Specifically in winter but also interested to hear of anyone who's gone that way in summer. It looks like it should be straightforward but I wanted to check.

Ta

Relatively straightforward, minor scrambling/route finding at the neck, and then very minor scrambling / weaving through low height terraces a little bit above the loch.  I haven’t done often enough or in heavy enough snow to comment reliably on whether there are likely pockets of avalanche risk. From memory their might be a small slope going down to the neck which might accumulate in the right conditions.

It does however only loose height slowly and is exposed to the weather from most directions.

This is not to say it couldn’t ‘spank’ a party in descent at night in foul weather, but unlikely to give an experienced party issue in half decent viz.

That's great thanks. It's for the new winter climbing guide. I've gone up to the right of Kids Ridge. Coming down that way is shorter and loses height quicker but it's definitely more serious terrain and is more likely to be avalanche prone than the NW ridge.

If it’s for the guide definitely worth getting a second opinion rather than relying solely on my memory.

Ian Thow of this parish has a perchant for the area in summer so might be able to add detail, given he will have an ‘eye’ from an author’s perspective.

Can't comment about winter, but been down twice and up once. Bit of minor scrambling/route finding around the 880m pinch point sandstone towers, other than that nothing of note in summer.

A few pics amongst others in 3 trip reports:

https://kinleyhazel.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/amhaighdean-ruadh-stac-mor-and...

https://kinleyhazel.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/207/

https://kinleyhazel.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/amhaighdean-summit-camp-via-be...

Brilliant, thanks very much.

As above, nothing technical but weaving up and down around slightly crumbly sandstone towers with steep slopes below. Easy enough, but feels a little uncertain until you work the route out. In winter, could be harder to find the right route I guess. 

Arguably, it may be easier in descent, as the key when ascending is finding an unlikely looking little bottomless gully just before the ridge drops away steeply, dropping down it a few feet, then traversing easily towards the next gap in the towers. 

https://flic.kr/p/2m5rZhT

Some description here, in my slightly mad write up of a longer trip: https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/pirates-of-the-portage-to-armageddon-t591...

 

I've borrowed Mal's photo to show the lines. The dotted line is where the route is on the other side of the ridge. From your descriptions it sounds like the yellow line (1) is more like where it goes but I just wanted to confirm that it isn't the obvious terrace shown in red (2).

I won't be including a topo of the descent but I wanted to get it clear in my head as it is not just 'walk off with hands in pockets'!

@Scraggygoat: I've been in touch with Iain Thow about some other stuff so I'll drop him an email.

Thanks to all.

Fairly certain I bypassed the tower heading into the notch on the left (in the direction of travel I.e heading down), then exited the notch either direct, or slightly on the left.

This gives a better view of the exit and left hand side:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/black_friction/14298016712/in/photostream/lig...

Definitely not line ‘2’…..unless you have a spare avalanche poodle whom your not particularly fond of.
 

Glad to hear that, I wouldn't have been sending anyone that way in winter!

From your photo (and the one I got in winter) it does look like you could just drop down below the higher, flat topped pinnacle until below the crags on the south side of the ridge and traverse the terrace to come out back on the ridge. 

Edit to attach photo taken from the south.

It looks more imposing than it is, hence it’s not so memorable that everyone is giving you a neat answer.

I ‘think’ I regained the ridge immediately after the flat topped tower bypass, to continue descent to the notch. I definitely scrambled out of the notch (not hard) rather than traversing the slopes under the cliffs from the notch on the left hand side.

Despite reading that trip report before, I still think it's one of the best adventures on mainland UK I've heard of. Ace.

I definitely wouldn't want to follow any of the terraces on the SW side of the ridge in winter. The route along the ridge is easier to find in descent than ascent, when as mentioned upthread you find yourself above a big drop and have to backtrack a few metres and look for a wee gully on the N side.

By far the easiest terrain for descending A'M is the SE slope, so that might be the best bet in deteriorating weather. It leads away from Carnmore but it's possible to drop down to the head of Gorm Loch Mor (a few bits of slabby rock to avoid) then over a slight rise heading for the top of the Dubh Loch and the sketchy path along its S shore.

another image of the tower and notch in snow, looking up the ridge - https://johnfleetwood.smugmug.com/Archives/Landscape/2023/n-ZXgrnP/Laide/i-.... I tried a few different lines, but I think went to the right of the pinnacle looking up the ridge.

This is barely relevant to the OP but just in case someone reads this thread whilst researching descents from A’ Mhaighdean: it took me an embarrassing amount of time in bad visibility to find the descent from the summit, retracing my steps back towards Ruadh Stac Mor. I fell on my arse on wet grassy slopes and gained speed very quickly in my waterproofs. Mostly down to complacency.