Strathfarrer Six

Cris Bonomy and I did this ridge walk yesterday (Monday 31 May). We were at the locked gate at Struy at 8.30 to get our place in the queue and though the gate on the dot of 9.00. We took two cars - left one at the foot of the Coire Mhuillidh (finish of walk) and the other  at the  Allt Toll a Mhuic where we started walking.

We took the same track  as the club weekend outing in March but discovered the path, which we followed then, continues in a gentle ascending traverse across  the corrie headwall below Sgurr na Fearstaig. This looks like an old stalkers path - it has been dug out of the hill. It must have been buried by the snow in March. This time it was clear apart from a short stretch of 10m or so where we had to tip-toe across the remnants of an avalanche. On reaching the  ridge, it was a left turn to Sgorr na Fearstaig which turns out to be a fabulous view point. The air was astonisingly clear and we could pick out Ben Nevis, Skye, Torridon, Loch Maree, Slioch, Fisherfield, An Teallach, Ben Klibreak, Ben Wyvis and the Cairngorms.  Must have been over a hundred miles !

It was then a case of heading east along the ridge (clear path all the way) over Sgorr Fhuar-thuil, Creag Chorm a Bhealaich, Sgorr a Choire Ghlais, Carn nan Gobhar and Sgorr na Ruaidhe - 4 Munros and 2 Munro tops. The N side of the ridge as far as Sgorr a Choire Ghlais is very spectacular - it seemed like you could throw a stone from the path to land in Loch an an Fhur-thuill Mhor, 300m below.  After Sgorr a Choire Ghlais, the character of the walk changes completely into gentle round hills covered in moss.

We got back to the car with about an hour to spare before the gate closed (7pm) so the two cars trick was probably a good move.

Since it was so clear,  this was a unique opportunity to see the extent of remaining snow cover.  Most hills still have the odd patch of snow but the ridges are black and should be fine for walking. The big Glen Affric hills, such as Sgurr nan Ceathreamhan, still have a lot of white stuff - presumably gullies etc where the drifting snow is many metres deep but the ridges are black. Probably OK for walking access though it might be prudent to take an axe in case you have a cross a steep slope of the white stuff. The big exception to this is the Cairngorms  which are still covered in a continuous white layer. It is going to take several weeks yet for this  to melt.