Moidart: Beinn Odhar

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Section 10a Beinn Odhar Bheag Rois-Bheinn Sgurr na Ba Glaise An Stac Beinn Mhic Cedidh Sgurr Dhomhnuill Garbh Bheinn Sgurr Ghiubhsachain Beinn Resipol Carn na Nathrach Sgorr Craobh a'Chaorainn Stob Coire a'Chearcaill Druim Tarsuinn Beinn na h-Uamha Creach Bheinn Fuar Bheinn Section 17 Section 3 Section 4 Section 10b Return to Corbett index Return Home.

Beinn Odhar Bheag, seen from the summit of Beinn Odhar Mor Beinn Odhar Bheag 882m 2895'  Odhar, Tawny,Dun Beinn Mhic Cedidh 783m *  Personal name * Newly promoted 1981 Map

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Beinn Odhar Bheag 882m

Beinn Odhar Bheag, The summit.

 

In the classic view of Loch Sheil and the monument, Beinn Odhar is the bulky hill on the right, or rather Beinn Odhar Mhor is the hill on the right. Hidden by the broad slopes is the summit of the range and the Corbett top, Beinn Odhar Bheag. The hills are accurately named as the lower summit is a far larger mass of hill, and the adjectives refer to the size of the hills, not the height. You are probably going to do both anyway, and such a combination is well worthwhile.

As well as the Beinn Odhar summits another major top crowds in between Loch Eil and Glen Alladale, Beinn Mhic Cedidh, promoted to the list by 1970's resurveys.

The Odhars and Mhic Cedidh are often done with the other Moidart hills, in one of the few multi Corbett days possible. See the Big Walks (Gilbert, 1980). I have only done the Eastern group to date so have split them into two chapters.

The hills fit the usual rough bounds pattern, bony ridges of pegmatite and mica schist, plunging down into boggy corries from point summits on the north side, with steep uniform grassy slopes to the sunny South, in this case into Glen Alladale. With Beinn Odhar, the northern slopes spread out towards Glen Finnan, but remain rough and rocky, the real grandeur is reserved for the eastern face plunging into Loch Sheil. There is some rock here for the big walk-in enthusiast. Above the corries a narrow neck divides the great from the small (and high). Ardgour fans will notice that crossing Loch Sheil comes with a penalty. Moidart is home to tussock grass of a Gallovian ferocity. This place is rough. It is a good idea to gain height as quickly as possible, there is much better going to be had up there.

These hills are very distant from Glen Moidart so all southern approaches require an aquatic approach. There is a ferry / tour boat on Loch Sheil .

The M.V. Sileas Tel. 01397 722235, email MacFarlane@Glenfinnanhouse.dialnet.com.

I do not know if it is possible to stop off at Glen Alladale.

To visit Glen Alladale must be a special event in anyones life, it is very remote for Scotland,one of that special class of glens that open on to a loch, rather than a glen with a road. Very inaccesable and surrounded by some steep hills. Its high on my hit list, along with Croit Bheinn. When I buy a canoe?

With a hill as fine as Beinn Odhar, its easy to miss out on the western top, Beinn Mhic Ceididh, a Corbett in its own right and in possession of a fine north ridge. Mhic Cedidh cannot match the complex grouping of crag and corrie that is Beinn Odhar.

Whilst most visits involve an out and back from the main road,near Glen Finnan, I struggled through the vegetation and bog from Loch Eilt, in order to do Mhic Cedidh first. Its quite a big day, as usual the summit being furthest from the road.

Beinn Mhic Cedidh 783m

Beinn Mhic Cedidh's North ridge, sunlit. As seen across Loch Eilt from Fraoch Bheinn

The 'new' Corbett, with a steep rocky northern side that gives a good backdrop to Loch Eilt. Now with Mhic Cedidh, Moidart is one of those places you can get five Corbetts in a day. With the remoteness of Glen Alladale and the steepness of the southern slopes , nearly everybody will be on the great traverse or going up the irresistible line of the North Ridge. I was probably the last to pass this way in a year in the late 1980's, after an unorthodox approach. Getting to roadside Beinn Mhic Cedidh is not so straightforward, Loch Eilt gets in the way, and walking in from the road, you have to cross the railway. There is no halt on the loch side, so the railway has to be crossed. If tempted to walk the railway, remember there are no locomotives other than the steam service in summer, and 'sprinters', vile apologies for a train that they may be, are quieter than a hill burn. You will receive no warning when one comes round a tight bend. There realy is no choice, if you want to live to complete your round, you have to brave the tussocks.

 

I had a bigger problem, no transport other than the railway, and Glenfinnan Station is a fair whack from Mhic Ceididh. Answer: try to persuade the train driver to stop his bus, er sorry train, along the lochside. It was worth a go being hogmanay and all. Looking around to see if the other two passengers could be BR bigwigs, I tried my luck. No way. After Corpach the coast being clear, the guard said it was OK.

It's a big drop from a Scottish train, when you have to roll down an embankment as well.

From the tracks the tussocks asserted themselves immediately. An all terrain vehicle track was just a linear marsh and therefore of little use, (the deer found it good for a wallow) . The Allt a Coire Bhuidhe was of little consequence, its head waters bound in frost, but this could be awkward.

Sadly the ridge is not all that narrow but is a fine steep route to the summit cone. I expect the views towards Lochailort are good , but I saw just the usual clag. A disappointment, as I was very much looking forward to my first view of Glen Alladale.

There is a big reascent to Beinn Odhar Bheag, fortunately without the hideous tussocks found lower down, with good icy snow, and the cloud was beginning to lift. Beyond the Corbett top the narrow pass between the Beinn Odhars turned up some steep corners in little craglets, good fun with the ice. The slabs were not so enjoyable. A view of sorts was caught below a roof of grey cloud, before the long descent back to the celebrations(and the tussockbog).

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