Scotland

Suilven, ascent via the Eastern end

Not my photo! Please email me if it is yours, and I will attribute it. Thanks!

Character: Do Suilven the natural way - from end to end, without having to do two retraces from the central bealach. A steep but straightworward ascent up Meall Meadhonach, Suilvens lesser top, gains the ridge, after which all the famous ups and downs of this grand little mountain ensue. Descent could be the same as the ascent, but the central Beallach provides an obvious stone shoot to the north (the standard ascent) which is the easier and more logical descent.

Ascent: 2500 feet

Time: 7-8 hours (longer in Winter)

Map: Ordnance Survey 1:50:000, Sheet 15

The walk in to Suilven is interminable, from either end. That from the East allows this route, hence may be preferred.

After starting from either Ledbeg (with its way blocked by Cnoc an Leathaid Bhig), or the slightly less direct, but far less grinding route from near a bridge around Cam Loch (Ref 228121), the path of the latter route (the former never has a path!) is left to aim towards Meall na Braclaich. The moorland is truly filled with fractal humps on fractal humps, from 300 footers to leg aching 1 footers. Eventually, Suilven is left clear of all this debris, and rises sternly in front. In poor weather, route finding should not be a difficulty. A direct bearing from Meall na Braclaich to the summit of Meall Meadhonach will bring one up this ascent. In good visibility, the ascent does indeed look fierce, with the lower baize of grassy slopes giving way to rocky crags which become pure rock on the crowning summit. But, as is often the case, the closer one gets to an ascent, the more its fiercest angles decline, and its impassable rocks open up. The other joy (or sadness?), with Suilven, is that hardly have your muscles started to feel the strain than you have gained the lesser top of Meall Meadhonach. This is then the end of our lesser reported / recommended route to the summit ridge. In Winter, this route may present more serious difficulties.

From here, there is a significant "bad step", a drop of perhaps 40 m, with a similar climb up easy, though somewhat exposed rock, to continue the ridge West. All this is reported commonly elsewhere.

Again well reported, the descent to the North from Beallach Mor is purgatory. Once Loch na Gainimh is gained, you will probably have to contour round heathery, bumpy slopes to gain the beach at its SE end. The path out from here is long but not difficult nor ever in doubt. Around the end of Lochan Fada, I even seem to remember some cairns, but beware, in Scotland these can sometimes disappear overnight!