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Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Can anybody help I have done my route but on Google it comes up with nothing can yo go across the high ground on the south side of Loch Morar I know it will be tough going just wondering if anybody done it?

Many thanks

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

I have no experience of this route but reason alone tells me that it will be very tough indeed. Both shores of Loch Nevis represent slow and tiring going, with the north shore of Loch Morar a known ordeal. So why would the south side of this loch be any different? And look at the map; from Scamadale to Meoble, the shoreline is indented with headlands and watercourses, all of which will increase the level of difficulty in comparison to a straight slope. Personally, I wouldn't wish to endure such a route so you must be made of stern stuff indeed.
Your choice would appear to be to follow the high ground, the shoreline or some intermediate point on the slopes. The high ground, despite the many very severe switchbacks, is likely to be the easiest. I have been along the ridge of the Marilyn Druim a' Chuirn and the terrain underfoot here was reasonably good. Yet can you be confident that the weather conditions will allow you to adhere to the heights? Possibly, but very possibly not. In which case you're going to be pursuing a line along the shore or trying to contour higher up. Both will involve constant ups and downs through heavy vegetation in order to avoid crags and to ford watercourses. Many of the latter could be through ravines, adding a further hazard.
If you're intent on tackling such territory, fine, go for it; just be aware of what you're in for. And make sure that you allow sufficient time, as much of it will be very slow progress indeed. I'd doubt that you'll make Oban in a day unless you're supremely fit and with reserves of stamina. Having said all that, best of luck and I'd love to learn how you fare should you succeed. This would be a real adventure in comparison to most Challenge
routes, my own included.

Hope that helps (or not!)

Colin

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

With the risk of being shot down in flames for having an opinion I'll second Colin's comments. I will add that a certain Hamish Brown, of whom you may have heard, said in one of his books that the south side of Loch Morar was the hardest walking he had done in Scotland; and I respect his opinion!

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Not done it, but the ridge on the North from Taynuilt is mighty fine if the weather is good.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Taynuilt? Tarbet, shurely?

And yes, it is absolutely cracking, with stupendous views, but much slower going than you might expect from looking at the map.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Do you realise what we've done Phil?

Letting Mr Walker off our leash will allow him to go dashing up all the wrong hills all over Scotland. He could well be the first Challenger to do all the Munros on a crossing by accident!



Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

YEAH YEAH YEAH

I MEANT TARBET

I did that on my phone. You don't even want to know where I was at the time is all I am sayin...



I was bigger then!

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

I went there from a Morar start in 2013.

The clouds were low, and my navigation went spectacularly awry. I ended up pitching my tent in an I-don't-have-a-clue-where-I-am location and hoping the visibility would be better in the morning, to enable me to figure out where the devil I was. It wasn't. It was worse. I ended up cutting and running, following a glen (I'd even misidentified THAT!) down to the road and making my way to Lochailort. Just as well I did, as I had a recurrence of some medical symptoms that evening which I would NOT have wished to suffer stuck in a tent up on a lonely hillside. Great difficulty the next morning trying to explain to the lovely people at the Lochailort Inn that yes, I was on the Challenge but no, I did not need to sign their register because I had already signed the one in Morar

This experience bugged me, so I went back later in the year with a GPS to check on a few locations. My conclusion was that the OS surveyors did not have their finest hour up here. Some of the detail on your map is egregiously wrong (a 70 - 80 metre rock pillar which is depicted on the map by a single ring contour being one of the most striking examples!). I suspect that all attempts at stereoscopic aerial surveying have been bedevilled by poor visibility, so they have just carried forward the detail from earlier editions. And I further suspect that the original surveyors thought "Ah **** it! The only people who come up here are the keepers who know the way without a map anyway; nobody else cares; so let's just stick something down on this bit of paper and get away from these ****** midges".

HOWEVER ... having been up there twice now, I CAN confirm that, on a day when you can see what's going on around you, it is a rather beautiful place to be, and I have a lovely night camped by the shores of the little lochan with the island in it.

e-mail me for more details of where I went and what I did, or you can find it written up on my blog Two Routes Across Scotland.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Many thanks all for the advice I have decided to give it a go will post how I get on nothing lose apart from getting a bit wet.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

In that case, Robert, you need to know that when you get to the woods above Scamadale, you will encounter what appears to be a solid wall of trees with no apparent way through it.

You need to go to the RIGHT, and you will find a track through.

If, instead, you choose to go left - well, good luck with the deer fence, mate!

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Cheers for that info will come in handy.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Robert , rely on no information except that of vetters ( and your judgement ) . There are some who may adjust it, to suit there ends . As an afterthought can i say i looked at S.Sd Morar and went Knoydart and ran into a nil visibility . on the Saturday start . I worked my way out of it but not easily! . Just a thought for info .

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

William.

Which bit of

"THE CHALLENGE COMMUNITY, ON-LINE!

FRIENDLY ASSISTANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AVAILABLE FOR CHALLENGERS OLD AND NEW,

FROM FRIENDLY AND ENCOURAGING CHALLENGERS, NEW AND OLD"


did you not read or understand?

Cuddly, Fluffy, Al.
(who is not a vetter - so you obviously will not heed this playful nudge)

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

I understand that the Sth Sde of Loch Morar is a challenge and have tried to point out the problems of dealing with the issue . Mr Sloman may digress for some reason , his post has no input to my help . This site is not suitable for issues between him and i , he should not reply to my post directly unless he is better informed .

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Slur that one past me again, eh, Bill?

I'm not sure the intended invective got through coherently!

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Modest, wonderful, truly understanding,trifficly eminently knowledgable, extremely hard working yet under-valued, diplomatic, seasoned, distinguished, have I mention modest yet?,generous, witty, inspirational, sympathetic, worldly, fun, empathetic even quite oustanding modestly magnificent, but definately, definately NOT encyclopaedic!!- Bill yes I'm obviously talking of your average vetter. It takes all to make a Challenge so ladies, please,please its Christmas- the time of peace and harmony and goodwill, ho bl....y ho, even for the most waring of Challengers....

A very Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2015 to all our readers out there.

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

william howden
Robert , rely on no information except that of vetters ( and your judgement ).


Yours is an interesting take on the role of the vetters, Willy ... but I'm not sure it is one the vetters themselves would share.

They have enough work on their hands as it is, without being cast in the role of sole reliable dispensers of information.

My own attitude to route planning (which is a personal view, not necessarily shared by anybody else ... although I suspect it is) is that one should gather one's information where one can, and make one's own assessment of the reliability of the information provider and the weight to be attached to it.

I like to call this process "research".

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Jeremy. I think that's a useful piece of advice
to would be Challengers. Vetters will soon be
asked for a route sheet. Cheers.


Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Waldo
Vetters will soon be
asked for a route sheet.


Do you mean I could have got vetters to plan all my routes?

Oh... No..

I have been spending hours on this for years.

Now, about the Sherpa service for my clothes and stuff!

Re: Possible Route south side of Loch Morar

Andrew. Would you like to clarify/quantify ,just how many routes
you have prepared and submitted 'alone'.How many 'alone'crossings came
a result of your efforts.Would preprepared routes be acceptable to
todays Challengers. Wouldn't need/have vetter's last minute panic. Cheers.