The traverse of the ridge of Liathach which involves 4500ft of ascent to conquer the two "munro" summits is 3 kilometres long.
In May 2012 I set off from Aberdeen at 5.45 am to drive to Torridon. I reached the car park below Liathach at 9.15 am and then walked down the road to the starting point of the ascent .The temperature was 26 degrees and really too hot for such an enterprise especially with an extra stone in my pack for the camera and tripod!
The ascent to the ridge is some 2000ft and the two scree block summits to cross before the 450ft final climb to the summit of Spidean Coire Leith 3471ft. I had intended only climbing the first "Munro" but I considered the ascent route was too dangerous to descend and as it was only 1.0 pm I decided to continue to the second one.
A steep descent over large unstable gneiss blocks leads to the Faserinen pinnacles ,which have an avoidance route, which still requires care on crumbling narrow ledges.
The last ascent of some 540ft to the second "Munro" is along the precipice cliffs of Coire na Caime to Mullach an Rathain 3356 ft. By the time I reached it I had run out of liquid and energy and the three thousand feet of descent looked a difficult proposition as the heat and lack of liquid had taken it's toll! It was now 5.0pm and I had taken 4 hours between "munros"! I normally take 21/2 hours!
The nightmare descent took 21/2 hours arriving on the main road at 7.30pm some 3 kilometres from my car! I tried to thumb a lift but nobody would stop and I had to start walking and luckily I came across a couple camping and they not only gave me a bottle of juice but gave me a lift to my car.
I was able to reach my hotel in Shieldaig by 8.30pm some 15 hours after leaving Aberdeen!