About the event:
At a Glance...
Day walks to bag the 5 Sisters of Kintail (the 3 Munros at least!), the three Brothers (and Ciste Dubh), and the remote A' Ghlas-bheinn and Beinn Fhada
Generally good tracks throughout but long days
Some bogs and minor scrambling
Spectacular location - Glen Shiel is historic and spectacular
Incredible views across to Skye, Knoydart and Glen Affric
Accessible from Fort William or Inverness by road only
West Highlands and the Road to the Isles
Where is Kintail?
Kintail is on the Road to Skye - the less romantically named A87 road which turns off the main A82 at Ingergarry - on the Fort William to Inverness road that runs alongside Loch Ness.
The glen that we journey down en route to Kintail is Glen Shiel - which, in my opinion, is even more spectacular than Glencoe (sorry).
Glen Shiel is famous for its battles with the Jacobite rising. It's also famous for having no fewer than 22 Munros on offer including the magnificent South Glen Shiel Ridge with 7 Munros baggable in a day. However, the north ridge is just as spectacular but more broken up into distinct groups.
About the Adventure:
Of the Five Sisters, three of these are awarded Munro status (Sgurr na Spainteach - named after the Spanish soldiers who fled into the hills and Sgurr na Saighead are considered Munro Tops - though the former is fearsome with a fun scramble and the latter really should be given Munro status in its own right).
This is a long day and a linear walk which is trackless in places. There are steep descents and reascents but on a clear day the views out to sea and across to the black cuillins of Skye are magnificent.
The remote A' Ghlas-bheinn and Beinn Fhada can be tackled from the far depths of Glen Affric or from the Kintail and we'll favour the latter. This is a monster day and despite only affording two Munros, they are extremely remote and require distance to join them up despite being natural neighbours. They are of very different character!
There are three Brothers, and after a steep pull up to Bealach an Lapain, we are rewarded with an easier and more straight forward day. However, I tend to add Ciste Dubh onto this day as for me, it's the crown jewel of Glen Shiel. Forget the Forcan Ridge or the more famous summits - this one is pure elegance hidden away from the road!
The aim is to do the Sisters ridge on the Saturday and the Brothers ridge on the Sunday as the latter is a shorter day. But the weather will dictate!
The Sisters Munros:
Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe (1027m / 3,369ft)
Sgurr na Carnach (1002m / 3,287ft)
Sgurr Fhuaran (1067m / 3,501ft)
The Remote Munros:
A' Ghlas-bheinn (918m / 3,012ft)
Beinn Fhada (1032m / 3,38ft)
The Brothers Munros:
Saileag (956m / 3,137ft)
Sgurr a'Bhealaich Dheirg (1036m / 3,399ft)
Aonach Meadhoin (1001m / 3,284ft)
You can join for one, two or all three days though please be flexible and patient as the weather will dictate which Munros we tackle on either day. You can select to come for specific days when you book below.
Meeting Point:
The meeting points for each set will be different. Both the Brothers and Sisters walks are linear so we need to do a car shuffle between the start and end points. These both start from the Sgùrr a' Bhealaich Dheirg Car park below Bealach na Lapain here. However, we'll have to meet in different places before heading there.
For the sisters ridge, we'll meet down at the Pitstop of Kintail. We'll leave a vehicle or two here for the end to drive us back up to the start point. We may need to pay for parking.
For the Brothers ridge, we'll meet here at a layby on the eastbound road near the Cluanie Inn before heading back down to the Bhealaich Dheirg car park where the walk begins.
For the remote two, me meet by the Morvich campsite here. This is a circular walk and we will return to the cars at the end.
Difficulty:
The 3 Sisters ridge avoiding the scrambles on Sgurr na Spainteach is roughly 12.50km (7.8 miles) with 1,280m (4,280ft) ascent. Although longer, the easier Brothers ridge including Ciste Dubh is 17.7km (11 miles) with 1,500m (4,920ft) ascent. The monster day is the two remote ones - A' Ghlas-bheinn and Beinn Fhada: 25km distance (15.5 miles) with 1,700m (5,580ft) ascent There are generally good tracks between the Munros but it can be boggy in places lower down and some areas are trackless. There are a few scrambly sections.
Prerequisites:
You'll need a good level of general hill fitness with experience of repeated ascent and descent.
Cost:
Coming for a single day costs just £60.
To come for two days costs £100.
To come for all three days it's just £150 and there are discounts for booking more than one person.
Numbers:
We can take a maximum of 10 and a minimum of 4 for the trip to go ahead.
Equipment:
Please see the All Activities section of the kit list here. Walking poles are recommended.
You will need to provide your own transport, hill kit, accommodation and travel insurance. We will need to car share and you'll be asked on booking whether you need a lift or would be willing to offer a lift.
Images from Past Events
To Book
If you want to chat to me about the event then please feel free to do so - email is a good start as I'm often out and about with limited phone reception. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions too.
To book simply click 'Register Now' and follow the instructions (or on mobile, the link below).
You can choose which ticket you want, the number of days and the number of people you're booking for.
You'll get an automated confirmation reply but I'll follow that up when I get back to civilisation to say thanks and with more detail about the event.
Please ensure you've read the booking Terms and Conditions and you are aware of what you need to bring by downloading the gear list.
Please check carefully which tickets you are booking and for how many. We try and be flexible but of course that brings loads of options!