We reached the car park quite early but already there were about half a dozen cars. Most folk were taking the path on the right side of the river but as it was clear this path was the way to the Horns and as we had decided to leave the Horns till last, in the hope the sunshine would be out by then, we took the path on the other side. Within a few yards we were in an impenetrable and dangerous ravine, ready to give in before we realised we had gone the wrong way. Gaining the proper path we found it to be horribly eroded. I'm not sure Graeme was fully convinced we were on the right path, having seen everyone else go the other way but I insisted on this way as going towards Tom na Gruagaich. The trouble here was that there was a ridge above us with thick mist so there were no landmarks but when we crested the ridge it became obvious we were on the right track. From here on it was just a long, slow slog up into a large corrie, with a path all the way. The way got rockier but never a problem and eventually you come out of the corrie quite close to the
summit of Tom na Gruagaich, one of Beinn Alligin's tops. With the thick mist a compass bearing was now needed, though we didn't think there would be any problem once the main ridge was reached. Going down from the top to a cliff edge we noticed a guy who had previously passed us veer left and when we saw what looked like a sheer drop we followed him. After a few yards we reached the top of a promontory going nowhere and noticed that the compass was now pointing in the wrong (almost opposite) direction. The single guy was also perplexed. Graeme deduced that when we had veered left we must have left the route and twisted back on ourselves. The other guy had map and special compass out and eventually agreed. There was nothing for it but to try and retrace our steps Roughly at this point the mist cleared momentarily and we could see the summit. Straight up to the top to start again. [When we did this hill it wasn't a munro but as we went to the summit I am counting it now].
We then saw that there was actually a path at the cliff edge we had missed and after that it was plain sailing. The ridge was quite narrow at first and a bit scrambly but no difficulties. By now the mist was slowly beginning to dissolve and looking back on the route we had come down it looked awful. From here the ridge levels and widens then rises to a small top. With the mist going we were getting some wonderful views of the Horns and of the Torridon stripes, plus interesting views of the ridge of Liathach. There is a sharp, steep climb to the main summit of Beinn Alligin, another Sgurr Mhor. Just before the top is the famous gash and it is truly stupendous, the cliff edges around giving even more effect to the precipice like split. Up to the summit with most of the mist now gone, though it never completely cleared all day. As there was a howling gale at the top and no shelter we decided to go on for a bit. A few yards on Graeme found some shelter beyond some rocks on a steep slope. I think for me this was the most frightening part of the whole week. The slope was very steep and after about a dozen feet fell off into a void. You looked down a couple of thousand feet to a lochan and the Torridon wilderness. Graeme could not understand. He could see no problem with the place and even moved further downhill, much to my distress. I did not find the Guinness and sandwiches very pleasant. It did not help when I discovered it was snow/ ice I was sitting on and not quartzite.
Away at last thankfully and now ready to attack the Horns. By now we had been passing some of the walkers who had gone up the other path and taken the Horns first. They all said it was very windy but I doubted if it could be worse than what we had already experienced. I was still a little apprehensive as the route which was visible looked a bit rough and the third Horn in particular looked narrow and precipice steep on one side. Graeme shot ahead leaving me to cope on my own, as if I was by myself. And the reality of it was that it was easy, a lot easier than The Saddle and although there were interesting parts it was generally a little disappointing and a bit of an anti-climax. The scrambly parts were not that exposed and quite easy to climb and if you had been worried there were bypass paths all over the place. I stuck firmly to the direct routes and climbed all three Horns by their most difficult ways. Quite chuffed at this.
The first Horn has a number of scrambles, all easy taking you onto a wide top and the second was not that dissimilar. I think that was my disappointment. I thought the Horns would be sharp pinnacles but they are just grassy tops. The third was the best as you have at least to climb a tower to get there and while it wasn't quite as steep as had seemed from Beinn Alligin's summit it was still the narrowest of the three and it had been good fun scrambling there. Surprisingly I found coming down the Horns easier than going up. That had concerned Graeme when he saw all the others go for the Horns first. Did that mean we would have sheer drops to negotiate on the way down the Horns? I don't know why but going down always seems easier. Perhaps it is because you can easily drop down from block to block but not so easily climb them. Also what seems a hard scramble up only seems a mild drop down. Don't ask me why. I must say I'm glad we came this way. I would much rather come down this than go up. It would be climbing all the way whereas all we had to do was drop off blocks. At the bottom, which seemed to take forever, I followed what looked to be the path but which led into boggy ground. Over a rise I noticed Graeme down at a bridge and it was clear I was going the wrong way. I would eventually have got there but would have knackered myself in the process, so I moved off and eventually reached a path by the bridge. This turned out to be really pleasant and I reached the car park not that long after Graeme.
