I started bagging the Munro’s in my 20’s and I’m nearing the end of this journey. I tried to save some of the best hills for last and kept back Ladhar Bheinn GM/WS-046 because it looks most excellent … the walk highlands description says it all for me …
“Deep in the wild Knoydart peninsula, Ladhar Bheinn usually requires an overnight stay. It is a truly magnificent mountain with a perfect position right on one of the most dramatic parts of the West Highlands seaboard. Dramatic ridges, multiple summits and an awesome corrie”
So this trip had 20 years of anticipation and some planning involved. I had high hopes.
On the way up to the highlands, I stopped to get Shadow the Cocker Spaniel some exercise on Ranoch Mor and activated Meall Mor GM/WS-305 in the process. A nice wee summit but stuck in the middle of some giants, so 2m yielded zero contacts. HF was much better with 13 contacts on 40m.
*Shadow and the EFHW on GM/WS-305 *
That evening I took the ferry over to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula ready for an early start the next day for a circuit taking in Ladhar Bheinn.
Ferry to Inverie with Ladhar Bheinn on the Horizon
The weather forecast was not looking great: a heavy band of rain forecast overnight, followed by more wind and rain. We decided on a late start to avoid the worst of the weather.
The route was a horseshoe of ridges to Ladhar Bheinn GM/WS-046 via Sgurr Coire Choinnichean GM/WS-174 and Aonoch Sgoilte, We started in the late morning with a straight up ascent of the Corbett Sgurr Coire Choinnichean GM/WS-174, unfortunately in the lashing wind and rain. It was a very typical Knoydart ascent with rough ground and many obstacles, but 2 hours later we were on the summit.
Shadow the Cocker spaniel, looks disgusted at activating in this weather
I set up 2m in very wet and windy conditions, and got three contacts quickly. Thankfully Gordon @GM4OAS was able to drum up a fourth contact in mallaig, for which I am very thankful - putting up HF would not have been fun! One of my faster activations, we were done and off the summit in 20 minutes !
We then continued towards Aonoch Sgoilte, where the weather started to improve on we were lower down!
Conditions improving as we left the Corbett
Looking towards Aonoch Sgoilte, Ladhar Bhienn well and truly in the clag on the left
Last picture before the return of the clag
But conditions did not last, as we approach Aonoch Sgoilte we ascended back into the wind and rain for the rest of the route. Quite a shame, the forecast had some hope of conditions improving but we really are on the blunt end of the west coasts weather! I could tell this was a good route and a fine hill but couldn’t see much of it !
At the summit, I set up HF and 2m with 21 contacts on 2m FM, 40m CW and 40m SSB. Thanks for all the patience for those who chased me, especially my last CW contact which I didn’t complete, brain fail but conditions were truly awful !
Summit trigpoint in most the most unpleasant conditions, wind and driving rain
The descent was pretty swift until below the cloud line and then a long return to Inverie, thankfully well in time for last orders at the Old Forge. We made it time for an evening of the residents folk band and the local piper putting on a performance. Which was great until Shadow the Cocker Spaniel, started rubbing his ears on the floor in front of the bag piper, such was his disagreement with the noise 
The Old Forge, the most remote pub in the UK
Conditions worsened overnight, to wake up to high winds and rough seas with ferries cancelled. Thankfully the Old Forge, a community pub which has been recently renovated has speciality beer from a brewery on the Isle of Eigg ! Time passes quickly in the Old Forge…
A fine munro, with weather typical of the west coast. All in all a worthy Munro #281. One to go, Beinn Na Lap GM/WS-091
I did have further plans to visit Eigg and An Sgurr GM/SI-114 following my visit to Knoydart, however the weather was so bad, that once I made it back to Mallaig I had to cancel. I settled instead for a day climbing Sgurr an Utha GM/WS-176, which reminded me very much of Knoydart.
Sgurr an Utha GM/WS-176, 15 contacts on 2m, 40m and 10m!
A fine trip, to one of my favourite parts of the highlands!
