Photographs, route description and map of the Corbett Garbh Bheinn in Ardgour in Western Scotland

Location: Ardgour
Map: OS Landranger 40, 49
Distance: 6 miles (10km)
Time: 4-6 hours
Terrain: serious mountain walk

The Corran Narrows on Loch Linnhe are little more than 400 metres wide but the ferry seems to take you from one world to another. You leave behind the busy A82 and land on what feel like peaceful island roads with sea behind you and mountains ahead. This is Ardgour, and although not an island it has all the hallmarks of one. High mountains with steep, rocky slopes rise from the roadside to become shapely ridges and there is none ﬁner in this western quarter than the Sron a’ Gharbh Choire Bhig which climbs to the summit ridge of rocky Garbh Bheinn.
The normal route up Sron a’ Gharhh Choire Bhig is fairly straightforward - a long climb up a broad rocky ridge to its summit, which offers views of Garbh Bheinn's south face, a veritable sea of gneiss. From Sron's summit. a rough descent to the north-west drops you down to a rocky bealach from where a steeper ridge climbs directly to the west ridge of Garbh Bheinn. Once you reach this ridge the summit cairn is only a few metres to the east, perched on the very edge of its south face you were admiring earlier.
A steep, awkward descent can be made to the Bealach Feith an Amean in the north and back down Coire an Iubhair to the road, but most folk return to the bealach below the west ridge and descend in a rough NE direction into Coire an Iubhair, where a path weaves between the crags and boulders.
A longer route climbs the ridge to the right of Coire an Iubhair, Druim an Iubhair. This long ridge sweeps round the side of the glen in a curve and curls over the summits of Sgor Mhic Eacharna and Beinn Bheag before dipping steeply down to the Bealach Feith an Amean. From here, precise navigation and a steep (and awkward) climb leads to Garbh Bheinn‘s summit. If you're ﬁt and a competent scrambler with a good sense of route-ﬁnding, this is a route with wonderful rewards, particularly views of Garbh Bheinn's full-frontal rocky splendour. lt’s only from
this vantage point that you see what a marvellous mountain this is, its eastern face full of character, bounded by rocky features - the Great Ridge on the left climbing to the summit in a 1000ft sweep of gneiss with Great Gully to its right.

ROUTE:

From the car park beside the bridge climb the S slopes of the Sron a'Gharhh Choire Bhig.
There is a sketchy, often muddy path which becomes fairly eroded higher up.
From Sron a‘ Gharbh Choirs Bhige summit, descend in a NW direction on rocky slopes to the bealach below Garbh Bheinns W ridge.
From the bealach climb steeper slopes to the summit ridge and follow the short ridge E to the large cairn.
Descend back to the high bealach below the W ridge then descend in a rough NE direction into Coirean Iubhair where a path makes its way
between crags and boulders.
Cross the river and follow the muddy foot path on its far side back to the carpark