UKC

Having been up Ben Starav again at the weekend with about 3000 feet of almost entirely unrelenting uphill slog from the river to near the I was wondering if there were any other hills in Scotland that presented such an unremitting stretch of uphill slog.

Ben More springs to mind but I assume it starts higher and therefore isn't quite as long.

In reply to Removed User:

I've done Starav twice in three weeks recently and thought the same. It's unrelenting!

In reply to Removed User: Gaor Bheinn is a slog from sea level up the glen and then straight up to the south top

In reply to Removed User:

I climbed Sgurr Fhuaran (Five Sisters) direct from the valley (and remnants of bridge) a week ago, 1050m height gain. A nice enough day though.

In reply to Removed User: Sgurr a Mhaim in Glen Nevis is pretty brutal 1030m, all very steep.

In reply to Removed User:

Beinn Sgritheall is the archaetypal slog; near sea-level start at Arnisdale.

The one time I climbed Beinn Fhada, I foolishly began my ascent from the lowly Gleann Lichd - in August too. A long, long and sweaty ascent up a seemingly unrelenting grassy slope.

I'm sure I once read a stat that recorded Sgurr Fhuaran as having the longest sustained slope - the one that runs down to the shores of Loch Duich.

In reply to Removed User:

Ben More is slightly shorter in vertical but much steeper on average.

Ben Nevis direct from the car park at the end of Glen Nevis would be worse than either, I reckon!

In reply to MG:

How could I forget Sgurr a Mhaim. Mind you what height does it start from?

In reply to Mark Bull:

I think there's a flat bit half way up isn't there?

In reply to Removed User: 62m -1099m (yes, I checked!)

In reply to paul-1970:
>> I'm sure I once read a stat that recorded Sgurr Fhuaran as having the longest sustained slope - the one that runs down to the shores of Loch Duich.

Sounds like Andy might have the winner then.

In reply to Removed User: Shirley it's the Ben?

Tourist path starts at 15m ASL in Glen Nevis, your bridge across the Etive is at 18m ASL and goes up to 1078m. Therefore the Ben is the longest slog - it just seems less to because of the entertainment potential of passing folk dressed in binbags and flipflops.

I've done Starav too many times and I get what you're saying though.

In reply to Removed User:


Not if you go direct up the E side of Coire Eoghainn rather than via Carn Dearg. 1200m of ascent in just over 2km. Training run for Dave Macleod: http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/nevis-breakfast-again.html

In reply to paul-1970:


It's even more hideous if it's your second hill of the day (we initially climbed it after Bla Bheinn via the ferry to Glenelg) and you're practically crawling up it.

We climbed it again on Saturday and it's actually okay to the beallach... it is brutal steep for the last 300m or so though.

In reply to Removed User:

I've heard that too, but I see no solid evidence for it! Depends on how you frame the definition, but contenders for the steepest 3000ft rise would be the SW slopes of Sgurr na Ciste Dubh in Glen Shiel and the south side of Liathach: both around 1.13km if you pick the end points carefully. Any others?

In reply to Removed User: I descended from the summit of Beinn Trilleachan last summer down a gully and slope to the south of the slabs and it would be a miserable slog up this if anyone were ever to go up it - not a natural ascent though.

In reply to andrew ogilvie: Bidean via Coire Beith must be a contender too.

In reply to Removed User:
What a bunch of softies!

In reply to Removed User:

Perhaps, but on a good day, and ifvblessed with wonderful views , a mountain that can be a complete slog on a bad day, can be a joy that can be over all too soon.