A long, undulating ridge topped with shattered quartzite rubble, Coulin's 'big grey hill' does very much what it says on the tin. This interesting Munro is often climbed with neighbouring Sgorr Ruadh (plus Fuar Tholl for the energetic) in the classic round of Coire Lair, an approach that allows a full traverse of its summit ridge. But sometimes a single peak in a day is plenty. The northern alternative from Glen Torridon described here follows a decent stalker's path into some fine wild country, a rewarding route in its own right but one that could also be extended over the two nearby Corbetts for a bigger trip.
The north approach to Beinn Liath Mor pairs very well with the Corbett Sgorr nan Lochan Uaine for a decent day - adding Sgurr Dubh would be a bit harder given the gnarly nature of the ground between the 2 Corbetts.
Likewise! There is a straightforward descent with minimal scree from the col between the summit of BLM and its centre top (at NG 971519) to the outflow from the eastern Lochan Uaine.
Thanks for sharing this, Dan. That northern line looks like a solid option when time’s a bit tighter or the weather’s iffy higher up. Interesting to hear it links up well with the Corbetts too, handy to have the flexibility depending on how the day shapes up.
I was under the misapprehension that drumlin was just an old British colloquial term for any grass-covered moraine-like hummocky thing. Nice to learn something new
Beaded eskers still have a ridge shape, it's just broken into separate sections. These don't, it's just a jumble of little conical hills, as suggested by the name.
The Southern approach is fine, not too long a day and reasonable ground to traverse. We had very mixed weather for our traverse, and unseasonably cold for July. Gloves required. But enjoyed it nonetheless.
I've stayed at the Ling hut in the past and never noticed those drumlins. Takes me back to 'A' Level Geography in the 1960s!
These particular hummocky moraines aren't just the conical mounds that result from downwasting. When seen from Sgurr Dubh (l/h image below), many of the mounds are elongated. Colin Ballantynes's excellent book "Scotland's Mountain Landscapes" suggests the moraines are a combination of recessional moraines from a retreating ice-sheet lobe, and subsequent fluting by a Loch Lomond stade glacier.
As I'm sure you know (but others may not), there are big expanses of hummocky moraine elsewhere in the area, including the area N of Ben Alligin (r/h image, taken from Sail Mhor) and the area W of Maol Chean-Dearg.
one of my favourite autumn /winter walks up the coire a ceud cnoc to sgorr ruadh and beinn liath mhor. Never tried to count the cnocs but I suspect well over the ceud .
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