Day 4 - Shenavall - Ullapool (21k, 400m ascent)
This was a day that neither Bob nor I were looking forward to. We started out from Shenavall in near darkness with headtorches cutting a dim path into the sleet. In the gloom it took us a while to locate the rough track that led steeply up the gully to the bealach. A rough path wound across from the bealach for a couple of kilometres before meeting a much clearer dual track that led due North towards Corrie Hallie. The previous days heavy showers swept in, soaking the track in some places, but leaving other patches of ice. All in all it made for ponderous progress.
At Corrie Hallie, signs made it clear that the Altnaharrie ferry was no longer running. This is such a shame as it makes any approach to Ullapool much more gruelling, as we were to find out. Winding up through woods from Corie Hallie shots rang out around the glen, an unfamiliar fusillade of human activity after so much isolation. It felt simultaneously odd but reassuring to be heading back towards civilisation.
The track over the top to Inverlael would be unquestionably beautiful on a bright day, skirting as it does gushing ghylls, waterfalls and perfect lochan’s. In the half light and rain of midwinter, it felt a bit of a dull trudge. The descent into Inverlael was steep and icy, putting us both on our backs a few times and we arrived at the A835 to Ullapool tired, but knowing what lay ahead - a 10k trudge into town.
North to the Cape, offers a route that misses out Ullapool altogether and continues through the inverlael forest before skirting Carn Mor and descending Glen Douchary. In my opinion this is infinitely preferable to the slog into Ullapool, but given our limited winter re-supply options we needed to go to Ullapool. Like purists, we ground down the road miles arriving in Ullapool in the dark, soaked and having diced with the lorries that hurtle down this artery of the highlands. Those less pure may choose to have a taxi from Ullapool pick them up at Inverlael and drop them back once the home comforts of Ullapool have been enjoyed.
Although we were only a short way into our trip, we were now beginning to find our expedition stride so in some ways the rest day we had planned seemed surplus to requirements from a fatigue point of view. But we were both in need of supplies and as the hot water from the shower sprinkled down on me, I wouldn’t have swapped it for the world.
