Liathach

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Spidean a' Choire Leith
Looking west along Liathach
Elevation	1055 m (3461 ft)
Location	Torridon, Scotland
Prominence	957 m Ranked 8th in British Isles
Parent peak	Càrn Eige
Topo map	OS Landranger 25
OS grid reference	NG929579
Listing	Marilyn, Munro
Translation	Peak of the Grey Corries (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	[spidʒæn æ xɒɹə li]

Name	Grid ref	Height	Status
Listed summits of Liathach
Mullach an Rathain	NG912577	1023 m (3,356 ft)	Marilyn, Munro
Meall Dearg	NG913579	955 m (3133 ft)	Munro Top
Stob a' Choire Liath Mhòr	NG932581	983 m (3225 ft)	Munro Top
Am Fasarinen	NG923574	927 m (3041 ft)	Munro Top
Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig	NG942582	915 m (3002 ft)	Munro Top

Liathach is one of the most famous of the Torridon Hills. It lies to the north of the A896 road, in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, and has two peaks of Munro status: Spidean a' Choire Leith at the east of the main ridge, and Mullach an Rathain at the western end of the mountain. The name Liathach is pronounced /liæhæx/, and comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning The grey one. Liathach conveys an aura of impregnability when seen from the roadside below, as the slopes appear to rise up in a series of near vertical rocky terraces

The traverse of the hill including both of the above peaks is a challenging expedition; the intervening ridge is for the most part a series of rocky pinnacles known as Am Fasarinen (The Teeth), which reaches a height of 927 metres at the western end and is considered a Munro "top". A head for heights is needed to cross these obstacles, which provide an exhilarating scramble for the experienced hillwalker or mountaineer. The pinnacles can however be avoided by means of a narrow path that traverses the ridge on the south side. This should not be regarded as an easy option however; the path is exceedingly exposed, and there is much erosion at points where it crosses any of a series of gullies. In winter the traverse of Liathach becomes an even more serious expedition, and should not be undertaken lightly. Its traverse is comparable with that of An Teallach or the Aonach Eagach in similar conditions.

Liathach has four listed "Tops" in the Munro Tables, Meall Dearg (955 metres) is particularly awkwardly placed as it stands off the main ridge at the end of the Northern Pinnacles which run north from Mullach an Rathain. The route along the Northern Pinnacles is considered a rock climb and the other route to the top from Coire na Caime involves difficult scrambling in steep gullies. Irvine Butterfield considers Meall Dearg "The most difficult top in the British Isles challenged only by the Inaccessible Pinnacle of Sgurr Dearg".^[1]^[2]

There are few obvious routes up or down. Routes to each of the two Munro summits exist, following the course of two small burns to give a steep ascent or descent from the ridge. The western end of Liathach, beyond Mullach an Rathain, drops more gently to sea level than any of the burns.

Liathach seen from Beinn Eighe. With the Munro “Top“ of Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig (915 metres) in the foreground and the two Munro summits in the background.

[edit] References

The Munros and Tops, Chris Townsend, ISBN 1 84018 727 1
The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0 906371 30 9

Footnotes

^ "The Munros and Tops" Page 174 Gives details of Meall Dearg.
^ "The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland" Page 223 Gives quote from Butterfield and route from Coire na Caime.