Coulin Pass & Benn Eighe

Towards the end of June I'm doing the Celtman, a triathlon that finishes with a run along the Coulin Pass & then up Spidean Coire nan Clach & Ruadh-stac Mor. I've not visited or ran in that area & would be grateful for any info. i.e. shoe choice, conditions of paths, drinkable water sources, severity of climbs etc, etc.

Coulin Pass;

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map1_5tg.shtml

Benn Eighe route (acw from road);

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map2_2tg.shtml

Celtman;

http://www.cxtri.com/

Cheers,

Ian

Are you mad?????

We had an ace week in Gairloch, last summer (and then a week in Assynt, which is just as fantastic).

So I could advise on lying on the beach and swimming in the sea, but I don't think that would really help.

It's a totally beautiful area. I'm sure you'll have a great time (knackering yourself).

I've been along the Coullin Pass a couple of times. Very runnable, no great gradients, mix of forest track at start then good trail. Wore Wave Harriers. Think its about 10 miles.
Also done Ben Eighe but think I went up clockwise, up good track to corrie then straight up steep scree to top. Came down the same way. It's about 10 miles I think with 3000ft climbing or thereabouts. Needed Mudclaws for this one. Loads of burns etc for water around here.
Neil

Blimey Neil, you resurrected this thread from the dead.

Many thanks for the reply. I was hoping to wear Harriers for both sections, it's interesting to hear that I may need to pack my Mudclaws as well. Good to hear that there's plenty water around as I was hoping to get by on gels for the Benn Eighe section.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

I go up there regular on business on on one piece of route planner software it took me over the Coulin Pass by "road" but it doesn't look like a road. Does anyone know if it is?
I know at the Torridon end where it comes out that it's tarmac but at the south end it looks like muddy track.

WP, looking at Streetmap.co.uk, 1:25,000, it shows it as unsurfaced for the full length. I would guess that it is a private estate road with no public vehicular access, other than from the N to the various homesteads on the lower reaches of the N side of the pass; hence some evidence of an engineered surface at that end?
The Celtman Tri handbook clearly instructs all support vehicles to go round by road. If the pass were "do-able", I imagine that the organisers would have negotiated for support vehicles to use it?

I seem to remember the RO as referring to the Coulin Pass as "twintrack", which makes me think of it as an unsurfaced forestry road. I think they're hoping to set up a drinks station somewhere along it.......that would be nice.

The Coulin Pass is definitely not a public road !!

As far as shoes goes, I'm not convinced for the need of mudclaws, unless it's been very very wet. Once up to the lochan ( on the Beinn Eighe acw circuit ) then you are on rocky, stony ground. The climb up from the lochan to the col south of Ruadh Stac Mhor is steep scree, the summit ridges from there are stony - so whatever footwear you think best for stony ground.

Water - on the run in along the track from the road crossing plenty streams, fill up at the outflow from the lochan as once past that then on ridges so very limited water until on the descent back down from Stuc Coire an Laoigh

Steep climb from the road.. gets quite steep towards the top, in winter we need ice axes at the top.. its then a rocky ridge

http://sarzmountainrun.blogspot.co.u...day-day-1.html

Then a fairly steep descent and long gradual run out to that 2nd summit.. steep descent down scree gullies to the coire but you soon pick up a much better path and its decent running back.. roughish path, quite narrow, mainly gradually down hill.. these 'stalker paths' are quite narrow.

Some photos here

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/torri...earchair.shtml


I'd wear proper fell shoes.. much of its on paths but pretty rough and rocky paths with some steep descents.. the triple buttress is stunning.. you'll probably pass wreckage of a lancaster omber which crashed into a gully, fuselage gully, in the face..

re shoes.. if dry wave harriers may suffice.. if wet you'll die...

Its quite grippy rock though, I used walshes up there.. Solamans may be ideal as they will cope with the rockyness well..

Thanks Iain, I'll look at those links when I get home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by (notsomuchofa)Fellrunner

Thanks Iain, I'll look at those links when I get home.

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Stunning route though... you won't pass the wreckage though, just realised your staying the N? side of the loch..

Good luck with this Ian. It looks like a real challenging event, plus stunning scenery! that run looks like a good event on its own! Enjoy!! :)

Cheers for all the info people. On the day we were really lucky with conditions for "running". It was calm & mild if a little cloudy. The rocks were indeed grippy Iain & I wore my Mudclaws which were great.

Anyway, I've written up a wee report with some pictures;

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showt...on-2012-Report

Cheers again,

Ian

Was just reading that. Well done. Sounds a classic race.