Benwyvis
grade - 3
14km / 8.75miles
5 - 5.5hrs
935m
Ben Wyvis is a vast and sprawling mountain whose isolated position makes it the dominating feature of a wide area of the Highlands. The ascent to its spacious plateau is a reasonably straightforward ascent in good summer conditions by Munro standards and there are very extensive views from the summit.
Stage 1
Park at the Ben Wyvis car park, which is signed from the A835, north of Garve. From here a path heads north, soon crossing the Allt a' Bhealaich Mhoir via a footbridge. Once across the stream the path soon swings right by a gate and the well trodden route which runs along the north side of the stream through the forest. Aspen, birch and rowan trees alongside the stream enliven the ascent. When a forest track is reached, go straight across to continue on the path.
Stage 2
After about a kilometre the path becomes more open with younger trees. Climb more steeply, still close to the stream. Just over another kilometre uphill, the forest is left behind and open country reached, with An Cabar looking very fine ahead. The path - expertly built to avoid the bogs - begins to ascend in a series of zigzags towards the top of An Cabar.
Stage 3
The ascent is steep but the zigzag path leads unerringly to the 946 top of An Cabar, with a dramatic view down the steep slopes to the south. From An Cabar, the going becomes easier once more. The mossy plateau provides habitat for the Dotterel, but the thin soils are easily damaged by the passage of many boots. Temporary cairns and a sign have been erected by SNH to encourage walkers to stick to a single line - please follow this route to minimise the damage. Head over Cairn a' Chaptein and across a barely perceptable dip before ascending gently towards the summit.
The ridge narrows slightly about a third of a kilometre before the summit trig point is reached. The summit of Ben Wyvis (which means Awesome Mountain) is Glas Leathad Mor, a Munro at 1046 metres. In clear visibility the views cover a vast swathe of northern Scotland, from Torridon to the Black Isle and Easter Ross. The sharp cone of Sgurr Mor in the Fannichs is easy to identify.
Although some books recommend a descent from Tom a'Choinnich, by far the quickest and the most pleasant route of return is to retrace your steps.
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