The wilds
of Assynt hold a special place in many mountain lovers’ hearts and I am one of
them. Boasting only two solitary Munros,
the lack of lofty mountains is more than compensated by a complex landscape of
rocky knolls, a myriad of lochans, rivers and pools and shapely mountains that
rise above, with the Western sea shimmering on those precious days of sun. So when Tony Wimbush reported his inaugural Assynt
Traverse in 2010, a seed was sown, and opportunity, resolve and a weather
window finally came together eight years later in May 2018.
Whilst not
the longest mountain run, at under 50 miles, the Assynt Traverse packs a punch
that belies bare statistics. For the
most part it is trackless and rhythmless – a heady cocktail of sandstone
towers, ankle twisting tussocks, angular stones, committing river crossings and
heather bashing – but lest this description deter you, it is also a mountain
connoisseur’s delight of sharp ridges, geologic history and lonely places. So after 8 years, I finally headed North to have a go.
Story of My Traverse Images from The Traverse
Route Details (Gofar web site)
