Please bare with this report, never done one before and unfortunatly I can't supply any photos as mr dark cloud and mrs wind were both having alot of fun at my expence.
The route I followed is basically along tracks and paths around beinn fhada going south first. I walked it as a reccy for some horse riders who wanted to know the state of the two passes beyond the youth hostel for a trip they had planned.
Os map 33 - started from countryside centre 9621 - followed the tarmac road to near the activity centre where I turned onto a track which runs along the river croe.
Followed the track to its end over quite level ground where their is a hut but it is locked - despite that it has a little side shed which I used to escape the rain for awhile. track from their is the more normal walkers type (narrow, stony, boggy). Does have a few places where your walking over bare flat slabs of rock especially as you near the waterfall (no problem normally but in the wet....). As the waterfall comes into view, the scene is quite spectacular - basically imagine the waterfall is falling into a cone shape with you walking around the top edge of it - one side of the path is obviously very steep but it is quite wide.
The walk upto this point from the hut is so so steep (very technical term!) but once passed the waterfall you soon reach the top and the walk on the other side is a very very gradual walk down along a much boggier path.
The camban hut encountered along this path is open, roomy, tidy and dry which was good considering I was none of the above at the time - if i remember right their is alittle green bit in front of it where you could place a tent.
Path down towards the YH was very distinctive where as the path I later followed up gleann gniomhaidh was mostly non-existant altho in my defence I was walking into mrs wind at the time and had my face hidden, despite that I did not see any real path as encountered earlier. The ground here was very boggy with many holes (potential ankle breakers) hidden by the heather.
The walk upto the second pass bealach sgairne was not steep and on a nice day would of probably been quite pleasent as you neared the small but quaint loch - just like any other really but had a nice little sandy beach like loch avon - having a swim on hot summer days come to mind.
the pass entrance is v shaped opening down steeply until the glen opens up with stunning views north and the path vears to the left revealing some very 'one mistake and your gone' places on the right. rest of the walk is down a well used path in a sort of alpine road fashion going from left to right until you reach the woods then its just a matter of following the path until you reach the activity centre, then take the tarmac road back to the car/motorbike/helicopter or how ever you got there in the first place.
If you are in the area and want some good sunset or sunrise photos of the five sisters turn off the A87 at shiel bridge towards glenelg and follow the steep road upto the vantage point - also great from along the loch side at ratagan.
Paul
