Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX
986 m ยท Highland
Sgurr Mor is the 986m summit of Beinn Alligin in Torridon, a Munro known for the Eag Dhubh gash and the Horns of Alligin scramble.
Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.
Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor routes, easiest to hardest
Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.
| Route | Start | Distance | Ascent | Time up | There and back | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Out and back over Tom na Gruagaich | Coire Mhic Nobuil car park (Torridon to Inveralligin road) | 8.0 km one way | 1,062 m | 3h 20m | 5h 0m | Hard |
| Beinn Alligin horseshoe via the Horns | Coire Mhic Nobuil car park (Torridon to Inveralligin road) | 8.1 km one way | 1,091 m | 3h 25m | 5h 5m | Scramble |
Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route times by Naismith's rule
The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.
Each Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route
Out and back over Tom na Gruagaich
You climb the steep corrie path to Tom na Gruagaich and follow the ridge to Sgurr Mor, returning the same way without the Horns. It starts from Coire Mhic Nobuil car park (Torridon to Inveralligin road). 8.0 km one way with 1,062 m of ascent. About 3h 20m to the summit and 5h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.
Beinn Alligin horseshoe via the Horns
A steep path climbs Coir nan Laogh to Tom na Gruagaich, then the ridge leads to Sgurr Mor. The descent crosses the sandstone Horns, with exposed scrambling and bypass paths. It starts from Coire Mhic Nobuil car park (Torridon to Inveralligin road). 8.1 km one way with 1,091 m of ascent. About 3h 25m to the summit and 5h 5m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.
Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route GPX
This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.
Before you pick a route
The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor today and the Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.
Planning a day on Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor routes
The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.
Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.
Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
If you are new to Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.
Questions about Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor
What is the easiest route up Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor?
Out and back over Tom na Gruagaich has the easiest grade of the 2 routes listed here (Hard).
How much time does each Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route take?
Out and back over Tom na Gruagaich: about 3h 20m up and 5h 0m there and back. Beinn Alligin horseshoe via the Horns: about 3h 25m up and 5h 5m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.
Can I get a GPX file for a Beinn Alligin - Sgurr Mor route?
Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.