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Section 0 Galloway and Border Hills
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Section 3 - Trips Reports for Strath Orchy to Loch Leven Mountains
Section 3 - This section refers to the hills and mountains between Strath Orchy and Loch Leven and includes the Glen Coe and Glen Etive mountains as well as the Ben Cruachan group. They cover the Corbetts, Grahams and Munros that I have climbed in this area since 2003. Index to Hills in this Section
Buachaille Etive Beag30 June 2008
Dave and Joyce make an annual pilgrimage to Scotland from their home in the USA for their summer vacation. During their holiday they like to have one day climbing a Munro. They have been doing this now for five years and I have been fortunate to lead them on four previous occasions. The first year they climbed Ben Lomond on their own but on all these trips they have never had a summit view. They have experienced low cloud, rain, hail and even some snow. I decided this year we would try Glen Coe so I collected Dave and Joyce from their accommodation in Fort William and headed south on the A82. They had driven through Glen Coe several times and stopped to admire the magnificent mountains but never set foot on them. We parked at the car park on the A82 east of The Study and close to the foot of the path leading to the Lairig Eilde, which is a Right of Way to Glen Etive. We walked up this Right of Way but before crossing the Allt Lairig Eilde left it and headed across some rather bogy terrain and climbed to the bealach south-west of Stob Coire Raineach. Sections of this path had been improved but more bog was encountered higher up. The mountain tops, which were clear when we set off, were now cloud covered and as we reached the bealach it started to rain. Dave and Joyce were a bit disappointed but not surprised as a result of their previous experiences in the Scottish mountains. We climbed fairly steeply to the 902 Point on Buachille Etive Beag, during some intermittent showers, before the gradient eased and we walked to the summit cairn of Stob Dubh. Dave and Joyce had climbed another Munro without a view from the summit. A cold wind was blowing so we returned along the ridge until we found a sheltered area to partake of lunch. After lunch and as we prepared to set off again the cloud started to break and we had brief, albeit not very clear views, into Lairig Gartain, Glen Etive and Loch Etive. The descent back to the bealach was by the upward route but the weather was slowly improving and when we reached the bealach Stob Coire Raineach was clear of cloud and it was also lifting off the nearby summits. Dave and Joyce were therefore happy to climb Stob Coire Raineach in the hope of a summit view. It was a stony ascent but well worth the effort as the top was still clear when we reached the summit cairn. We had views of the Blackwater Reservoir and Buachaille Etive Mor as well as the route we had walked that day. A few photographs were taken at the summit before we returned to the bealach and followed that morning's upward route back to the start. Dave and Joyce have now climbed eight Munros with one summit view but I think they were pleased that they had broken their duck.
previous ascent Stob Coire Raineach
Beinn Donachain25 May 2008
It was a bright and sunny morning as I headed along Glen Orchy on the B8074, located between the A82 and the A85. Ample parking was available at Catnish Picnic Area around five kilometres north-east of the A85. At the south end of the picnic area a footbridge crossed the River Orchy. However a locked gate prevented access and a warning sign stated that the bridge was closed as it was unsafe. The bridge appeared to me to be quite stable so I decided to use it and was surprised to find that some wooden planks and bolts had been recently replaced. Maybe the estate owner doesn't want picnickers straying across onto his land. Once on the other side of the river I walked down the riverbank through some oak and birch trees. The path at times was rather boggy and was obviously used by deer. I emerged from the trees into newly grown bracken making it difficult to find the stalker’s path that headed uphill. I eventually located it but it wasn’t in great condition but at least the recent dry spell meant less boggy sections. Once beyond the crag at Creag Ghlas I left the path and headed steeply uphill following a fence until it changed direction. My route continued uphill with good views back to Ben Lui and to Beinn Achaladair in the east. It was rather windy and as I gained further height the Corbett Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh came into view. I passed Heart Loch and another lochan before reaching a deer fence. A section of wooden slats in the fence made it possible to climb it, before following an old fence almost to the summit of Beinn Donachain. The summit cairn was located on a now almost nonexistent drystane dyke. From the summit I had views of the Ben Cruachan group of mountains, Beinn Eunaich and Ben Starav. There was a rather cold breeze on the summit so after a few minutes I commenced the return by the route of ascent, well nearly as I cut out some re-ascent by going round the south end of Heart Loch.
Meall Tairbh24 May 2008
The start of this Graham was the Inveroran Hotel which is reached by a single track unclassified road from Bridge of Orchy on the A82 Glasgow to Fort William Road. There was ample parking opposite the Hotel, which is on the route of the West Highland Way. I set off south on the West Highland Way which was already busy with early morning walkers. I couldn’t find the west-most path shown on the map that left the WHW and headed towards the 546 Point. There was also a large expanse of ground, not marked on the map, that stretched from near the Hotel towards Coir Orain, that was fenced off with a deer fence protecting newly grown trees. I headed for the top left hand corner of the fence at times following animal tracks and beyond the fence towards the 546 Point with ever improving views of Loch Tulla and the Achaladair mountains. Prior to reaching the 546 point I did join the path that came in from further east and I followed it to this high point passing some TV aerials near the summit. I now had additional views of Bridge of Orchy, the route of the road and rail line to Glasgow, as well as Glen Orchy. Thereafter I followed the twisting ridge to the summit of Ben Invereigh. Although at a height of 639 metres it is not classed as a Graham as it does not have the stipulated 150 metres of re-ascent being around 10 metres short. I descended the south-west ridge of Ben Invereigh before dropping down to near Lochan Coir Orain. Nearby I found a Wheater’s nest containing a number of eggs. From here it was a steady climb to the summit cairn of Meall Tairbh with views across to the Glen Etive mountains. The earlier cold breeze had eased and the high cloud was beginning to break up with glimpses of the sun. A few deer were feeding near the summit. The descent was by the north-east ridge disturbing a few small deer herds. Lower down I followed some animal tracks towards the Allt Tolaghan and the road back to the Inveroran Hotel.
Stob Coire Sgreamhach23 May 2008
I needed to climb this Munro to complete another round of the Munros. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t as fine as it had been during recent weeks with some light rain, a cool wind and low cloud. The starting point for the ascent of Stob Coire Sgreamhach was the main road that runs through Glen Coe, the A82, at the viewpoint, just west of Allt-na-reigh. I followed the path down to the bridge over the River Coe, then up through plantations and along the side of the Allt Coire Gabhail. This path was rather rough in places with steep drops to the stream. Higher up it crossed the stream before climbing to a wide valley, known as the Lost Valley. I crossed the stone based valley and took the path that continued up the glen on the west side of the Allt Coire Gabhail. Higher up the path became rather steep and badly eroded as I entered the cloud base. Not long after that I came to a section of snow and a chap who had decided to call it a day due to the lying snow and cloud as he didn’t have an ice axe. I also was without an axe but decided to continue to ascertain for myself what difficulties were ahead. The first section of snow wasn’t too difficult to cross but thereafter it was impossible to see what was above. I made two attempts at climbing towards the ridge. The first time I got to a gap beside a crag where the snow bank was higher than myself so I had to back out. I tried to go round the snow bank and crag but it took me in the wrong direction. I tried going round the other side of the crag, crossed another snow field but without an axe it was too dangerous to continue. I left the snow field and climbed some steep and rough ground the top surface of which was rather wet, probably due to snowmelt, causing the turf and rocks to fall away. I was able to avoid further snow fields and eventually reached the bealach between Stob Coire Sgreamhach and Bidean nam Bian, well slightly to the west, as it was impossible to arrive or leave the bealach at the cairned point due to a large build up of old snow. From the bealach I climbed to the summit cairn of Stob Coire Sgreamhach. There was little point in remaining at the summit so I about turned and headed back to the bealach, well to the point I had marked for my return and commenced an awkward descent. I met three walkers from the Czech Republic who were headed for Bidean nam Bian. On one of the snow fields I met a young couple who after consulting me on the conditions higher up sensibly decided to turn about as the female appeared new to the sport and it wasn’t worth the risk of putting her off hill walking by risking this ascent. Later on I cleared the cloud and followed the path back to the main road as the cloud base rose and the weather improved. I was pleased to have made it to the summit in rather challenging conditions as I have now completed four rounds of the Munros. This will leave me clear to concentrate on completing the Grahams and a second round of Corbetts.
Beinn Sgulaird6 October 2007
The start of this walk was an old section of the A828 Ballachulish to Connel road, west of a new bridge over Loch Creran at Creagan. There was a small lay-by just north of Druimavuic which was convenient for parking. We set off along the road towards Druimavuic for a few metres before following the track on the north side of the house which led to open hillside. The map showed the track ended here but in fact it continues over Coire Buidhe. The track was followed for around 400 metres where a small cairn marked the walker's path to Beinn Sgulaird. This path took us to the 488 metres point and into the cloud and light rain. A short descent followed, a fence was crossed, and we regained the height we had lost. The ascent continued with the roar of the stags now a lot closer but the weather was against us seeing anything. The 863 metre point was reached where we changed direction and descended to a bealach before climbing over Meall Garbh. The descent from Meall Garbh consisted of some loose rock which was also damp and slippery. Thereafter the final ascent of Beinn Sgulaird, in rather windy conditions, was made to the fairly large summit cairn where we found some shelter for lunch. After a short break we walked along the north ridge of Beinn Sgulaird before descending a gully which was a mixture of rock and vegetation. Lower down I decided that it appeared easier to keep to the north side of a small stream but this involved easy scrambling round some rocks but the vegetation was wet and slippery. However the stream flowed into a narrow rocky gully which was impossible to cross so we were forced to continue on the north side until a suitable crossing point was found. It was a pity that visibility was so poor as the gully appeared to be very impressive with frequent small waterfalls. Once of the opposite side of the stream we were able to head in the direction we required, through some long vegetation which was full of hollows. The cloud base was very low at around 100 metres but eventually we came to a shieling where we crossed a stream and followed a wet and boggy path, which had been used by cattle. This involved a climb of around 40 metres before descending to the farm at Taraphocain. Here we saw a couple of hinds on the road and heard the roar of nearby stags. We followed the tarred road back to the old A828 and a short walk along this road led to the lay-by where I had left my car.
Bidean nam Bian30 September 2007
It had been a few years since I had ascended the Munro Bidean nam Bian and was wishing to check out a couple of the routes. I parked in the large car park on the south side of the A82 at the Pass of Glencoe just east of the helipad. This is a popular car park and is frequently full of cars belonging to walkers, climbers and tourists. In fact it appears to be a regular stopping point for tourist buses to allow their passengers out to take photographs of the mountains. From the car park I descended to the River Coe and walked west along the north bank until I reached the footbridge which I used to cross the river. I then followed the footpath that headed into Coire an Lochan. This path has had a lot of work carried out on it and is a steady climb and with the rocks used as steps it was like climbing stairs for long sections. Higher up the condition of the path deteriorated with loose scree and boulders but I continued up the south-east side of the stream, through rocks to a grassy corrie with a few lochans. The weather was difficult to predict as the cloud base continued to change, sometimes I saw the summit of Stob Coire nan Lochan and other times it was in the cloud. At the grassy corrie I crossed over and climbed onto the ridge between Gearr Aonach and Stob Coire nan Lochain before climbing the north-east ridge of Stob Coire nan Lochain, which was rather stony and narrowed in places. On reaching the summit cairn there were no views due to the cloud cover so I left the summit and headed for Bidean nam Bian. It was a relatively easy descent to the bealach which was followed by a more challenging ascent of Bidean nam Bian involving some loose rock and paths where the loose stones had been cleared by walkers and erosion. There were no views during the ascent although I was aware of the rocky outlines to the west. I eventually reached the summit cairn still in the cloud. I returned to the bealach between Bidean nam Bian and Stob Coire nan Lochain which was a bit awkward as was the descent from the bealach towards Coire Gabhail. The cloud lifted for a while and I could see my route ahead and the rocky outcrops I had to avoid. Lower down I found the path again but it had been badly eroded by small landslides. Once in the glen I stopped for lunch while I watched and listened to a nearby stag as he kept his hinds together. He was constantly on the move so no wonder they start to loose weight during the rut. After lunch I descended the path on the west side of the Allt Coire Gabhail to the 'Lost Valley', where the Clan MacDonald hid their cattle. It is now full of small stones with a large boulder at the bottom end concealing access and egress. Beyond this boulder I had to scramble over large rocks until the stream, which had been running underground reappeared. Thereafter I followed a path at the side of a steep embankment back to the River Coe and the short stroll to the car park.
Buachaille Etive Mor29 September 2007
A group of five ladies from North Fife had planned a weekend away from their husbands and young families and decided upon an ascent of Buachaille Etive Mor. Some of the ladies had climbed Munros before but they didn’t feel confident enough to do it on their own, hence my involvement. We met outside the Kingshouse Hotel at the southern end of Glen Coe and drove the short distance north to Altnafeadh on the A82. Here on the south side of the road there is some off road parking and a lay-by on the opposite side. Both were filling up quickly with walker’s vehicles. Once organised we walked down to the River Coupall and crossed it by the footbridge, passed the Scottish Mountaineering Club Hut at Lagangarbh, and towards Coire na Tuilaich. Higher up, the stream flowing out of the corrie was crossed and we continued up its west bank. The path was busy with walkers and a photographer carrying a large amount of equipment. Well he appeared overburdened with gear until we took a short break and one of the ladies produced her flask. I’m not sure if I had seen such a large flask on the hills before, 1.8 litres of hot water for her tea breaks. She also had enough milk to keep the whole party in coffee and tea for the day. Well I got the blame as in my list of equipment required for the day walk I had added some emergency food to the list. This lady had taken it to heart and had enough food for more than one overnight stop. Well it gave her friends and myself a bit of a laugh as she frequently produced the flask offering everyone a cuppa. The path up into Coire na Tulaich had been improved over the last few years and now headed a bit further to the west, away from the gully scree before rejoining the original route at the bealach west of Stob Dearg. It was then an easy walk to Stob Dearg’s summit although the ridge does narrow a bit just before the summit cairn. A few photographs were taken at the summit but due to the low cloud there were no views so we returned to the bealach and climbed the north ridge of Stob na Doire before descending to the bealach between it and Stob Coire Altruim where we stopped for lunch. The cloud did clear a bit and we had brief views into Glen Etive and the Lairig Gartain. After lunch we ascended Stob Coire Altruim en-route out to the second Munro of the day, Stob na Broige. Just before the summit of Stob na Broige I heard a ptarmigan and on making a search of the area saw three sitting on a rock. Another group photograph was taken at the summit cairn. On the return along Stob na Broige’s north-east ridge the ladies spotted what I think was a stoat which may have been the reason for the ptarmigan's calls. The stoat quickly disappeared so there was no opportunity for a photograph to identify it. At the Stob Coire Altrium/Stob na Doire bealach we descended a rough path and then some wet rocks to the Lairig Gartain. One of the ladies found this tough going but was still smiling so she must have been enjoying the challenge. By this time we had descended out of the cloud. The path along the west side of the Allt Gartain was rather boggy in places which one of the ladies found to her cost as she fell into it. On the lower stretches of the Lairig Gartain there were frequent roars from several stags in the area. It had been a fairly long day for the ladies as they had left home early in the morning. They had accommodation booked at the Clachaig Inn for a well earned rest and no doubt a glass or two of wine.
Sgorr a'Choise and Meall Mor24 August 2007
The starting point for the ascent of these two Grahams was the village of Ballachulish just off the A82 west of Glencoe Village. I found a suitable parking space within the village and headed up passed the local school and into Gleann an Fhiodh. It was mild with the cloud low down on the lower hills but on the higher mountains only the tops were cloud covered, which seemed a bit odd. I followed the path up the glen until it came closer to the River Laroch where I put on my overtrousers as the long vegetation was wet. The river was easily crossed and I made a rising traverse to a low point on Sgorr a'Choise's south-west ridge, which I had spotted while walking up the glen. The terrain was quite awkward to cross but I reached the ridge beside the edge of the forest, which could just be seen in the low cloud. Here there were traces of a path and the ridge was marked by some old iron fence posts. The ridge was narrow in places but there were no difficulties and I eventually reached the summit cairn of Sgorr a'Choise, where I took a break. It was now windy with some light rain and visibility was fairly poor so I needed a few bearings to descent the south-east ridge, over a knoll and down to a wide bealach. Fence posts marked the initial stages of this route and once at the bealach I was out of the cloud. This was only short lived as I was soon back in the cloud as I commenced the steady climb onto Meall Mor. A fairly level ridge was reached and I followed a faint path along the ridge to the summit cairn. With no views I returned along the ridge and followed a bearing towards a forest where I hoped to find a route through the tress. On this descent I came out of the cloud and could see a few fire breaks in the forest, one of which I aimed for. However the fire break soon became impossible to follow and for the next twenty minutes or so I struggled through the forest, watching the compass at the same time, until I came out at another fire break which actually turned out to be an All Terrain Vehicle track. This track led to and stopped at the radio mast at the top end of the forest. It would appear that this ATV track came in from the Glen Coe side of the hill and may be useful to others following this route. At the radio mast I crossed the deer fence by a stile and followed the edge of the forest towards the old quarry east of Ballachulish where a path led me back to the village.
Beinn Sgulaird19 July 2007
The start of this walk was the old section of the A828 Fort William to Oban Road which runs between Inver and Druimavuic. A few metres north of Druimavuic there is an unmarked parking area on the east side of the road. I left my car in this parking area and walked the few metres south to a vehicle track that ran up the north side of Druimavuic through a forest and onto the open hillside. The vehicle track, which was shown on the map as stopping at the forest edge actually continued up the north side of the Allt Buidhe though Coire Buidhe and over the bealach between Creag na Cathaig and Beinn Sgulaird. I used this track, which at times was fairly steep and varied from rough stone to grass, rather than the normal west ridge approach. At the bealach I was watched by several hinds from the lower reaches of Beinn Sgulaird. I left the vehicle track at the bealach and commenced the climb of Beinn Sgulaird traversing below its 863 point and joined the ridge at the col between the 863 point and Meall Garbh. I was now in cloud as I climbed through and over some boulders before I reached the cairn which marked the summit. It was still cloudy but I sat at the cairn eating lunch hoping that the cloud would lift. I did get some views of Loch Creran and of wild goats just below the summit but the cloud never really cleared sufficiently for any decent summit photographs. I left the summit and returned to the col where I met two chaps from Bolton who were en-route to the top. They were fortunate as by this time the cloud had lifted. My return was over Meall Garbh and the 863 point before a steady descent of the west ridge with good views of Loch Creran and out towards the Island of Lismore. On reaching a fence, which I crossed, a climb of around 40 metres was required to the 488 point. From here the descent continued down the ridge to the vehicle track I used on the upward route. It was then only a short distance back to my car.
Beinn a’Bheiher25 June 2007
The start of this walk, to climb the two Munros of Beinn a'Bheither, was from the village of Ballachulish on the south side of the A82 just west of Glencoe Village. A minor road lead to the local primary school where there is very limited parking unless the school playground can be used outwith school days. We walked up Gleann an Fhiodh for around a kilometre before leaving this path and climbing the north-east ridge of Sgorr Bhan. Initially it was a bit wet and boggy but higher up it was drier and there was an obvious walker’s path. Further on the ridge became narrower with some easy scrambling. There was also a cold wind blowing and the cloud was floating around the summit. Eventually we reached the summit of Sgorr Bhan, a Munro Top, but with no clear views we continued along the curved ridge to the summit of the Munro, Sgorr Dhearg. It was still a bit cloudy with a cold wind so we descended Sgorr Dhearg’s west ridge where we met some fellow walkers going in the opposite direction. Once at the bealach between Sgorr Dhearg and Sgorr Dhonuill we climbed to the summit of Sgorr Dhonuill where we sought some shelter from the wind for lunch. Afterwards we returned to the bealach and descended towards Gleann a’Chaolais, which was a bit boggy in places and where it was warmer as the sun was now out. At the tree line we found a relatively new path which we followed through the trees to the car park at the foot of the glen where we had left a vehicle.
Stob Coire Raineach14 May 2007
The starting point for this walk was the A82 Crianlarich to Fort William Road east of the Pass of Glencoe and the new road bridge which was recently completed at The Study. At this point there is a car park which is capable of taking around a dozen cars. It was a fairly bright morning when I set off from this car park and followed the footpath up the Lairig Eilde. In under a kilometre I left this route and took a wet and boggy path towards the bealach between Stob Coire Raineach and Stob Dubh. Sections of this path had been repaired and higher up I passed the workforce, a male and female. Once at the bealach it was a relatively easy ascent up some stone and scree paths to the summit of Stob Coire Raineach. Here I took a break but a short time later the hail shower that was affecting the surrounding mountains struck so I packed up and headed back by my route of ascent. The hail shower was short lived but I had another couple of showers on my descent. I stopped on the way down and spoke to the path maintenance couple before continuing the descent to my car. Normally this Munro would be climbed in conjunction with Stob Dubh but I needed to be in Kintail later in the day so it was just a quick jaunt up Stob Coire Raineach, which is part of Buachaille Etive Beag.
Meall a’Bhuiridh and Creise19 April 2007
This was my client’s third attempt to climb Creise. Her first visit, with another guide, the group only managed to ascend Meall a’Bhuiridh and on the second occasion we only got as far as Coire Pollach due to the snow and wind. On this occasion I had considered climbing Creise by its north ridge but the client preferred the easier route over Meall a’Bhuiridh. We set off early from the deserted White Corries car park and followed an eroded path up the side of the Allt nan Giubhas into Coire Pollach. It appeared there was some work being done to improve this ascent route by the creation of a new path. It was windy with some spots of rain when we set off from the car park but as we entered the corrie the wind speed had decreased. We kept to the west side of the ski paraphernalia and climbed towards Meall a’Bhuiridh my client hoping to avoid this summit by by-passing the top and heading onto its ridge with Creise. However the rocky terrain prevented this and we were forced to head to the summit of Meall a’Bhuiridh which suited me as I wanted to go to both tops. As we left this summit cairn and headed for the Meall a’Bhuiridh/Creise ridge we were engulfed by low cloud. It was also windy in places as we crossed the ridge and headed up through rocks onto Creise’s south ridge. At this point the cloud started to break up and we had some spectacular atmospheric views in particular of the mountains surrounding Glen Etive. It was only a short walk to Creise's summit cairn but we decided to visit both cairns, which are around 200 metres apart although the map showed the southerly cairn to be the actual summit. We found some shelter, from the cool breeze, for some lunch, sitting looking across to Meall a’Bhuiridh. Thereafter we set off for the return to the White Corries car park following the route of ascent. It was a pleasant and warm afternoon which was as per the forecast.
Garbh Bheinn7 September 2006
The start of this walk was the B863 Glencoe to Kinlochleven road just east of Caolasnacon and the bridge over the Allt Gleann a'Chaolais. Traces of a path led up the north west ridge of Garbh Bheinn. The midges were out when the wind dropped. We also had some spots of rain before the cloud lifted and for the rest of the day we had sunny spells. It was a steady, unrelenting climb to the summit of Garbh Bheinn where there were good views down Loch Leven to Ardgour, the Mamores and Ben Nevis and out east. We were also able to spot a few mountaineers negotiating the Aonach Eagach ridge. As we had two cars we descended the north east ridge of Garbh Bheinn. It was initially relatively easy, despite there being no path but lower down it became steep and rocky which forced us further east through lots of bracken which hid several rocks and hollows so the lower part of the descent was quite difficult and I wouldn't recommend it. Eventually we reached the West Highland Way and followed it back to Kinlochleven where we had left a car.
Beinn a'Bhuiridh6 September 2006
The starting point of this Corbett was the A85 Tyndrum to Oban road just east of the Cruachan Power Station. Here a path leads to the railway underpass and then a slab and brick path, which wouldn't look out of place in a well maintained garden, led to a small power station. Beyond that the path was overgrown, wet, steep and eroded in places as it headed up the east side of the Falls of Cruachan. The noise from the Falls could be heard but the overgrown foliage hid the stream. The path subsequently reached the access road to the Cruachan Dam and I followed the road to the east side of the dam. Just beyond this point I left the path that led towards Stob Diamh and climbed up the grassy and in some places rocky west side of Beinn a'Bhuiridh. A couple of cairns marked the summit but I also took in the east knoll hoping for some views towards Dalmally while I ate my lunch. Unfortunately there was a lot of cloud blowing about. The earlier cloud which covered Ben Cruachan now engulfed my hill and it started to rain and there was a cold breeze so I commenced the descent by the upward route. The rain later ceased and the cloud lifted and I had good views down Loch Awe and brief glimpses of the hills on the Island of Mull.
Sgor na h-Ulaidh and Meall Lighiche6 August 2006
It was another cloudy and drizzly morning when I set off from the main road through Glencoe, near Achnacon and walked up the track to the farm at Glean-leac-na-muidhe. Just beyond the farm buildings I left this track and climbed steeply onto the Aonach Dubh a'Ghlinne ridge where I hoped for some views. However I was out of luck as it was still cloudy with occasional showers. I walked along the ridge to its highest point at 845 metres, which is classed as a Corbett Top, before descending to a bealach and climbing the Munro Top, Stob an Fhuarain. This was followed by a further drop before the final climb to the Munro Sgor na h-Ulaidh. The cloud at this point started to break up and I had views of my next hill, the Corbett Meall Lighiche. As I descended the west ridge of Sgor na h-Ulaidh the cloud started to clear completely and I had views of the previous day's hill, Beinn Fhionnlaidh and the Aonach Eagach ridge to name a couple. The descent to the bealach with Meall Lighiche was a bit tricky as it was steep, the rocks were slippery and there was some loose scree. The going was slow but I eventually reached the bealach and a relative easy climb onto Meall Lighiche where there were good views of Beinn a'Bheither, Glen Creran, Island of Mull, the route along the Aonach Dubh a'Ghlinne as well as the hills already mentioned. The burns were in spate in the morning so I returned to the Sgor na h-Ulaidh/ Meall Lighiche bealach rather than descending the north ridge as this would have involved a river crossing. From the bealach I descended to the Allt na Muidhe and followed the path down its east side and back to the track used that morning.
Beinn Fhionnlaidh5 August 2006
I parked my car in Glen Etive beside the bridge over the Allt Charnan and walked the short distance along the road to the entrance to Invercharnan. I went through a small wicket gate and passed the house. I have been here on a few occasions and this was the first time that I have found the property occupied. Once beyond the house I entered the forest and followed the vehicle track until it emerged from the forest after nearly three kilometres. It was misty with light rain and once onto open ground I descended to the Allt nan Gaoirean where the corrugated iron bridge was in poor condition. Once across the stream I followed one of its tributaries to Meall nan Gobhar and climbed to Beinn Fhionnlaidh's East Top. The rain was a lot heavier now and it was a bit breezy. Visibility was poor due to the low cloud. From the East Top I descended a short distance to a bealach following some old fence posts, before climbing to the summit of Beinn Fhionnlaidh which involved some easy scrambling. There was no point in remaining at the summit as the weather was unlikely to change so I returned by the upward route. It was still drizzling with low cloud when I arrived back at my car.
Stob a'Choire Odhair and Stob Ghabhar10 May 2006
It was a lovely sunny morning when we set off from the car park just south of Victoria Bridge, walked the short distance to Forest Lodge and along the vehicle track on the north shore of the Abhainn Shira. On reaching the Climbing Club Hut we took the path up the east side of the Allt Toaig but by now it was very warm and I had to take off my extra clothing. Once beyond the stream that flowed down from the bealach between Beinn Toaig and Stob a'Choire Odhair we headed up Stob a'Choire Odhair. It was a fairly steep and tough climb in the heat but higher up it became slightly easier as the path began to zig zag up the hillside. Beyond these zig zags a faint path went through some stony ground to the summit cairn of Stob a'Choire Odhair. Here we had good views of Rannoch Moor, the reflections in Loch Tulla and of our next hill, Stob Ghabhar. The descent from Stob a'Choire Odhair was down its west ridge to a bealach and some lovely cold water out of the Allt Toaig, chilled by the snow melt. Traces of a path guided us up the ridge towards what is known as the Aonach Eagach, but it was tough going in the heat. The last few feet onto the Aonach Eagach was over a snow bank. On reaching the Aonach Eagach, which is narrow in places, but nothing like its bigger brother further north, we followed it over a couple of knolls until the final ascent of Stob Ghabhar, which is marked by old fence posts. The views north from the summit cairn, including those of Ben Nevis, Creise, the Glen Etive and Glen Coe hills were tremendous, compared to those to the south which were a bit hazy. Here we relaxed and enjoyed our lunch sunbathing. Eventually we set off again following the fence posts which keep to the line of the south-east ridge. There is also a faint path which led all the way back to the Allt Toaig, the crossing of which was reasonably easy as there wasn't a lot of water in the stream. We then followed the path and track used on the upward route back to the start.
Buachaille Etive Mor9 May 2006
I met my clients at Alnafeadh on the A82 and we followed the path up into Coire na Tulaich. Higher up the path has had some maintenance work carried out and it took us away from the usual scree climb. However sections of the path were filled with snow so we had to clamber over some boulders instead. We eventually reached the bealach between Stob na Doire and Stob Dearg and climbed to the summit Stob Dearg in some beautiful morning sunshine with a slight breeze. The nearby hills were fairly clear but the distant hills had a haze hanging around them. After taking in the views for several minutes we returned to the bealach and climbed the Munro Top, Stob na Doire and onto a second Munro Top, Stob Coire Altruim. It was then a short walk to our second Munro, Stob na Broige. Here we sat in the afternoon sun having lunch looking at the surrounding mountain scenery. Eventually we left Stob na Broige and returned to the bealach between Stob Coire Altruim and Stob na Doire. Here a path, initially snow covered took us towards the Lairig Gartain. About half way down there is a fairly rocky section to cross and then a recently improved section as far as the crossing of the Allt Gartain. The walk down the Lairig Gartain is normally fairly wet and boggy but on this occasion it was reasonably dry. The path led us back to the A82 just west of where we set off seven and a half hours earlier.
Fraochaidh6 May 2006
The articles I have read in relation to this Corbett suggest climbing it from Ballachulish in the east due to forestation in the west. However as I had climbed this hill from the east on a previous occasion I wanted to try a different approach. It looked like there may be a route through the forest from Glen Duror and the distance was a lot shorter. The start of the walk was at the end of the public road in Glen Durur, just off the A828 Fort William to Oban road. We then walked east through the forest on a good track with marker posts. At a footbridge we crossed the River Duror and followed a good path, still waymarked, uphill through the forest. At the highest point on this path, after a few minutes of searching, we found traces of a rough and sometimes muddy path, which continued uphill through the forest. The route had pieces of marker tape attached to a couple of the trees to assist in route finding. Once out of the trees we headed up the ridge which is rather contorted and eventually reached an old fence and followed the fence posts to the summit. Although fairly bright, outwith the forest, we identified some of the surrounding hills, took a few photographs and headed downhill following the ascent route as it was rather windy. This is a suitable route for climbing Fraochaidh, despite the condition of the path through the upper part of the forest but ensure you know where it emerges from the forest for the return route as it is well concealed by large fir trees.
Stob Diamh11 April 2006
It was a wet and windy morning as we headed to Dalmally to climb the Munro Stob Diamh on what is commonly known as the Dalmally Horseshoe. However it was dry when we set off from the junction of the A85 Dalmally to Taynult road with the B8077 road to Stronmitchan. We followed the track to an old mine and onto the Allt Coire Ghlais where the bridge had obviously recently been replaced. From here we climbed the east ridge of Stob Garbh in a mixture of snow, sleet and rain showers. A lot of the snow lower down had been washed away after the overnight heavy rain and higher up the snow was very wet. To reach the knoll before Stob Garbh we had to negotiate some deep soft snow followed by an easy ascent to Stob Garbh. Beyond here the snow was very variable with sections of hard packed snow and ice so we needed our crampons. There was also lots of drifting snow and I had to keep an eye on where exactly the cornice started. Visibility was also very variable. One minute I could see the Cruachan Reservoir and the next visibility was very poor in snow showers. We eventually reached the summit of Stob Diamh but it was too windy to hang around and rather than attempting to complete the horseshoe in the ever changing weather my client was happy to return by our ascent route. It was very windy returning to the knoll south of Stob Garbh and we were brought to a halt on several occasions. However once off the section of the ridge the descent on the upper section of the ridge was fairly easy through the wet snow and we made good progress. Even the sun came out for a short period to give us good views of Stob Diamh. Lower down the ground was very wet and slippery but once back at the bridge over the Allt Coire Ghlais we followed the track back to the start.
Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh22 January 2006
I set off on this walk from Eas Urchaidh, (Falls of Orchy) in Glen Orchy where a bridge led into the Glen Orchy forest. I followed the track to the Caledonian Forest Reserve where a new footbridge has been constructed over the Allt Broighleachan. Previously you needed to use the ford. Another track, which has recently been extended to avoid the original wet and boggy path, leads to the end of the forest where a new deer fence has been constructed. However they haven't got round to erecting the stile as it was lying nearby. Fortunately a gap existed below the fence at the stream which flowed into the forest at the Shielings, Airigh Chailleach. Once beyond the fence I commenced the climb up onto the south-west ridge of Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh and spotted three other walkers climbing the south ridge and then making a more direct assault onto this Corbett. As I reached the ridge, in low cloud, I spotted a hare sheltering from the wind and very light drizzle. It didn't move despite the fact I was fairly close and I managed to take a couple of photographs. Further up I disturbed a single ptarmigan and on the ridge a couple of ptarmigan, which I photographed as well but the cloud prevented a decent picture. The walk along the ridge was relatively easy with the wind and light drizzle on my back. I soon met the three walkers I had seen earlier and they told me that despite walking the length of the ridge they hadn't found the cairn and they presumed there wasn't one. I doubted that as I was of the opinion that they had missed the summit completely due to the fact that they had headed into the corrie instead of going up the ridge and the summit is at the north-east end of the ridge. I continued along the ridge and eventually came to the large cairn marking the summit. Visibility was poor here so I descended north-east to the lochan before heading down the south ridge to the Shielings. As I came out of the cloud I think I spotted the three walkers heading into the forest. They will probably never know that they didn't get anywhere near the summit and I presume they will claim it bagged. Once back to the Shiellings I returned to the forest and followed the tracks I had used in the outward route.
Beinn Mhic Chasgaig24 December 2005
Beinn Mhic Chasgaig is a Corbett on the south side of Glen Etive. Until recently access to this mountain was problematic due to a locked gate on the bridge over the River Etive. The gate is around two metres high and was topped with barbed wire as were the surrounds. The only alternative was to wade the river which wasn't often possible especially after heavy rain. Recently, in terms of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act, 2003, Highland Council have managed to get the lock and barbed wire removed, well on this gate at least. Once across the bridge I walked up and through the buildings at Alltchaorunn. I had three standard sized locked gates to cross although one was twice the normal height being topped with wood to prevent deer from jumping over it. This third fence makes access difficult and I don't think it complies with the law of reasonable access. I do have sympathy with the occupier here but he should construct a path around his house and outbuildings and this would resolve any problems caused by lack of privacy. Once beyond Alltchaorunn I followed the path up the side of the Allt Coire Ghiubhasan which had some lovely pools and small waterfalls. At the junction of streams I found the single planked bridge with wire ropes to assist in the descent to the bridge. However the wire is very thin and I wouldn't want to totally rely on them for support. On reaching the other side of the burn I found the path that headed up Gleann Ghiubhasan and followed it up the Glen. Here I spotted an eagle searching the hillside for a meal. Higher up the Glen, I left the Allt Coire Ghiubhasan and followed one of its tributaries towards Coire Odhar before leaving the stream and climbing steeply to the bealach south-east of Beinn Mhic Chasgaig. The final climb to the summit cairn was in sunshine and on approaching the cairn a lone ptarmigan was spotted nearby. It stood out in its white winter colours as there was no snow in the area. After taking a few photographs I left the summit and headed south-west to find the stream that descended into a gorge. I stayed on the east side of this steep gorge which subsequently joined up with the Allt Coire Ghiubhasan. I followed my outward route back to Alltchaorunn and along the side of the River Etive to the finish. There were several stags feeding just off the track and were easily photographed.
Glen Etive15 October 2005
I parked my car at the head of Glen Etive after the long drive down the Glen. On alighting from my vehicle I immediately heard the roar of the stags so the rut had started. Most of the noise came from the foot of Ben Starav on the other side of the loch. The walk commenced at the edge of a forest on the north side of the road where a muddy and wet path headed uphill. This path is not marked on the Ordnance Survey map but apparently it is an old right of way linking Glen Etive with Glen Ure and onwards to Glen Creran. It was fairly warm during the initial climb and once higher up we cut across onto the north-east ridge of Meall nan Gobhar. Several small gullies and granite slabs were crossed while we listened to the noise of the stags in the glen below. Higher up it became noticeably colder with a strong wind as we reached Point 767 which is located just above the Trilleachan Slabs. During lunch we tried to spot the deer but they were too well camouflaged amongst the autumn colours. Afterwards we descended fairly steeply through some large boulders to a bealach before a steady climb to the summit cairn of Beinn Trilleachan. There was a lot of high cloud around but shafts of light penetrated the cloud and was shining on Loch Etive. (there should be a photograph to view) We thereafter returned to the bealach, checked the map, and decided to descend the steep gully towards Loch Etive. Initially this was on grass but lower down there was some loose boulders but it wasn't too difficult and it gave us a close up view of the Trilleachan Slabs. Lower down once the angle eased the walking was awkward through long grass concealing holes. This section to the shores of Loch Etive was a bit slow and tedious. The path along the shore was reached. It was wet and muddy but easier to negotiate than the long grass, and we soon reached the start of the tarred road at the head of Glen Etive. It was then a short walk back to the car passing a stalking party en-route with a young stag lying at the side of the road, which they had obviously shot and dragged of the hillside of Meall nan Gobhar. We had heard shots earlier but hadn't realised they were that close. The stag had been unlucky as the stag shooting season had been due to close in a few days time. There was one less roar in Glen Etive that night. The drive up Glen Etive towards Glen Coe was stunning with the sun shining on the autumnal colours.
Little Buachaille11 June 2005At the end of December 2004 Barry contacted me and asked if I would take him and his father up a Munro as a gift to his father. During the next few months Glencoe was decided upon and for a first Munro Buachaille Etive Beag, known as the Little Buachaille due to it being lower than its neighbour Buachaille Etive Mor, was decided upon. The planned rendezvous point was the Kingshouse just south of the Glencoe range of mountains as I thought it would be relatively quiet at that time of the morning to locate my clients. However I was mistaken as the car park was mobbed by cars and walkers as it was one of the bases for the Wateraid Challenge. However after a couple of enquiries amongst the hill walkers I found my clients. We drove to the start of the Lairig Eilde where a new car park has been constructed. I presume it is a permanent affair as the old car park has been closed while nearby bridge repairs are carried out and they will take well over a year to complete. There were six clients in total as we set off in the sun for the summit of Stob Dubh. The route initially followed the Lairig Eilde path before we took a boggy track up the hillside to a stream which we followed. Frequent stops were taken to look at the surrounding mountains as they came into view. Bidean nam Bian looked impressive as did the Aonach Eagach on the opposite side of Glen Coe and higher up we had our first view of Ben Nevis. On reaching the bealach there were more spectacular views including that of Buachaille Etive Mor. Here we took a break for something to eat taking in the breathtaking views. The clients were enjoying the scenery and I was glad it was a fine clear and mainly sunny day for them. Occasionally there was a cold breeze up on the ridge but it didn't detract from the ideal walking conditions. The next section leading up to the 902 point was a bit steeper but caused no real problems for my clients before we reached a more level section of the ridge. From this point we once again viewed our final target, the summit of Stob Dubh. One of my clients was a bit concerned about the approach to this summit as it appeared from the 902 point to have a knife edged ridge. However on reaching the final climb they were able to see that it was a lot wider and easier than it first appeared. On reaching the summit cairn we had a view down Glen Etive and out to the mountains of Mull. Looking back, Ben Nevis was very impressive and the Grey Corries stood out well. After some more photographs we ate lunch and it was interesting to note that one lady had organised to take plastic plates and cutlery to use to eat their meal. The first time I had seen this on a day walk. We were later joined on the summit by several of the Wateraid walkers who were explaining to my clients their challenge. Once we had taken in the views and finished lunch we descended back to the bealach where the clients were given the opportunity to climb the other Munro on Buachaille Etive Beag, Stob Coire Raineach. However they considered that they had done enough for the day and we headed back down the hillside still stopping frequently to look at the views and take more photographs. About six hours after we set off we returned to our cars. My clients appeared to be happy with their day's outing but they were very lucky with the weather.
Glen Orchy Corbetts6 March 2005The two Corbetts to the east of Glen Orchy was today's plan. We decided to climb them from Invergaunan in Glen Orchy but they can also be climbed from the A82 Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy Road. Janice, Jan, Dougie and myself set off from Invergaunan, entered the forest and followed a track, which later disappeared. However using various fire breaks we were able to reach the edge of the forest, which extends further than shown on the map. It was warm and sunny so we had a leisurely cuppa enjoying the warmth and looking across at the hills of Glen Etive and Bridge of Orchy. Reluctantly we headed off again, across a low fence into some snow and ice, most of which could initially be avoided. Higher up this wasn't always possible, especially as we kept to the left of a large expanse of rock. However it was an easy walk to the summit cairn of Beinn Udlaidh. Here there is a portable radio mast which is not shown on the map. The reason for this is it is portable so it can be removed at short notice. After a photo call we strode down to the bealach through the snow and commenced the climb of our next Corbett Beinn Bhreac-liath. Half way up we we stopped for lunch as a cool breeze had developed and there was no shelter on the summit. On reaching the summit cairns, we visited both. It was impossible to say which was the highest as the summit is fairly flat but the photo session was taken on the the most northerly of the two cairns. We then walked along the long easy angled ridge before it descended more steeply to Invergaunan and our starting point.
Return to Glen Etive12 February 2005It was only a month ago since I was in Glen Etive when on that occasion I climbed the Corbett Beinn Maol Chaluim in the company of Janice and Phil. On this occasion Janice and Phil wanted to climb the Corbett Stob Dubh as they hadn't bagged this one before. This was to be my second visit to this unrelenting mountain. Snow was lying on the carriageway as we turned into Glen Etive from Glen Coe but as we descended the road became clear. There were a few hardy individuals camped on the banks of the River Etive and at the side of the road a number of deer watched us pass without moving very far. The starting point for this mountain is the same as that for Ben Starav so there were already a |
