The last trip of the year (definitely; maybe)
saw some great autumnal weather (with the exception of one snow blizzard!) and
some quality hillwalking. We also found
time for some challenging winter navigation practise! Based in Fort William, Leanne, Fiona and
myself ventured forth each day to all 4 points of the compass attaining 7 Munro
summits and covering over 50km of assorted tarmac road, estate tracks, hill
paths and quality mountain bog!
Glen Coe - Buachaille Etive Beag
In view of Leanne’s 5-train trek from Norfolk
and the lack of readily-available lumpy mountain things in that part of the
country, we opted for a modest first day. Driving around to Glen Coe, we parked at 250m
just above The Study and set off up a relatively new - and excellent - path
that took us all the way to the skyline at the bealach that splits the short 2km-long
ridge of Buachaille Etive Beag (little
shepherd of Etive).
Much of the ridge remained in cloud all day
but there was no rain and we did get occasional views across to Buachaille
Etive Mor and Glen Coe. There are 2
Munros here, one at each end of the ridge, and it doesn’t matter which order
you tackle them. We opted for the
southern end first and an easy 1½km of cloud-swathed ridge walking took us to the summit cairn of Stob
Dubh (958m; black peak). No view, but no problem – we were off and
running and in the mountains!
Glen Coe
The pained roar of rutting stags was a
persistent soundtrack to our short day in the clouds. We retraced our steps to the bealach before
tackling the short easy climb to our 2nd Munro – Stob Coire Raineach
(925m; peak of the corrie of bracken). The
ascent of Buachaille Etive Beag offers one of the easiest, and certainly most
straightforward, double Munro days in the Highlands. As such, it’s a useful first or last day to
keep up your sleeves on a trip to these parts!
Glenfinnan – Sgurr nan Coireachan & Sgurr
Thuilm
For Day 2, we were thinking of tackling the
serrated and pinnacled ridge of Aonach Eagach that borders the N side of Glen
Coe. However, thick cloud at dawn and
the prospect of clambering along one of Scotland’s finest ridges in cold, damp
and viewless murk prompted a rethink.
Accordingly, we headed west to Glen Finnan, home (thanks to H Potter) of
the now famous eponymous viaduct.
Typically, no sooner were we on our way when the cloud started to clear but
not before giving us some fabulous atmospherics as walked up the glen towards
our 2 Munros.
Early Morning Atmospherics in Glen Finnan
There has been considerable hydro and
forestry work going on up the glen so be prepared to see new tracks (roads
really) everywhere as you wander up from the car park. The start of the excellent stalker’s path up
Sgurr nan Coireachan is clearly marked though (1½km beyond Corryhully bothy) and it’s still
the best way of doing these hills i.e. clockwise. All the clouds then disappeared and we were
left with blue skies for much of the day.
Apart from nearly taking Fiona out with a loose rock half way up the
climb, it was an uneventful ascent and there were no further near-death experiences
as we continued steadily upwards!
Lunch!
A spot
of lunch by a delightful pool and then the first Munro of the day was
ours: Sgurr nan Coireachan (956m; peak of the corries).
Sgurr nan Coireachan
The connecting ridge to Sgurr Thuilm which is
effectively the crest of the headwall to Glen Finnan is longer than it looks
with quite a few ups and downs and the odd delicate step. However, there are great views north over
Glen Pean and the Rough Bounds of Knoydart and to the west to the Inner
Hebrides. A line of rusting fence posts
help mark the way, not that we needed any help on this fine day.
Sgurr Thuilm
Soon after the penultimate hump of the ridge,
you can bear left over open ground and take a direct line for the summit of
Sgurr Thuilm (963m; peak of the rounded
hillock). Some thin cloud spoiled
the summit views but we couldn’t complain.
It was then just a matter of following the long ridge down off the
mountain, initially S and then SW over Druim Coire a’ Bheithe to the valley
floor. The path (greasy lower down)
leads to the upgraded hydro track just before the new concrete sluice dam. In failing light we traipsed wearily back
down the main glen to the car under a stunning moon and increasingly starry
skies. A long (22km; 9 hrs) day, but
very rewarding and with plenty to take in. Best save it for some nice weather though!
The Viaduct
Aonach Mor & Aonach Beag
Following the previous day’s exertions, we
were all happy for something shorter and the ladies were also interested in
trying out some winter navigation. We
left one car at the road-end in Glen Nevis and took the Nevis Range gondola to
650m before heading up the line of the Warrens ski run to the beckoning
skyline. The weather had turned
decidedly wintery with a cold wind and a menacing threat of winter
showers. We reached the skyline in cloud
but not before spotting ptarmigan and a mountain hare as well as evidence of
pine martins from the occasional pile of undigested rowan berries!
Soon after starting the micro-nav session on
top of the mountain, however, everything changed and a ferocious snow shower
swept in on the back of a ferociously cold wind. This provided just a little too much realism
for the ladies who nevertheless clung on to their maps and compasses to guide
us straight to the diminutive summit cairn of Aonach Mor (1221m; big ridge).
Then it was quickly on S in deepening snow
(and lowering temperatures) to the bealach immediately before the short steep climb up on to Aonach Beag (1234m; little ridge). Navigation and blizzard demonstration over,
we wasted no time in descending the mountain’s SW ridge and suddenly stepping
out of the cloud to be greeted by wonderfully clear views across to Ben Nevis
and the Mamores.
We picked up the Glen Nevis path at Steall
and descended through the gorge to the waiting car and some much-cherished
heat!
Beinn Teallach
Temperatures remained low and the threat of more
winter showers and perhaps some sustained snow suggested a more straightforward
day. Accordingly, we headed E for the 2nd
lowest Munro of them all which, with a reasonably high start-point, seemed to
tick all the boxes.
If a hill could be boring (which, obviously,
they can’t be), this would be one of them!
The track through the forest from Roughburn gets you away from the trees
and then an unproblematic river crossing and a squelchy path lead you to the
corner of another plantation. Here, the
open hillside climbs uniformly for 500m to deposit you at a very shallow saddle
and the choice of 2 cairns! As ever,
it’s best to take in both of them to guard against future surveys and
re-classification! We were rewarded with
good views given that the expected winter showers failed to materialise. That said, the brisk N wind ensured we were
well wrapped up for most of the short day – Beinn Teallach (915m; hill of the forge).
The return was a straightforward reversal of
the upward route except for a tiny wee diversion through the woods where I just
managed to avoid us being swallowed up by some very inconveniently placed
quagmires! Sorry girls; it seemed like a
good idea at the time…..
Glen Nevis
With Fiona returning to Glasgow, Leanne was
content to undertake a more modest walk along Glen Nevis to the ancient hill
fort of Dun Deardail. Unsurprisingly for
such a fortification, this sits in a commanding position just off the West
Highland Way where that route crosses into Glen Nevis at 330m. Perfect – if cold - autumnal weather made for
a pleasurable walk up through the forest accompanied by the occasional small
bird sighting and associated birdsong.
Across the glen, Ben Nevis appeared to be unusually quiet for a Saturday
morning and there weren’t many about on such a fine day. Come early afternoon, however, and an ominous
sheet of dark cloud appeared from the NW and rolled inexorably in replacing the
blue sky, sun and frost. Just after
returning to the car the first raindrops appeared and by late afternoon in was
fair persisting it down. It was the only
rain we saw all week!
Check out my future plans for this winter on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/winter/winter.htm
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