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| Buchaille Etive Mor |
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Ascent: 1205 metres
Distance: 14 kilometres
Time: 6 hours 58 minutes
m Stob Dearg 1022m 2hrs 36mins
t Stob na Doire 1011m 3hrs 37mins
t Stob Coire Altrium 941m 4hrs 28mins
m Stob na Broige 956m 4hrs 49mins
It was a reasonably early start at 7:45am and after collecting John from Blairgarry we were parked and walking from Altnafeadh on the A82 by 9:40am. This was my sixth visit to this inspirational mountain and I knew from previous visits that whilst Stob Dearg may provide the iconic view to passing traffic, once you reach the ridge it is the most tedious ascent of the four peaks that make for a splendid ridge walk. Getting to the ridge is a different matter and would require some winter walking skills on a day when it was below freezing at road level and the snow and ice looked to be welded onto the upper reaches of the mountain.
We crossed the wooden bridge and walked into Coire na Tulaich. Looking at the head wall plastered with snow we decided to climb the buttress to the right but after ten minutes we came across pillows of ice. We contoured back round to the corrie and followed the path until it too became impassable with ice. It was time for crampons and ice axes. There was a party of four well ahead and they were roping up for the steep section leading to the col at the head of the corrie. From 600 metres we were climbing the snow slopes which were becoming ever steeper, we veered to the right to avoid the roped party but seemed to have inadvertently selected the steepest gully.
The snow was hard and in places the sun of yesterday had converted it to boiler plates of ice. We were climbing on adrenaline, hoping that our ice axe skills would hold us if we lost our footing, at least there were no cliffs at the foot of the slope, just a jumble of rocks. The final 75 metres of the climb are at an angle of 45 degrees but each step was getting us nearer the ridge. It was an immense sense of relief as we hauled ourselves onto the col after 40 minutes of kicking our crampons and planting our ice axes into the snow and ice.
The walk over to Stob Dearg from the col is a steady plod; there is no sense that you are climbing one of the finest looking mountains in Scotland and the final flatter section drags out for 400 metres before the cairn. We were there for midday. The cold northerly breeze which had been absent in the corrie soon cooled us down and after some food and coffee we put on extra layers for the walk along the ridge. Stob na Doire looked very inviting with a finely sculpted ridge of snow and it seemed massive compared to Stob na Broige and its top beyond. The sun made some intermittent appearances although a layer of dark cloud was massing over the Mamores to the north. Despite the steepness of the ascent it was an easier climb but crampons were still needed for the frequent icy sections. At the top of Coire na Doire we looked back and saw the party of four who had eventually made the climb up the corrie and looked to be heading across the ridge towards Stob na Doire.
We headed down the steep descent, carefully threading the rocks and ice bands to reach the col below Stob Coire Altrium. Above here there was thick snow all the way to the top which arcs round in a perfect crescent. The cornice was collapsing in places so we kept our distance, a lesson we had learnt the hard way on Meall na Teanga many years ago when John had fallen 75 metres through the cornice but landed in soft snow. The walk across to the munro of Stob na Broige is a comparative easy section with the tantalising views down Glen Etive with the massive presence of Bidean nam Bian and all its satellites forming the views to the west.
We had completed the traverse of the ridge and after a few photos we returned to the col below Stob Coire Altrium and found a route down the snow fields to Lairig Gartain. There was still a lot of ice down to 600 metres. Below this there were several herds of deer grazing and we crossed the frozen river Coupall without getting wet feet. I reminded John of a previous walk when I had descended directly from Stob na Broige to the Lairig Gartain on the way to climbing Buchaille Etive Beag, a brutal descent that should be avoided at all costs. John reminded me that we had also made that descent in 1991 and he thought I would have known better than repeat the mistake.
The walk out is on a good footpath alongside the river Coupall; we made good time as it started to snow or whatever you call micro hail. The thought of reaching the A82 was unusually appealing although the last kilometre walking alongside the road made me angry at the littering habits of the motorist. Maybe it is just my prejudice but coke bottles and cigarette packets seemed to predominate. We were back at the car by 5pm after a classic winter outing and I was home for 6:30pm.
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| Coire na Tulaich |
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Stob na Doire
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| Bidean nam Bian from Stob na Broige |
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| Ben Starav and Loch Etive from Stob na Broige |
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| John on Stob na Broige |
It was a reasonably early start at 7:45am and after collecting John from Blairgarry we were parked and walking from Altnafeadh on the A82 by 9:40am. This was my sixth visit to this inspirational mountain and I knew from previous visits that whilst Stob Dearg may provide the iconic view to passing traffic, once you reach the ridge it is the most tedious ascent of the four peaks that make for a splendid ridge walk. Getting to the ridge is a different matter and would require some winter walking skills on a day when it was below freezing at road level and the snow and ice looked to be welded onto the upper reaches of the mountain.
We crossed the wooden bridge and walked into Coire na Tulaich. Looking at the head wall plastered with snow we decided to climb the buttress to the right but after ten minutes we came across pillows of ice. We contoured back round to the corrie and followed the path until it too became impassable with ice. It was time for crampons and ice axes. There was a party of four well ahead and they were roping up for the steep section leading to the col at the head of the corrie. From 600 metres we were climbing the snow slopes which were becoming ever steeper, we veered to the right to avoid the roped party but seemed to have inadvertently selected the steepest gully.
The snow was hard and in places the sun of yesterday had converted it to boiler plates of ice. We were climbing on adrenaline, hoping that our ice axe skills would hold us if we lost our footing, at least there were no cliffs at the foot of the slope, just a jumble of rocks. The final 75 metres of the climb are at an angle of 45 degrees but each step was getting us nearer the ridge. It was an immense sense of relief as we hauled ourselves onto the col after 40 minutes of kicking our crampons and planting our ice axes into the snow and ice.
The walk over to Stob Dearg from the col is a steady plod; there is no sense that you are climbing one of the finest looking mountains in Scotland and the final flatter section drags out for 400 metres before the cairn. We were there for midday. The cold northerly breeze which had been absent in the corrie soon cooled us down and after some food and coffee we put on extra layers for the walk along the ridge. Stob na Doire looked very inviting with a finely sculpted ridge of snow and it seemed massive compared to Stob na Broige and its top beyond. The sun made some intermittent appearances although a layer of dark cloud was massing over the Mamores to the north. Despite the steepness of the ascent it was an easier climb but crampons were still needed for the frequent icy sections. At the top of Coire na Doire we looked back and saw the party of four who had eventually made the climb up the corrie and looked to be heading across the ridge towards Stob na Doire.
We headed down the steep descent, carefully threading the rocks and ice bands to reach the col below Stob Coire Altrium. Above here there was thick snow all the way to the top which arcs round in a perfect crescent. The cornice was collapsing in places so we kept our distance, a lesson we had learnt the hard way on Meall na Teanga many years ago when John had fallen 75 metres through the cornice but landed in soft snow. The walk across to the munro of Stob na Broige is a comparative easy section with the tantalising views down Glen Etive with the massive presence of Bidean nam Bian and all its satellites forming the views to the west.
We had completed the traverse of the ridge and after a few photos we returned to the col below Stob Coire Altrium and found a route down the snow fields to Lairig Gartain. There was still a lot of ice down to 600 metres. Below this there were several herds of deer grazing and we crossed the frozen river Coupall without getting wet feet. I reminded John of a previous walk when I had descended directly from Stob na Broige to the Lairig Gartain on the way to climbing Buchaille Etive Beag, a brutal descent that should be avoided at all costs. John reminded me that we had also made that descent in 1991 and he thought I would have known better than repeat the mistake.
The walk out is on a good footpath alongside the river Coupall; we made good time as it started to snow or whatever you call micro hail. The thought of reaching the A82 was unusually appealing although the last kilometre walking alongside the road made me angry at the littering habits of the motorist. Maybe it is just my prejudice but coke bottles and cigarette packets seemed to predominate. We were back at the car by 5pm after a classic winter outing and I was home for 6:30pm.
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Bidean, Buchaille Etive Beag and Mamores from Stob na Broige
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