KYQ4: Bidean nam Bian

Bidean nam Bian summit

Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Ascent: 1385 metres
Distance: 12 kilometres
Time: 4hours 53minutes

t Stob Coire nan Lochan 1115m 1hr 57mins
m Bidean nam Bian 1150m 2hrs 24mins
m Stob Coire Sgreamhach 1072m 3hrs 4mins

A glorious October day and I thought it would be perfect for a visit to my favourite munro south of the Great Glen. The early morning frost had been sharp and, leaving at 8am, there was still a mist hanging in the glens. The drive up the A82 was spectacular, the summer traffic had gone and the peaks began to emerge as the sun burnt off the mist and any lingering clouds. I stopped a couple of times for photos; the shots of Buchaille Etive Mor in its autumnal raiment were stunning but I could not capture the mystery and solitude of Rannoch Moor.

Buchaille Etive Mor - autumn morning

Summit Buttress, Stob Coire nan Lochan

I parked at the large car park at the head of Glencoe as I had decided to take the path up Coire nan Lochan. On previous visits to Bidean, I had climbed Dinnertime Buttress twice, ascended by the Lost Valley and climbed the Beinn Fhada ridge from Lairig Eilde. An Austrian coach party were admiring the view and their guide, clearly frustrated at having another coach party to pander, came over and asked me about my intentions and how long it would take to complete the walk, I said 5 hours in the knowledge that it gave me a target. He drooled over the summit buttress on Stob Coire nan Lochan which was spotlit by the morning sun, he would have made a good companion for the day.

I bade farewell and dropped to the valley floor, crossed the bridge and began the ascent of the man-made steps which climbed steeply into Coire nan Lochan. I was passed by a hill runner descending at about 200 metres and figured out that he must have set out at 7:30am if he had been to the summit. The glen was in the sun and although it was below freezing, the still air made it perfect for walking with the odd boggy section frozen hard. I kept a good pace and at the large rock at 675 metres, where the paths split, I passed a large party and turned west to climb steeply towards the summit buttress.

I had not stopped on the ascent and I had time to veer to the left of the path to get a closer look at the buttress. I then headed for the col below Aonach Dubh from where I turned south to climb the ridge. The views to the north and west were spectacular and I decided to have some refreshments and try to capture the views of the distant Ben Nevis and the nearer Aonach Eagach ridge. A couple of walkers ahead were struggling on the steep rocky scree, the blocks were still frozen in the lee of the sun. I passed them and found a path for them to follow. There were just the last 150 metres of ascent to the splendid summit of Stob Coire nan Lochan; why is it not a Munro?

Aonach Eagach and Ben Nevis

Loch Linnhe

Beinn Beithir and Loch Linnhe from Bidean

After another break for photographs at the summit and absorbing the inspiring views, I dropped down to the bealach and climbed the 155 metres alongside church door buttress to Bidean. Whilst it is a superb mountain, the summit is its least distinguishing characteristic; a modest cairn sits on a small rocky plateau. On this ascent, I thought of an old work colleague, Pat Gray, who had been killed in a tragic accident here. As he was descending he stepped aside to let a walker pass on her ascent, a rock gave way and he fell down the cliff. Pat had a zest for life, commitment to community development and a sense of fun that had made him a good colleague over many years. Pat would have been the perfect companion on a day like this. I reflected on his life, he had inspired many others and he would have encouraged them to climb Bidean undiminished by the tragedy.

I had some lunch before setting off at a more leisurely pace for the descent down the ridge to Bealach Dearg and then the 145-metre climb to the promoted Munro of Stob Coire Sgreamhach. It has less of a presence than Stob Coire nan Lochan but is a good viewpoint for Glen Etive and eastwards to the Buchailles. A lone photographer was busying himself and was clearly in no mood for any pleasantries.

I returned to the bealach where two young Polish women had just emerged from the steep red scree gulley. This was my descent route and there was some mountain graffiti near the top - the first I have seen on the Scottish hills, let it remain so. The descent was long and tedious with some icy sections, but mostly just loose, unstable wet scree. Ahead was the hidden valley, an oasis of green between the rock bands on either side. A couple of novice walkers were on their way up in shorts and T-shirts with no map. They were inspired by what they saw and seemed fairly fit so I showed them the route they should take. They charged on anxious to be down before dark which should have been well within their ability on such a benign day.

The walkout through the lost valley was a ramble until the mouth of the valley when there is a short climb, followed by a scramble through some rocks and a crossing the burn. Despite bouncing across some boulders, I was rewarded with wet feet for the first time all day. There is a steep descent to the footbridge which was closed for the erection of protective handrails. However, it was easily accessed by climbing the gate, a lot easier than some of the other scrambling today. Ahead in Glencoe the white cottage, previously owned by Jimmy Savile, was glinting in the afternoon sun, it angered me that a celebrity miscreant had encroached on this glorious glen, at least Campbell is no longer the most unpopular name in the glen. I was down at the car park before 3pm. where I had some food and water before setting out for the Kingshouse with the intention of adding a Corbett to complete the day.