Stuc a Chroin from Ardvorllich

[147cjl]

Having done Ben Vorlich a few weeks ago from Dalchruin but without doing Stuc a Chroin, I had to go back and bag it. Getting hooked on this! This is my final walk before taking on the 3 peaks challenge in 10 days time and was a good day out. I was walking with one of my 3 peaks team mates. After sleeping in and arriving having had no breakfast, with no food, tea or anything on me and choked with a sinus infection, we set off from the lochside at 0750. Down there was like a scene from mad max, vans parked up, fires going and people milling around, washing hanging out etc! Made good progress up the initial stretches under the mist. Cloud started to break up as we reached the point on the shoulder to head SW round the corrie. Bit boggy round the back and same on the path up to the bottom of Stuc after the second shoulder. Glad I had gaiters on and was using poles for the first time due to dodgy knees in recent weeks. These were worth their weight in gold on the descent later on and i found they made the ascents easier too.

At the bottom of the buttresses on Stuc we decided to take them on another day, just didn't feel up for it with lack of calories. Opted for the scree slope to the north of the buttress which was good fun anyway. Got some nice views from the top including Glen Dubh Choirrean which I'd walked up a few weeks earlier, and great views across to Vorlich.

Descent by the same route was pretty uneventful, but after a few weeks of agony in the knees, found that poles were a godsend all the way back. I'd also put an orthapedic insole in boots for extra support and the combination did the trick.

All in all a good morning out and a nice route. Sorry that pics are all in reverse order!

[Del246]

Thanks for the report. I hope to do both hills in the next few weeks. After Ben Vorlich is the path you took easy enough to find ? Cheers

[147cjl]

Hi Del, we never did Vorlich on this occasion, we took a right half way up and walked round the back to Stuc a Chroin. That path is fairly obvious. If you're doing Vorlich first I think the route down is fairly obvious but quite a steep descent. Either way, enjoy your walk.