Curved Ridge

[Arrandoug]

I am looking to climb BEM via Curved Ridge in the near future. I have reasonable scrambling experience and have been over Aonach Eaagach, An Teallach, CMD Arête etc so I think I will be fine with the technicalities but route finding seems to be the main issue. I have read various user reports on this site but just wonder if there are any decent diagrammatic or photographic shots of the route?

[Sgurr]

Friend of mine took her 7 year old grandson up on July3rd guided by Dubh Mor Outdoor. (On his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dubhmor) . Went to see if he had posted a diagram, but no such luck, but tried googling, and Heavy Whalley has a basic sketch https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/glencoe-curved-ridge-rockfall-buachaille-etive-mor/

[scoob999]

Water slab turn off at about 45 sec in Take a helmet

[jmarkb]

There is a good photo with the route drawn on in this report (not mine!) https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13758

The main route finding problem is making sure you traverse up and right (including some scrambling) far enough from the top of the pale scree slope above the waterslide. Everything is somewhat obscured/foreshortened when you are underneath it at this point. The common error is to head up the narrow buttress that slants up left from the big scree patch - this is D Gully Buttress and a lot harder than Curved Ridge! Once on the correct ridge itself, Rannoch Wall is obvious to the right and the route is fairly easy to follow.

[iangpark]

I'd agree with above - I myself went slightly too W and found myself on the approach to D Gully (which actually probably increased the time I got to spend scrambling by about 10 minutes) but soon realised that no, I should be much closer to the Rannoch Wall than this, and still ended up at basically the start of CR. The only other thing to mention would be that the scrambling continues for a little after Crowberry Tower; remember to branch off right when you see it and go up the back of it rather than continuing past. If you've done An Teallach you should be fine, it's still the only grade bordering on 3 I've done and, although definitely the hardest, the difficulties are not particularly sustained. I did need a second go at the crux but I tend to be a bit hasty with these things.

[gman]

There is a good photo with the route drawn on in this report (not mine!) https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13758

Good photo, you can see the route zig zags up the scree after the waterslab, then you head out right to the start of Curved Ridge. When I'm heading up the scree I keep an eye on a clump of trees perched on a rock up above - you start moving to the right just before this on a vague path.

[Arrandoug]

Friend of mine took her 7 year old grandson up on July3rd guided by Dubh Mor Outdoor. (On his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dubhmor) . Went to see if he had posted a diagram, but no such luck, but tried googling, and Heavy Whalley has a basic sketch https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/glencoe-curved-ridge-rockfall-buachaille-etive-mor/

Well there is no going back if a 7 year old can get up there 😂
Thanks for the basic sketch that is very useful

[Arrandoug]

There is a good photo with the route drawn on in this report (not mine!) https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13758

The main route finding problem is making sure you traverse up and right (including some scrambling) far enough from the top of the pale scree slope above the waterslide. Everything is somewhat obscured/foreshortened when you are underneath it at this point. The common error is to head up the narrow buttress that slants up left from the big scree patch - this is D Gully Buttress and a lot harder than Curved Ridge! Once on the correct ridge itself, Rannoch Wall is obvious to the right and the route is fairly easy to follow.

Thanks for that 👌