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Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent


Postby Glen_Benholm » Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:43 am

Took on the route in the clag last week, as per the WH guide - which was a great steer. One thing though.....the descent off the bealach between the 2 tops is really steep and loose in places. We're pretty experienced, but have to admit that it took us by surprise. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby jmarkb » Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:05 pm

It's a long time since I went that way, but I do recall thinking it would not be nice in poor weather. An alternative would be to partially reascend Aonach Beag and go down the SW ridge, which is a lot more pleasant.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby BlackPanther » Thu Aug 26, 2021 2:52 pm

jmarkb wrote:An alternative would be to partially reascend Aonach Beag and go down the SW ridge, which is a lot more pleasant.


We were forced to return over AB when doing this route in winter conditions. The steep descent was far too dangerous.

I remember that in 2017 a walker died in an accident when descending from AB, the article I found does not specify which side of the mountain but it could have been the western slopes:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-38528174
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby Jim777 » Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:18 pm

I assume the descent referred to, between Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag, is the Seang Aonach Mor which descends West to the head of Coire Giubhsachan. I have never descended it, and don’t think I ever would, however, I have ascended it a couple of times including in Winter. I would agree that the easiest way off Aonach Beag is undoubtedly South West down the ridge between Coire Giubhsachan and Coire nan Laogh.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby Glen_Benholm » Thu Aug 26, 2021 5:38 pm

Jim777 wrote:I assume the descent referred to, between Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag, is the Seang Aonach Mor which descends West to the head of Coire Giubhsachan. I have never descended it, and don’t think I ever would, however, I have ascended it a couple of times including in Winter. I would agree that the easiest way off Aonach Beag is undoubtedly South West down the ridge between Coire Giubhsachan and Coire nan Laogh.


Yes, it was the descent off the Seang Aonach Mor. The risk-averse side of me wants the WH route guide to acknowledge this route down into the coire is not to be underestimated. I would certainly warn against it, although I do understand the sensitivities around finger-wagging.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby Pointless Parasite » Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:05 pm

Glen_Benholm wrote:Took on the route in the clag last week, as per the WH guide - which was a great steer. One thing though.....the descent off the bealach between the 2 tops is really steep and loose in places. We're pretty experienced, but have to admit that it took us by surprise. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that.


Tell me about it. In 2017 I climbed both up and down this under deep snow and almost no visibility. On the descent I lost my footing and starting sliding but somehow managed to stop myself. I'm not sure if it was my ice axe or a crampon digging in without sending me cartwheeling, but it worked. I count myself very lucky and have no desire to go back to this place :(
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby kaye.cantlay » Thu Aug 26, 2021 7:42 pm

Interesting - I climbed the Aonachs via the WH route in 2015 - I'd only done about 50 Munros, and I'm definitely a cautious and careful type - but I don't remember it being an issue.
Vaguely remember it as a steep sandyish descent in a well-worn deep trough-like path down the mountain side.
My resounding memories of that walk was the thick mist and arguing over direction finding on Aonach Beag.
We sat for a while on Beag and the walking partner decided we would go back the way we had come.
2 fell runners then appeared out of the clag and we joined forces with them to make our way over to Mor and then down the steep descent and back to the start.
Perhaps we were concentrating so much on keeping up with them that we didn't notice the state of the path :lol:
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby denfinella » Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:56 am

I don't know these hills well (except on skis!), but looking at the WH route, the descent doesn't appear to start from the bealach between them, but rather from about 500m further north. Might that have caused the issue? Granted, it doesn't look any less steep on the map, but the path / terrain might be a bit less unpleasant.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby simon-b » Fri Aug 27, 2021 6:12 pm

I remember doing this in June 2011. The weather was clear, so it wasn't too difficult to find the correct route, but even then care was needed to find the cairn indicating the start of the descent. The path was steep and loose on the way down, but no worse than a lot of others on WH grade 4 routes. 10 years' further erosion since then could have added to the difficulty, of course.
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Re: Aonach Beag & Mòr from Glen Nevis - Steep/Loose Descent

Postby Fife Flyer » Fri Aug 27, 2021 6:39 pm

We descended the route in April and it was made more difficult and interesting by the path being covered by unstable snow. We had to pick our way down - very carefully.

Image
Looking up at my colleagues

Image
The path on the left covered by snow
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