Glass half full - Beinn Ìme NE Ridge from Inveruglas

[IainMacG]

The pandemic has horrible but I'm lucky: I live on the edge of Argyll so I'm at least lucky enough to have the Arrochar Alps nearly on my (local council area) doorstep. And despite having done nearly all of them before - some multiple times - I have been taking a glass half full approach of enjoying doing them again, and of finding new and different ways to do them that I might not otherwise.

So this winter I've done:
Beinn Vane (and taking my son for his first proper winter day - he really enjoyed getting to grips with crampons!),
Ben Vorlich,
The Cobbler,
Beinn Narnain (x2, one time via Cruach nan Miseag off down towards the Cobbler, and another continuing the high circuit round to A' Chrois),
A' Chrois,
Ben Donich (x2, incl. the rarely done SE ridge),
Beinn an Lochain,
Beinn Ìme x3
standard route,
from Butterbridge with a round of Beinn Chorranach and Luibhean, (see below)
via NE Ridge
Beinn Chorranach
Beinn Luibhean
Stob Coire Creagach/Binnean an Fhidleir

Most of these don't particularly need write-ups since they're pretty well known standard routes. Although worth mentioning that Beinn Ìme from Butterbridge and round over Beinn Luibhean is under-rated, and so is Stob Coire Creagach/Binnean an Fhidleir (bit of fun in winter) with a nice high ridge walk up top.

BEINN ÌME - NE RIDGE
But I thought the NE Ridge of Beinn Ìme deserved a write-up since it is so rarely done and that is a travesty!
It's grand mountaineering day: a mini Tower Ridge!

There is very little info but what exists contains conflicting reports (and no photos!): the (old?) SMC region guidebook to The Southern Highlands says there are "no difficulties". I beg to differ (and I'm not a soft, easily scared 'mere hill-walker' having done a lot of climbing and serious mountaineering!). It's not hard but there are definitely difficulties and some exposure and route finding needed on the last step. And in winter this would be perhaps Grade II.

So I thought putting some info on record and photos would be useful.

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

TO START OF NE RIDGE
Hopefully most of the route is obvious at a macro level from the map/GPX above. Follow the standard approach for Ben Vane and keep on up into Coiregrogain until a dam is reached. Go just past it and ascend - faint path - between the burn and the forest (bit muddy). After a short ascent you emerge on to flatter ground and can see the start of the ridge again. Aim for the large rocky outcrop at the bottom nearest, keeping left and contouring to stay out of the worst of the bogginess.

NORTH-EAST RIDGE
Skirt to the R of the outcrop, ie towards the Lag Uaine until a grassy steep ramp heads back up L-ish. Ascend this until you reach a shoulder between bulk of the ridge and top of an outcrop. Good views back and a good first stop!

The ridge gets more defined and rocky as you progress and there are 4 major (or at clear) steps in the ridge ahead.
Here's a marked up 1:25k map showing the steps:

NE ridge - 4 steps

1st step
Having ascended broken rocky, grassy ground you arrive at the 1st step: a wall across the ridge. You should be able to spot a boulder sitting at the top of a steep right-trending grassy rake. You could probably ascend up to this if it was dry. But if you skirt round to the right you will find an easy grassy gully which takes you up.

2nd step
A fair wall of rock and mixed grass. You should be able to spot a right-trending grassy weakness to ascend.
Just take care if wet and slippy.

3rd step
Either follow the crest of the ridge on rock to the right hand-side starting at the lowest point.
Or (perhaps especially in winter or in wet?) first follow a sloping ramp left before cutting back right to the ridge crest.

4th step - the final tower!
Then you reach the final tower looming above a small col.

NE ridge - final tower

If this looks too hard and/or wet then it is definitely possible to bypass this by descending R and then re-ascend the coire. Careful in winter (avalanches, cornices etc)!

Hopefully the topo pic makes the route I found and suggest clear. I think it's better to avoid the more obvious line up in to the gully since it's slippy grass and exposed. And it leads to a hard middle of the wet gully. Better to head L first and then follow a rake back R to the gully.

It might be possible with good dry rock to try one of the two other routes I marked (dotted line and ?).
Of the two middle ones the L one is definitely possible although it involves a few tricky exposed moves to ascend a bold step.
Albeit on good rock.
I didn't check out the R one but might be the best route of all?!

It might also be possible to keeping heading further L to bypass difficulties. But be aware this is on very exposed ground!

Hope that's useful.

[jmarkb]

That's very helpful and interesting! It gets a brief mention in the SMC Highland Scrambles South guide (at Grade 1) and there is a listing on UKC as a Grade II winter route ( https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/beinn_ime-591/northeast_ridge-475061 ).

It's certainly a very worthwhile route deserving of more attention. I've done it twice - both times the rock was damp so we avoided the direct options and bypassed the tower on the left - the traverse across a grassy shelf is a little exposed and then there is one steep little step up into a grassy gully/chimney, which is then straightforward.

(Your glass is definitely fuller than mine - I've been confined to endless variations in the Pentlands....)

[IainMacG]

Thanks jmarkb - glad someone thought it useful!
(I don't have the SMC Highland Scrambles South book - too many climbing guides as it is - although I do have the North edition. But I perhaps should! I do already have an excellent guide to the main Glencoe and Lochaber scrambling so hard to justify another though!)

Those gradings make sense and support my points a/ that a scrambling grade is justified, ie there are "difficulties" even it not hard (I wouldn't have done anything hard in the pandemic) and b/ the winter grade at II (at least).

And good to hear that my suspicion was right that a route left was possible too. I'd love to go back and have another look in summer and check out my other suggested middle routes avoiding the gully. The left hand one had a bit of a thin, exposed move but on very good rough rock. But as I said the right one (just left of the gully) might be the most satisfying route since it would finish up a big flake and if I'm right emerge almost on top of the tower!

cheers

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Thanks for posting this - really useful. I have admired the fine outline of Beinn Ime from several different places, and it seemed a shame that the normal route goes up the least interesting side.

I looked for a line that would do justice to the hill, and on the map, the NE ridge jumped out at me. But when I looked at available info, it wasn’t clear if the route was within my capabilities or not. So I shelved the idea - until I saw your TR. It’s just what I needed - thanks!

Tim

Beinn Ime from above Tyndrum

[iangpark]

Really good to see this. I finally climbed Ben Vane for the first time in November last year and coming back through Gleann Uaine the next day was unbelievable. The sun's rays were shining right between the two largest towers like something out of a film. I got home and couldn't believe how little info there was on it. Great to see this as a new resource - may well be back in the future.

[IainMacG]

Grand - glad it has inspired you both Half Titanium Man and Ian (iangpark)!