Carn Mor Dearg from Fersit - Part 2

[mrssanta]

So this is the second full day of our 3 and a bit day trip across the tops from Fersit to CMD. We woke up at our wild camp spot at about 780m, just below the bealach between the Grey Corries and Stob Ban. The aim today was to reach the broad bealach below Aonach Beag and camp there.
Here is the link to the first day https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=112974
And here is the gpx of what we did.

Track_05-JUN-22 192904.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Looking up to Glen Spean from camp, with a cloud inversion far away

Rudolph applying sunscreen before leaving the house

After breakfast and striking camp, we set off up towards Stob Ban and dropped the bags at the bealach. As we dropped the bags, two people appeared in quick succession, one running down stob Ban and disappearing into the distance, and one running up! A quick up and down for ourselves with just a snack, the camera and the GPS got us to the top at just before 9.30am.
The climb up and down Stob Ban from this side is loose and steep but perfectly doable and it was nice to leave the big packs for a while.
There are fantastic views from the top - here are just a selection.

Where we are going - Grey Corries, Ben Nevis in the distance

Looking back where we came from, Sgurr Innse on the left, Easains on the right, Glen Spean in the distance

Ring of Steall mamores

Binneins on the right, Sgurr Eilde Mor on the left, Bidean nam Bian behind.

just to the left (east) of the last picture, Buchaille etive beag, Mor (with the big cliff on it) and the black mount Meall a Bhuiridh and Creise.

Rudolph touching the cairn

thumbs up!

Back to the bags again we set off across the bealach which is quite broad and lumpy, to start the ascent of Stob Choire Claurigh. As we passed the lochan at the bottom of the climb we waved to a man who was sitting leaning on his rucksack reading a book. That looked to me like a good way to spend a sunny day in the middle of nowhere, but we had a different middle of nowhere quite a long way away to get to, so no lazing about for us!

Lovely spot to sit with a good book or a spot of knitting

Exciting looking bit on the ridge

It's a straightforward climb on grassy slopes to the summit of Stob Choire Claurigh, and we took it nice and gently, stopping halfway up to play in a snow patch, and having a few rests.

Looking back to Stob Ban, and distant hills. Our campsite was pretty much in the centre of this photo

Rudolph playing in the snow

We reached the top of the second munro of the day, and the highest point in today's trek, at a little before noon. We stopped here for our first lunch and enjoyed the extensive views all round, with more distant peaks visible. We couldn't easily identify many to the north, but to the south it was wonderful to see!

Rudolph identifying hills

nowhere better to stop for lunch

All the ridges between us and Ben Nevis

It's a lovely, varied and interesting ridge which has grassy and rocky bits and plenty of drama and views. It was great to look over to the mamores and remember walks we had done there, particularly back to July 2013 when we had a superb trip to the Eastern 4 Mamore munros with Shish, Coldwetandhungry and no. 2 son.
We met a few people going the opposite way, and were passed by a few people faster than us. We had a few chats with people about where we were all coming from and going to, and then were approached by someone who asked "are you the people who are camping?" Fame at last!!
A few more pictures, so hard to choose!

Coming down from Stob a' Choire Leith

Looking west from just below Stob Coire Cath na Sine

Looking back the way we came from Caisteal

dramatic cliffs of Stob Coire an Laoigh in this rather overexposed shot

Little bit of hands on

After several ups and downs we reached the summit of the third Munro, Stob Coire an Laoigh, at about 2.40pm. It looked like we did not have very far to go now, just three little summits left (!)

top of Stob Coire an Laoigh

The down and up to Stob Coire Easain was easily achieved, and we felt we were now on the home straight.
And that was when we made a basic error of following the obvious path off Stop Coire Easain towards Sgurr Choinnich Mor, if you go there, DON'T DO THIS! It was a lovely path at first, presumably because loads of people have done exactly what we did, but it soon degenerated into a jumble of enormous, steep and loose boulders. Not soon enough for us to decide that we did not want to go back up, so in the end we clambered over loads of these horrible boulders and ended up back on the ridge where we should have been, mere yards from where we started and having wasted lots of time and energy.

this path. don't do it.

although this is a rather impressive corrie

this is how it ends up (and worse)

that's more like it, next hill is Sgurr Choinnich Mor,

Anyway, back on the ridge, where there is not really a path because it was rocky, it was perfectly straightforward climbing down the spine of the ridge down to the bealach.
Back up to Sgurr Choinnich Mor was steep, but a really enjoyable path, and we reached the summit of our fourth and last munro of the day at about half past five.

Rudolph on the last Munro summit of the day, looking back along the Grey Corries

and me, looking a bit weary, in the background Stob Ban and the Easains

Binnein mor and beag and Sgurr Eilde mor and beag

We were getting a bit tired by now and still had one small hill to cross before we could stop. After a ten minute rest we carried on down to the next bealach.

just one little knobble to cross

As we set off up Sgurr Choinnich Beag, we thought we saw a bypass path on the north side. But was it a bypass path or a sheep track? After our faux pas on the earlier descent we were a bit anxious about getting stuck again, but fatigue got the better of us and we decided to take a try on it being a bypass path. It wasn't! The path started off quite strongly but then gradually petered out about halfway round the hill. However, we kept going on the same or similar line, descending gently according to our guess of how low we needed to go without ending up in Coire Bhealach and having to reascend. We were successful in arriving at the bealach just nicely!
I have since read that this peak is easily bypassed on the opposite side to where we went, and a quick squint at the map bears this out, ah well!

Binneins from the bealach where we camped. We have descended a good bit

It looked like a tent was there already which was a bit of a blow! with the sun in our faces it was quite difficult to make out what kind of tent it was until we got quite close and discovered a big rock!
We now had two worries. Firstly, would there be water where we expected it, given everything was so dry? and second, how on earth were we going to get up the cliff onto Stob Coire Bhealaich in the morning?
As I pitched the tent, Rudolph went and successfully prospected for water. The other problem would be more easily solved after a rest, and once the morning sun was on the cliff.

Leave tomorrow's worries till tomorrow

evening sun on Sgurr Choinnich Beag, with the rock that looked like a tent from the distance

Suddenly the sun disappeared behind the bulk of Stob Coire Bhealaich and it became quite cold, so we actually had to put our coats on! We cooked and ate food as soon as possible and got into the tent. And so to bed. More exciting adventures tomorrow. Link here https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=113090

[gammy leg walker]

Some lovely photos you have there.

[Alteknacker]

What unbeatable weather you had for this one - to make up for the others where you just had to practise the ultimate stoicism! I'm really happy for you both - it's such a wonderful life experience when everything - place, weather, etc. all come together. I also was fortunate with the weather when I walked the Grey Corries and friends - but less fortunate in other respects (lost my camera with all my photos )

Nice to see the happy mugs active again. I guess they must be quite chuffed also .

But so envious that you got such a great view of a Dotterel - right in the top three of the birds I want to experience. Notwithstanding really a good few visits to the NW, I STILL haven't seen one .

[mrssanta]

Some lovely photos you have there.

thank you, it was really hard to take a poor photo to be fair! I had a couple of hundred to pick from.

What unbeatable weather you had for this one - to make up for the others where you just had to practise the ultimate stoicism! I'm really happy for you both - it's such a wonderful life experience when everything - place, weather, etc. all come together. I also was fortunate with the weather when I walked the Grey Corries and friends - but less fortunate in other respects (lost my camera with all my photos )

Nice to see the happy mugs active again. I guess they must be quite chuffed also .

But so envious that you got such a great view of a Dotterel - right in the top three of the birds I want to experience. Notwithstanding really a good few visits to the NW, I STILL haven't seen one .

oh yes I read your TR about the lost camera and really felt for you. We have been waiting a long time for this good weather.
Happy mugs are always keen to be out and get their picture taken.
The dotterel was just sitting there, I was amazed it let me get so close. Birds are not usually my strong point, they go and move, I am better at flowers!

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Amazing photos - what a wonderful trip this was! Thanks for sharing!

tim