Beinn Maol Chaluim from Glencoe

[weaselmaster]

Another windy weekend - and quite cold too - not really like the middle of June. Forecast wasn't good enough to go anywhere exotic, so stuck to a motley lot of hills around Glencoe. Headed up on Thursday night - something we haven't done for a few weekends - and camped behind the Kingshouse in the rain. We were in no hurry to get up on Friday morning as heavy rain was set to continue until lunchtime, then it was supposedly to be full sun for the rest of the day. Therefore we didn't get out of bed til about 10.30 and prepared to set off as the rain was petering out. About a million walkers passed us from the Kingshouse, doing the WHW with princess packs (mostly) and those godawful rain capes that flap about like irritated ghosts. Given the force of the wind at our level, I reckoned they were really going to enjoy going up the Devil's Staircase Shouldn't laugh, but we did...

2022-06-17_1127 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Our object for the day was the Graham of Stob na Cruaiche, which we'd climbed last time from Rannoch Station. Our route today was well described by Black Panther a few years ago and uses track for about 3/4 of the distance, heading past Black Corries Lodge. We paused at Loch Meall a'Phuill for lunch and watched a white tailed eagle circle over the water looking for a tasty trout meal but leaving empty-taloned. Such a big bird when seen close up - needless to say my attempts to photograph it did not result in useable shots We continued on - the hard track giving way to grassy ATV track as we started up onto Ston na Cruaiche itself. The summit, predictably, is quite a long way from where one might want it to be, but the views from the top are good. We returned by much the same route as that taken out. When we got back to the Kingshouse, we saw that there were a few tents pitched around the spot we'd used the. light before, so we packed our things into the big rucksacks and headed back up the track towards Black Corries, where we'd noticed several suitable camping spots. The wind was really whistling against us as we put the tent up and retreated into the dry and warm tent.

E03860EC-AECE-4BC2-B48A-026AAE25B268_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

The new, pocket sized, Allison
781BA4AD-6693-486F-8428-1933B0DB4130_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

3D7E12FC-3092-4E1F-B49D-A610B210C824_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Moody BEM
31CAE396-D951-4C43-99BC-61AC4C505436_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

C49F1F2B-3013-4281-AD60-FF448C649B19 by Al, on Flickr

The forecast for Sunday had worsened - it had originally suggested lighter winds then, but there seemed little to chose between Saturday and Sunday, so we opted to do Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean today, as it would be a longer outing than the one we had planned for Beinn Maol Challum. Hoped it would not be too windy up top. Decided to go from Kinlochleven, as less miles to drive there. Parked in a lay-by just west of the Hotel and noticed there was a track going up to join with the main WHW track, which was convenient. There were numerous folk walking the Way - we amused ourselves by imagining a wee man sitting at a desk, maybe around An Dun and asking all those who approached him the "Three Questions" as in Monty Python & the Holy Grail...and forbidding them to pass if they couldn't give the appropriate answer - banished back to Drymen, say...

2022-06-18_1014 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

We spotted a group of blokes heading up into Coire na h-Eirghe. We intended to go that way, as it's a good path, but it would likely be more efficient to head up Coire a'Bhutha and join the track running to the east of Stob Ban. What's another couple of hundred metres of ascent, though The guys were off to do Am Bodice and Stob Coire a'Chairn, which provides a nice little loop. We stopped for lunch before reaching the head of the coire, then continued around Sgurr an Iubhair, past the wee lochan and onwards towards Stob Ban, which by now was rising up in the near distance. It is an impressive mountain. Although the wind was quite strong, our ascent was mostly in the wind shadow and posed no problems. On our way round to Mullach we met a guy from Edinburgh who'd come up from Glen Nevis and was planning to overnight up high. - we suggested by the wee lochan as I doubt there's anything else suitable with a strong westerly wind blowing. As usual we marvelled at the sudden transition from the white rock of Stob Ban to the red of Mullach. Summit reached, all we had to do now was get down... Last time we'd gone over to the west top and headed down from there, but today it was just straight down the steep grassy side of the mountain, keeping to the west of the Allt a'Choire Charaich then rejoining the WHW track. Every 5 minutes or so we'd be passed by a runner heading for Ft William - I'm guessing these were runners doing the WHW Ultra, although they looked surprisingly fresh for having come all that way, including one guy who was smiling with sheer happiness. Crazy folk

Stob Ban
878D0A7E-3A6C-4AB0-A72C-2096E1967FF1_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

450974F8-20F3-478E-A1F5-790B78D4E0B7_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

D33A27C1-4641-42CD-BD7C-3EC0F1CBCF51_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

5EFB44BB-A492-48B3-B066-297399F70AA2_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

9BE091BF-FE3F-4E09-9C4B-C62D49D59C77_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

49C73B02-9CB8-4214-A54E-CC01C2476327_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

F6834FE3-A50F-4F81-A4C9-044090BDA88C_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

2E230023-CFFF-4D3D-9465-8E4742959131_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

F51E802D-E46B-4C9F-9A0C-28A453A719A6 by Al, on Flickr

We returned to the car and drove along the loch a couple of miles to pitch shore-side in a spot we've sued before. Another night of rain and strong winds. Dry by morning however.

On Sunday we headed back to the parking area near Signal Rock and prepared to set off for Beinn Maol Chaluim . I do like to do repeats using different routes and I'd noticed in teh WH description of this hill that it was possible, if awkward, to do BMC from Glencoe/Fionn Ghleann. Nothing was going to tempt me into The Hell That Is Glen Etive In Summer, so an alternate approach was welcome. Couldn't find any reports on the site from this direction however.

2022-06-19_1005 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

We took the track up Gleann Leac na Mhuidhe that one uses for Sgor na h-Ulaidh or Meall Lighiche, following the bypass around the houses then following the treeline around and into Fionn Ghleann. Animal tracks make the going alright and we followed an old fence line along the river, passing a number of waterfalls. Up ahead we could see the crown of Beinn Maol Challum - I'd noticed it many times driving past and just thought it was a bit of Bidean nam Bian, which I suppose it is, really. We crossed the river high up and stopped for lunch behind a huge boulder. Then we set about gaining some altitude. It's just a steep grassy pull until you near the bealach with Stob Coire Nam Beith, where there are crags. It's easy enough to pick a grassy rake between the crags/slabs and then it's simply a matter of following an old fence line to the summit. A short scree run just before the top and Bob's your Uncle. As ever, great views of Trilleachan and Loch Etive. A more interesting route than the rather dull whale-back route up from Glen Etive IMO. We returned the same way, I managed to slip in a boggy puddle and get rather soaked, but with a stiff breeze and occasional sunshine I was dried off by the time I got back to the car.

E874FAC8-FAD9-4DA8-8B13-A9A83E590744_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

4D161E24-7437-4EB5-9CCD-F3D7EA4973C5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

52A2CDF8-C085-453D-B0F1-D430E321EF69_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

FB646F8D-6200-4CFD-8B31-6733800D9CC5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

D92E7358-3D43-4BB2-A9F3-3F3B0E59598D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

2A91E2AF-1C54-44F1-AC7A-F9F0AEEC31E8_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

1E87B367-EC4D-40B7-A50F-9F1EBD1C1AFB_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Sgor na h-Ulaidh
8EF61A2F-AAA0-4E2F-961B-F28958A50306_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

BMC
A0B50924-9883-4ABF-BF1E-4F0030C37210_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Bidean
D1293A9A-72E8-47BE-8E00-7D33C6D8B6A5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Loch Etive view
7178714E-68A3-4D0A-82DC-F2B174C6873F_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Ulaidh, Fionnlaidh
15DCA851-35C7-4B0E-B5AD-F5876DE2C964_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

View back up Fionn Ghleann
D4BF30FB-8621-425C-91D1-99D74312FC39_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

D0531A2F-0F37-46A0-A3A5-553D79A5F8C6 by Al, on Flickr
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[PeteR]

Your route to the Graham for your first day isn't one I'd considered before for this hill.......but I will now. I quite like an alternative route now and again.

[weaselmaster]

Your route to the Graham for your first day isn't one I'd considered before for this hill.......but I will now. I quite like an alternative route now and again.

It’s a nice relaxing stroll, better than what I remember of the Rannoch Station approach and easier to get to the start 😁

[iain_atkinson_1986]

Cheers for the .gpx file for the Glencoe approach to Beinn Maol Chaluim. Anything to keep me put of Glen Etive is much appreciated!

[weaselmaster]

Cheers for the .gpx file for the Glencoe approach to Beinn Maol Chaluim. Anything to keep me put of Glen Etive is much appreciated!

You're very welcome.
Whilst it would be quicker to take a direct route from the parking place and go up the east side of Fionn Gleann, the terrain is a good deal steeper on that side, so I think easier to go the way we did.

[iain_atkinson_1986]

I'm don't write my own trip reports but thought I'd chip in now having broadly followed the route from Weaselmaster...

In short, it's pretty wet but I'd recommend it to those who don't want the hassle of dealing with Glen Etive. Once you've contoured around Aonach Dubh a' Ghlinne you pick up a fence which has faint traces of a path, though it seems to be used more by sheep and deer than by humans at this stage (I didn't see any footprints anyway). Definitely stay on the west side of the burn and I followed the fence line pretty much until you can pick one of several clear lines up to the ridge. The route to the summit is clear from that point.

The only point I'd stress is that the eastern slopes of the glen don't get much sunlight so it's pretty slippy coming down. Despite being careful I still managed to lose my footing and slid down a crag which could have ended up very badly. I tore the ars* and knee out of my Montane Terras in the process so this was quite an expensive Corbett.



On the plus side the shaded glen was good to avoid not just the crowds of Glen Coe but also kept the temperature way down when MWIS had them forecast into the high 20s.