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- Mamores in the hazy morning.
After last weekend’s trip to Glen Nevis, Charlie persuaded the household that, with a good forecast, the weekend would be a good opportunity to give our new tent a trial and he wanted to show his sister and mum his favourite campsite (nb. the only campsite I think we've stayed in!). Thinking it bad form to spend the whole weekend in the hills given it was a family weekend away, Sgurr a’Mhaim looked the best option for a quick hillwalk close to our base that had sufficiently mountainous character to interest Charlie (and, of course provide him with a ‘tick’ as he requested). The alternative obvious choices of 5 hours or less - the esoteric water slide route up Ben Nevis or the Aonachs from the ski centre - didn’t appeal. The former because I’m not sure Charlie would manage it (nor my knees) and the latter because those hills from that direction - leaving aside ethical questions of ski lifts - looked a relatively dull way to approach and were part of one of many potentials plan for a 3-day window I have in late July.
This route misses out much of the quality and excitement of this hill, though if you're short on time provides excellent views and interesting enough walking and could probably be completed by an average adult in 4/4.5 hours, maybe less.
- Sgurr a’Mhaim in the evening.
Arriving in Glen Nevis early evening in the Friday the sun had started to drop behind the hills but the heat continued. We got up the tent - a palatial family thing with bedrooms, a real improvement on our previous 4-person tent, and certainly more luxurious than my Lanshan and Oex tents.
Tomorrow's objective was basking in that amber glow, the sun having dropped down behind the hills with the remaining light only illuminating the faces of the highest hills in the Glen.
After a fairly restless night (mainly due to my sleeping bag being commandeered by a small person - note that a child's bag, no matter how thick, is good to warm the legs but not much else...) I was awake at 5. After a quick breakfast we were in the car and down at the Poll Dubh car park.
- Meall Cumhann towards Aonach Beag early morning.
We set off at around 6am, the sticky humidity and warmth already feeling slightly oppressive once we were on the move. I assumed that once the sun was up about the ridges, I was really going to cook. The smell of damp and warm vegetation filled the glen and the sun caught the haze and moisture.
From the car park, follow the road over a bridge and take a right turn over a style and onto the path that leads up to Coire a Mhusgain. For such a popular route there is a surprising amount of vegetation intruding onto the path but it is easily brushed through.
The path starts to climb gently, and the views up the glen stretch out, the impressive face of the south top of Ben Nevis, Carn Dearg, rising above you.
- Carn Dearg the light just catching the haze in the glen.
Fairly soon there's an obvious turn along a path to the NW shoulder of Sgurr a'Mhaim. A slightly eroded but clear path then climb more steeply up to a deer fence. Once through the gate the path zig zags up a grassy slope. At this point we met a couple who were heading for Stob Ban and had realised their error, thankfully without having gained too much height.
- Coire a Mhusgain.
As we climbed higher, the heat was rising and I was glad we'd started early in the cooler part of the day. As you ascend the path starts to wind between rockier sections and is slightly eroded though straightforward and with no difficulties.
- The path winds up giving great views of Carn Dearg.
We had several stops for food and water but Charlie coped with the slight slog-fest of an ascent remarkably well, and remained in good spirits throughout. The views across to Ben Nevis, back to Stob Ban and Bheinn a'Bhethir certainly helped! After a final steep section, the path levels out to a short flatter section of grass leading towards the start of the quartzite scree, visible for long distance as the white top of the hill.
- Ben Nevis, as the slope flattens towards the quartzite scree.
At around 800m the views were sensational down towards Fort William, the sun now casting shorter shadows across the glen as it climbed upwards.
- Looking across to Ben Nevis.
We crossed the final grassy section and onto the scree. There is a path -of sorts - that winds up through this rockier section though it is harder going than taking a more direct line, the stones off the path being more likely to bare weight without shifting downwards.
The scree sections starts to climb more steadily and before long you are up on the shoulder of the hill, Coire Sgorach falling away to your left and Stob Ban, so forboding from below, starting to look quite small though no less impressive.
- Stob Ban looking unusually diminutive from here.
A short walk on over a few small boulders and the top is reached. Looking east, the rest of the Mamores were dark against the backdrop of the sun lighting up the moist haze that had gathered. We were glad of the wind that had picked up on the top and sat by the cairn for a second breakfast. The views in all directions were incredible, though hazy, and if I'd had more time I may have been tempted for a nap at the cairn. Two men arrived and stopped for a quick chat before we started to make our way back down.
- The breeze on the top giving some respite from the heat.
On descent - a route many will have taken after a relatively long day completing the Ring of Steall - there are no difficulties though dropping over 1000m over approximately 2 miles (much of it coming in the first 2/3rds of the distance) it gets a little tiring on the knees.
As we descended a party of walkers were coming up. I recognised the man at the front before realising it was Christian from Walk Glencoe who had led a winter skills course I attended. People coming up looked very red faced and hot and I was glad, in the now intense warmth, to be on the way down after a quick chat.
- Route back down to the car
After the slight slog of descending we reached the gate at the deer fence and were soon on the path back to the car park. The temperatures certainly felt like they were beginning to reach the forecast 27-28c.
- Heat now rising and ready for lunch
The effect of glens in amplifying extreme temperatures - someone on here may be able to explain the science - meant that by the time we arrived back at the car just before 11, it felt more like being on the continent that in the central highlands. A feeling even more present as we sat that afternoon by a burn in Glenfinnan, fairly convinced that we'd arrived in Italy, not the west of Scotland.