Stob Ban (Grey Corries) cycle/walk

[johnbythell]

It was another 'iffy' weather day so I decided to take the long trek in from Spean Bridge to climb Stob Ban, which I missed a couple of weeks ago. I didn't fancy taking the van up the forestry tracks so opted to cycle in from the Coille Aonachan car park. So the day was 21 km cycle in and back to the bealach on the Lairig Leacach, plus 16.3 km hike in and back from there. I could have cycled the whole way to the Leacach bothy, but didn't fancy the uphill cycle on the return leg so opted to walk from the bealach. It took about 1.5 hours to cycle in (with some pushing the bike up the steeper sections) and about 45 min on the way back, so not a bad option.

Stob Ban 20 Nov 2023.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The road section from the car park to Coire Choille farm is very pleasant

The Wee Minister on the forestry track. From the look of him I think his sermons would have been serious fire and brimstone

With the heavy pack and not wanting to tire myself out for the climb (my excuses anyway), I pushed the bike up the steeper sections on the forestry track, but even so the ride in was 1.5 h which I was pretty happy with

Reaching the end of the wooded section above Coire Choille

Two big boulders conveniently located at the bealach to stash the bike behind

The Lairig Leacach bothy

I was thankful for the small footbridge just beyond the bothy, because the ford was not crossable without waders

Looking across the Lairig Leacach to the impenetrable-looking fortress of Sgurr Innse

Looking southeast down the Lairig Leacach

Unfortunately the cloud base was below the top of Stob Ban

But it is a shapely pyramid of a summit when the cloud breaks

But the clag was down again when I reached the top, where I decided to continue on and make a small loop of it by descending via the Coire Claurigh. Here at the little lochan at the bealach, where I had turned around a couple of weeks ago

As is the way, the cloud broke again on the summit as I was wending my way down the rock escarpments at the head of the Coire Claurigh

The coire would have been a nice way to descend, except the forecasted drizzle turned into heavy driving rain

And there are a few places on the steep sides of the Allt a' Chuil Choirean that are probably best avoided in these soggy conditions

A very welcome shelter from the rain in the bothy for lunch before steeling myself for the cold and wet cycle back, though this only took 45 min

Overall, not the best of conditions, with the rain quite a bit worse than forecasted in the afternoon, but thankfully quite a quick round with the bike, given the long distance. The Coire Claurigh is beautiful and added a lot to the round, and I think it would make a good ascent route, though probably best avoided in these conditions because of the steep, slippery drops above the Allt a' Chuil Choirean, just above the bothy.