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I am 5 foot 2 on a good day and have a reasonably bad fear of heights - in case there are any other scared hobbits out there, I thought it would be useful to write walk reports with a specific focus on on things that were difficult/scared me as I don't often see my experience in the walk reports!
We initially had a different walk in mind but the weather changed so we headed to Glen Coe. The first couple of hours were a bit foggy and drizzly but the weather forecast kept its promise and it brightened into an absolute stunner of a day. The climb to Meall a' Bhùiridh was mostly unproblematic from a hobbit POV, the path is eroded but not in a way that causes issues. The walkhighlands route describes crossing a metal bridge across a burn - this bridge is bent into a u-shape and if your brain is a bit broken like mine is, it may set your vertigo off and I ended up in a very short bum shuffle. Crossing this on the descent was much better as the u-shape is asymmetrical and my brain prefers going up steep things to down them. Which leads nicely to the reason for writing this report
When I read the walk description, the bit that had me slightly concerned was the final pull up to Creise which is described as a rocky climb. However, it was actually the descent from Meall a' Bhùiridh into the bealach that caused the most issues, it was steep and whilst my wife, who has a normal brain for heights, would tell you otherwise, it felt quite exposed to the left. The other thing that contributed to the rising panic was the sight of the pull up to Creise. From the summit of Meall a' Bhùiridh, the entire thing looked incredibly steep and narrow and exposed. Given the terrible winter weather it has also been months since we were out on a proper walk so the exposure therapy I'd been building up over the last year had reset and the anxiety fully kicked in and I had a moment where I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it.
- Looking back up the climb to Meall a' Bhùiridh
BUT THE GOOD NEWS! Is that the climb to Creise is actually nowhere near as bad as it looks. The path is broad, there are mostly clear steps up, and there's no real exposure. I put my poles away and had to use my hands quite a bit. I hate it when people tell me what I am and am not capable of what it comes to my fear of heights because each to their own manifestation of their irrational fear, but I would say that if you can make it down to the bealach, you can make it up to Creise. The final section is very steep and I ended up taking my bag off as the extra weight was making me feel unbalanced but it was entirely doable.
- Climb to Creise
Additionally, the descent from Creise is less challenging than the ascent (especially if you've no shame and are happy to bum shuffle), and the ascent from the bealach back to Meall a' Bhùiridh also has the absence of The Fear.
But most of all, the views were absolutely stunning - the Etive Mor outshone by Ben Nevis and the CMD towering majestically in the background. Even with the slight panic, this is up there with one of my favourite days.
- View from the summit of Creise
