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I'd previously climbed Stob A' Choire Mheadhoin back in 2020 but deteriorating conditions meant I couldn't continue onto Stob Coire Easain. Another attempt from Staoineag bothy to the south in 2022 was again abandoned due to poor conditions.
- The Easains from Loch Treig
I decided for my third attempt to keep things simple, I'd catch an early service to Corrour then hike down to Loch Treig and climb the hill, returning home on a later service, however train timings meant that it would be tight, possibly too tight.......so I decided on a bivvy (the hostel was fully booked).
- Train departing Corrour
Leaving the station I decided to take the longer (well maintained) estate track to Loch Treig rather than the more direct track beside the railway as it can be a bit of a bogfest, not wanting to carry all my overnight gear down to the lochside I dumped it at a high point in the path, well away from the Ben Na Lap path (I feared that a well meaning walker would find it and hand it into the Hostel or Station House).
- High point overlooking Loch Ossian
The Corrour Estate track is excellent but turns into a rough ATV track once over the estate boundary on the southern shore of Loch Treig (Jahama Estates how about spending some of your aluminium money an improving your estate tracks)
- Track down to Loch Treig
After a quick lunch near the old lodge I started heading up Lairig Leacach, there is a track on both sides of the burn that you could take however if it's in spate you can cross a bridge near the lodge and take the track on the north side towards the Creag a'Chaoruinn ridge line (don't be tempted to climb the hill any earlier like I did as you'll end up having to cross multiple gullies and ravines)
- Creag a'Chaoruinn ridge line
Once on the ridge (or after) the climb is steep but steady, you gain height quickly and the views start to open, now you can see just how far you've already come (although I was pretty disappointed that I was only at 400m, 3 hours after setting off)
- Looking back to the track that descends to Loch Treig
The ridgeline is a cracking climb but it tends to catch the wind, this might be just what you need on a warm summers day, if not just dip down off it on the western side for a bit of protection.
- View towards the summit from 916m top
The ridge ends at an unnamed top at 916m, this is where you get your first view of the summit, it's only an extra 200m but it looks more, thankfully the steep pull up relented and I got a second wind.
- Summit Cairn
The summit at 1116m is marked by a pretty unremarkable cairn with a steep drop into a corrie immediately behind (so be careful).
- Stob A' Choire Mheadhoin
Stob A' Choire Mheadhoin isn't too far away and the drop in between isn't too bad, if you fancy a traverse you could continue onto Tulloch or Roy bridge stations, however being (almost) middle aged this isn't something I would have considered.
- The Ben, Aonachs & Grey Corries
Due to some seriously dark clouds I didn't hang around long on the summit, however I managed to get some photos with the big camera, the views to the south and west were pretty good.
- Buachaille Etive Mor
After hearing a distant rumble of thunder I was keen to get off the hill quickly so took a direct line back down into Lairig Leacach, the burn was low so I was able to easily ford it and join the main path on the south bank (if not I would have just followed the fainter path on the north side that I'd walked along earlier).
- Bivvy at Loch Ossian
By now I was tired so put my head down and headed back, after a couple of hours I reached to the spot where I'd cached my bivvy gear earlier, so with light fading and increasing winds I settled down for the night and soon dozed off.
- Corrour Station House Breakfast
The first train south out of Corrour on a Sunday is a 12:30pm, this gave me plenty of time to pack up and head over to the Station House for a full breakfast and several cups of coffee.............the perfect way to end a trip
