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DSC_0446.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
This walk started off as simply a hike into a stunning area which to my shame, I’d always wanted to visit but never had.I love remote lochs so there were two on offer which I was keen to visit – the lower Loch Eilde Mor and the higher lochan - Coire an Lochain - which sits at over 700m and below the peaks of Sgurr Eilde Mor and Sgurr Eilde Beag.I love hearing the sounds of the rut at this time of year.The Big and Little Peaks of the Hinds( as the mountains names translate from the Gaelic)
suggested this area has long been a top spot for stags on the lookout for a harem!
We’d had a tiring 36 hrs with a dash from Glasgow up to Skye on the Monday to see my mother in law after she’d had a minor fall in her Care Home.Thankfully, it was just a grazed knee and given that she has Alzheimer’s, she didn’t even remember it had happened and was in fine spirits.
Over breakfast next morning at our B&B just outside Banavie (Torbeag, a stunning house along the Gairlochy road), the forecast was good so the plan was to do something nice and relaxing as we were quite tired from the travelling. Hence my idea of seeing a bit of that area above Kinlochleven.Years ago, Chris had camped up there after a cross country trek from Corrour, so he loved it of old.
I always think that the drive along the north shore of Loch Leven, heading for Kinlochleven, is a belter.
View across Loch Leven, Kinlochleven road by
Anne C, on Flickr
Pap of Glencoe, Kinlochleven by
Anne C, on Flickr
Gorgeous scenery with a really impressive array of shapely peaks all around.
Pap of Glencoe by
Anne C, on Flickr
We had spent 10 days in Alaska earlier in the summer , sailing past the world’s highest coastal mountains.We had been wowed by the truly astounding scenery, gazing at peaks of 19,000 feet (Mount St Elias, at Yakutat Bay) coming straight out of the ocean.
St Elias range by
Anne C, on Flickr
Mount St Elias Alaska by
Anne C, on Flickr
But I still came home thinking that Scotland’s own coast is right up there, albeit very different in scale.Our mountains are relatively small but they are so ancient, honed like fine antiques. The landscape is more colourful and varied and there’s that interplay of layer upon layer of mountains bathed in ever changing light.
Parked at the start of the walk in Kinlochleven, signposted to the Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall and by 10.20am, we were heading up the path.
It was a stiff but steady pull up through the woodland.The photo below paints the path in a reasonable light but it wasn’t the most pleasant ascent, rubbly and eroded.It’s also wildly braided with deep gullies having formed all over the place so , after 30 mins or so, it was nice to reach the open moorland and enjoy the views and, soon, a much better track.
Almost immediately, we were aware of the roaring of stags.So evocative, that guttural bellowing, as they seek to win and keep the hinds.There were certainly a lot of them on the hunt here!
The classic view back down Loch Leven above the woodland...
Above Kinlochleven by
Anne C, on Flickr
Looking down Loch Leven by
Anne C, on Flickr
The path improved and we were soon striding along more easily.
Path to Loch Èilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ahead and to the left, I could see the normal route to Sgurr Eilde Mor beginning its gradual climb below Sgurr Eilde Beag’s steep slopes.But I was keen to drop down to see Loch Eilde Mor first. Measuring the routes on the OS App, there was very little between the two options in terms of the time it would take us to get to Coire an Lochain.Our way meant very slightly less ascent but about half a km more, distance wise.
At a large cairn we came to the crossroads with a big land rover track coming up from Mamore Lodge and heading for the lower loch so we followed it instead of turning left.In 5 mins we had descended slightly to Loch Eilde Mor.
Loch Eilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
It was a beautiful spot, the brisk wind creating streamers across the loch’s surface.The tops of the Glencoe giants were now rearing their heads to the west.It had taken us 90 mins to get here and I reckoned we had another hour ahead to reach Coire an Lochain.
But time to stop for some water and fruit and just admire the place, a perfect area for anyone who craves solitude; there wasn’t a soul around.The colours were gorgeous….tawny and gold against the deep dark blue of the water with the occasional red of Rowan berries.Autumn in all its glory!
A short distance along the lochside, a tiny cairn confirmed the start of the stalker’s path up the open moorland to Coire an Lochain.
Above Loch Eilde Mor…Aonach Eagach appearing by
Anne C, on Flickr
I could see the traditional route below Sgurr Eilde Beag and it seemed a long way away! Now the bristly Aonach Eagach was clearly visible and the views opened up behind us to the Pap of Glencoe and Beinn a Bheithir…
Pap of Glencoe and Beinn a Bheithir by
Anne C, on Flickr
Zoomed to Buachaille Etive Mor…
Buachaille Etive Mor , sun breaking through by
Anne C, on Flickr
We lost the route at one point below a shallow rise, but it was easy enough to pick the best way up.At the top, thankfully, we got re-acquainted with the path.It eventually zig zagged up the side of the Allt Riabach waterfall, pencil thin today, but wide, bare slabs at its base suggested that it must be quite a sight in wetter conditions.
Up by the waterfall by
Anne C, on Flickr
Then the easy slope flattened and we found ourselves directly below Sgurr Eilde Mor.
Sgurr Eilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
What a stunning spot!
DSC_0396.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
The northerly wind was strong up here and really cold, straight from the Arctic so we hunkered down behind a rock to eat our sandwiches. In fact the sunshine of earlier had disappeared as thick cloud came in and a few spots of rain began to fall.
Demolishing lunch, I looked up at the slopes of Sgurr Eilde Mor, it’s summit around 1,000 feet above us.The angle didn’t look too bad on this side of the mountain with a good path initially winding up its southern shoulder.I’d always been put off this hill (being a bit of a mountain feartie by nature) given the description of ‘intimidating’ steepness and loose steep scree.Chris had been up before via the more common northern approach - the ‘steep scree’ side and didn’t think I’d enjoy it.But this side looked ok.
‘I’m for it if you are,’ Chris said, as if reading my mind.It seemed a shame to spend all this time getting here without going to the top so off we set.
The path was excellent initially, taking us further east across wide, easy slopes.Great views opened up too…across to Sgùrr Eilde Beag and down the other side to Loch Eilde Mor…
On the good path to the shoulder by
Anne C, on Flickr
Looking towards Corrour by
Anne C, on Flickr
Then it zig zagged uphill, always on wide if steep slopes before we hit the first of about 5 bands of boulders.They were narrow bands but boulders are always a test for my stiff hips! Chris seemed to skip over them (annoyingly) as I picked my way carefully, then we would pick up the path again until the next band.
Looking up towards the summit by
Anne C, on Flickr
Final slopes by
Anne C, on Flickr
Craning my neck to look up the steepening slopes, I could see what looked like crags near the top but trusted there was a way through.It wasn’t a tiring climb at all somehow, just a bit awkward underfoot at times. Each boulder field took us onto another level bit of mountainside before the next clamber up. All this time, we were ascending with a crag close to our right but there was no exposure and it all felt steepish but benign.
The crags I’d seen looming overhead also had loads of grassy areas offering easy ways past too.Then suddenly the slope flattened and soft mossy grass led us to the summit cairn where the views were stunning.
Summit views, Sgurr Eilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
Beyond the little volcano that is Binnein Beag, Ben Nevis’s summit was wrapped in a tiny cap of cloud one minute, clear the next.
Binnein Beag and Ben Nevis and Aonachs by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ben Nevis zoomed below…
Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg arete by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ben Nevis by
Anne C, on Flickr
Across the corrie, Binnein Mor looked enormous, a giant of a mountain.
Binnein Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
There was some lovely light over Glencoe, Ben Starav clear too…in fact, clarity was improving all the time…
Towards Glencoe by
Anne C, on Flickr
Towards Bridge of Orchy beyond the Blackwater Reservoir…
To the right were the Grey Corries, their pale screes very clear.
Grey Corries by
Anne C, on Flickr
Ben Mor on Mull was very clear, visible to the right of Beinn a Bheithir and the Pap of Glencoe…
Ben More on Mull, beyond Beinn a Bheithir by
Anne C, on Flickr
The Aonach Eagach’s sharp ridge mid distance right…
Aonach Eagach by
Anne C, on Flickr
Myself, very chuffed to be up here…
Myself by
Anne C, on Flickr
I walked out along the narrow spur that gives a superb view down to the lochans with Sgurr Eilde Beag rearing above.Quite a spot! That combination of mountains and water - whether loch or sea- is always the thing for me.
We both peered down the alternative route off the mountain to the north.There was a very eroded and steep initial section though it didn’t seem to last too long and wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.I reckoned I could probably shuffle down it on my ‘hin’end’ but finally, we decided better the devil we knew and we’d return the way we’d come up as it was pretty straightforward.
That view of the Lochan below really was stunning and I couldn’t stop taking photos of it…
Heading down by
Anne C, on Flickr
Down to Coire an Lochan by
Anne C, on Flickr
DSC_0446.jpg by
Anne C, on Flickr
On the descent, the boulderfields were fine if I just scuffled down them half standing, half sitting.Didn’t do the seat of my walking trousers much good, as they’ve now got a sizeable hole in them! They’re ancient however so it was about time I got myself a new pair.
Loch Eilde Mor below by
Anne C, on Flickr
Great views towards Corrour and Schiehallion, the latter, hazy in this photo…
Corrour ahead by
Anne C, on Flickr
Back on the nice path again, a pleasure really to be in such a magnificent area.
Heading down to Coire an Lochan by
Anne C, on Flickr
Making for the loch by
Anne C, on Flickr
Had a stop again at the loch, so lovely.
Untitled by
Anne C, on Flickr
We also decided to head back via Loch Eilde Mor again and the good stalker’s path …the sun on Glencoe once more.
Sun on Glencoe by
Anne C, on Flickr
A last close up of Sgurr Eilde Mor…
Sgurr Eilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
An hour later, we were down at the Big Loch of the Hinds again and the land rover track.
Loch Eilde Mor by
Anne C, on Flickr
Once more, it took us about 90 mins from Loch Eilde Mor down to Kinlochleven but a further treat was in store as the late afternoon light was casting beautiful shadows across the glorious views we’d seen earlier and the dramatic peak of Mam na Gualainn.
Looking down Loch Leven by
Anne C, on Flickr
Sun going down by
Anne C, on Flickr
The woodland section need a bit of care whether avoiding eroded gullies or a spider’s web of tree roots.Not a pleasant descent, giving quite awkward walking.However, we were more than compensated the lovely views down Loch Leven as the sun emerged from the cloud and lit up the mountains.
Sun breaking through beyond Pap of Glencoe by
Anne C, on Flickr
Backlit Pap of Glencoe by
Anne C, on Flickr
We were back at the car at 6pm after a quick look at the Grey Mare’s tail waterfall. An unplanned Munro which even now, a few weeks later, I feel quite thrilled to have finally climbed.An amazing area too, exceeding expectations especially given the background soundtrack of the rut at full volume.