Walkhighlands

Scrambles in Lochaber is a great wee book, but it leads you astray from the serious business of ticking off grassy hills, instead you find yourself planning yet another trip to the Buachaille. Broad Buttress is Grade 2 - easier than Curved Ridge - and Great Gully Buttress is Grade 1/2 which is easier again. I guess the grades assume you stick to the brief route descriptions on the book, which isn't always easy. Plan was to go up Broad B and back down GGB since scrambling upwards is easier.

The first Buttress after the fork in the path is Lagangarbh, then there's a grassy section on the hill followed by Broad Buttress, Narrow Gully, Great Gully Buttress, Great Gully and then North Buttress. North Buttress has a couple of boulders lower down which look like Mickey Mouse ears against the skyline so it's easy to spot.

Lagangarbh B on the right, grassy bit, BB, Narrow Gully, GGB , then North Buttress in cloud:


Wet slabs lower down BB.


More slabs then the first rock band. Choice of routes upwards, book suggests moving right then follow a gully up.


Gully:


Next band, by this point I was just picking a route that looked interesting rather than following the book. Only had to backtrack a couple of times when it got too scary


Probably not the book route, ledge then up here:


Slabby again further up:


Nice rock:


Climber on North Buttress, which is Grade 3. The book suggests it's easy for the grade if you follow the route, steep sections look tricky though.


Great Gully Buttress, today's descent route.


Slime Wall:


Top of the buttress, short walk on scree...


...to the top of the Buachaille, Kingshouse below.


There are 2 main cairns at the summit of Stob Dearg, with another smaller one in between which marks the point where you cut off to the buttresses - Lagangarbh on the left then BB then GGB:


Zig zagged down the steep grass at the side of BB to get to GGB, looking back:


Start of GGB ahead, BB wall on the left:


Looking down GGB, it's an easy walk with a few scrambles. If you want to avoid the tourist path up the Buachaille but don't fancy Curved Ridge, this is the way to go. Also an easy descent route.


Grassy bits and stone staircases down:


Slabs:


Easy stuff:


Gettting over-confident now, so I start picking the trickiest looking way down - it's only Grade 1/2 after all! Anyway, I'm heading down the middle of this next bit and obviously I can't see it's all overhanging rock lower down - oops. Easy to scramble up to get out of trouble though.


Start of GGB from the path:


Right, fun's over - must start bagging hills again .

Good stuff A couple of nice scrambles on one of the prettiest mountains around - excellent