Dazzling November Sunshine in Glen Etive

[weaselmaster]

Suffering from a bad dose of Man Flu this weekend was never going to be a great feat of athleticism. Where some might have stayed at home and recuperated I decided that what doesn't kill you erm... doesn't kill you and thought that the mountain air might in fact do me some good. The forecast looked reasonable, for Saturday at any rate, so we headed off up to the Red Squirrel with the aim of tackling a couple of Glen Etive Corbetts. We did drive past to call into the Co-Op in Ballachuillich to pick up a selection of Sudafed/Vicks nasal decongestant type things before setting up camp. There looked to be no-one else at all in the campsite, and when Bart, the Polish attendant came for our money he seemed starved of company and stood chatting for a while. Outside the tent the stars were amazing in a black velvet sky.

Night Nurse is one way to achieve a good sleep when you have a cold, and it was almost 10am before we were up and ready. Just as well the hill was a fairly quick affair. If I'd been feeling well I might have tackled Stob Dubh and Beinn Maol Chalium on the same day, although sea level starts does make that a bit of a grim undertaking. Smitten with my lurgy there was no way I was doing more than one hill. We drove along to the start point by Coileitir and set off in the shadow of the mighty Starav. We passed a group of 8 folk at the gate who were doing Stob Dubh too - gazing up at its steep profile checking a route through the band of crags at 500-600m. The initial section is along a good track up to Glenceitlein cottage then cut off up to the right over scrubby grass. Over to our left the form of Beinn Fhionnlaidh dominated the view - a smashing mountain when seen in long form from here. As we climbed steeply the views just got better and better. There's a faint path that leads you through the craggy section and although it is a grueling ascent on account of the unremitting 800 odd metres of ascent, there's nothing unduly challenging. The gradient levels out a little in the last hundred or so metres and we were delighted to get up to the summit cairn and survey the views to the Glencoe hills in the north.

Approaching Stob Dubh
P1040570 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Ben Starav
P1040571 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Beinn Maol Chalium
P1040572 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040574 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Starting up the shoulder
P1040576 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View back to Glen Etive
P1040578 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Beinn Fhionnlaidh
P1040579 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Steep going
P1040580 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Pano
P1040581 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit - view to Creise
P1040584 by 23weasels, on Flickr


After a bite to eat we pressed on to the sister summit of Beinn Ceitlein - a walk well worth doing as it provides excellent views back to Stob Dubh and great views up Glen Etive towards Creise. What a marvelous day! We decided to head over to the south top of Stob Dubh and head down the southern flank of the great cleft that divides Stob Dubh - the Garbh Allt. Any hopes that this would be less steep than the ascent route were quickly quashed - it was very steep grassy slopes for several hundred metres that took a bit of concentration. Couldn't believe how orange the hillside looked with the sun shining on the russet grasses. We crossed over the stream lower down then headed back across to join with our outward route and back to the cottage. A lovely walk back to the car watching the sun start to sink behind the primeval bulk of Ben Starav. Back to the Squirrel then a couple of pints in the Clachaig where we met a motley crew of WH folk, guidebook writers and pound note activists

Loch Etive & Beinn Trilleachan
P1040587 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Contemplating Glencoe
P1040588 by 23weasels, on Flickr

The Bookils
P1040589 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Beinn Ceitlein
P1040590 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stob Dubh from Beinn Ceitlein
P1040595 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Looking N along Glen Etive
P1040597 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040599 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040602 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stob Dubh
P1040605 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Heading down into Glen Etive
P1040608 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Orange hillsides
P1040612 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stob Coire Albannich
P1040613 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Garbh Allt
P1040616 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Looking South
P1040617 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Starav
P1040622 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Trilleachan
P1040623 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stats
P1040625 by 23weasels, on Flickr

stob_dubh.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Sunday was meant to be raining in the morning, so when we awoke to more sunshine it was a bit of a shock to the system. Breakfast sitting outside the tent, no rain overnight - what strange planet is this?? Beinn Maol Chalium - or "Callum's Bare Arse" as it seems to be termed locally - was today's target, just across the road from Stob Dubh. We tootled back down into Glen Etive and parked up in a layby under the start of the walk - a steepish ascent for the first 150m or so. We could see some other folk up ahead, and soon caught up with a Polish couple then our friend from the Clachaig the night before - small world indeed. It was hot work heading up in the streaming sunshine - both of us had put on our winter trousers for this weekend, which was probably not the best decision

The route up is fairly straightforward - we took the option of a wee bit of scrambling up one of the craggy sections then just enjoyed the amazing sunshine views as we went over the succession of bumps that lead to the final summit. Sgreamhach and Bidean take up all views to the right, the Etive hills on the left side, with Sgurr nan Udlaidh looking impressive. Despite the blazing sunshine it was cold enough at the top to require the addition of several layers while we got stuck into soup and sandwiches. From up here Loch Etive was burnished silver, guarded by the surrounding mountains of Starav, Trilleachan etc. We wandered back down the same way - there isn't much option and were back at the car in just over 4 hours. The drive back down the road was breathtaking with pinks and golden orange tableaux of our favourite hills. What a fine weekend.

Looking north from the parking spot
P1040627 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Bookils
P1040628 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Chalium
P1040630 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040631 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Wee scrambly section
P1040635 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sgurr nan Udlaidh
P1040638 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Spine of Chalium
P1040639 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040640 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Bidean/Sgreamhach
P1040641 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Deep scores in Sgreamhach
P1040642 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Views of forever
P1040644 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit
P1040645 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Smiley Weasel
P1040646 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Starav/Cruachan
P1040647 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040648 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Glen Etive N
P1040652 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Stob Dubh
P1040653 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Loch Etive
P1040655 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Starav
P1040656 by 23weasels, on Flickr

P1040658 by 23weasels, on Flickr

[PeteR]

Superb photos of what look like 2 great hills Looks like you got a great weekend of weather too What I managed this weekend doesn't even manage sub 2k status And I was surrounded in mist

[weaselmaster]

Superb photos of what look like 2 great hills Looks like you got a great weekend of weather too What I managed this weekend doesn't even manage sub 2k status And I was surrounded in mist

Cheers Pete
Stob Dubh's a fantastic hill, well worth all the toil and sweat to get to the top.
Couldn't believe the weather - shame I didn't feel up to doing a couple of longer days with sunshine like we had, but I'm not going to grumble too much with the views we enjoyed.

[Sarah86]

The light is perfect at this time of year and you have captured it well, I really like your shots after the sun has set, the sky looks lovely.

[robertphillips]

well done wm, stob dubhs west ridge is good steep pull up to the summit.

[malky_c]

even better than the previous weekend, which was decent enough for November!

Lots of great photos there. I'm looking forward to Stob Dubh even more now (and Bein. Mhic Chasgaig as well)

[rockhopper]

very nice, wm - certainly looked like going north was the right idea that weekend - cheers

[2manyYorkies]

Lovely sharp photos. What do you use, if you don't mind me asking?
JW

[scottishkennyg]

Nice one Al..cracking sharp images toward the end there..quality walk

[litljortindan]

Just a lazy weekend then. The Saturday hills do look steep but great views. I do like Glen Etive.

[hopper68]

Some crackin pics there

[Spade]

Some crackin pics there

Smashin report and photos, fancy doing these walks, but minus night nurse! took it once before, couldn't stay awke the next day!! So hats off for doing them following the NN.

[dogplodder]

What a great weekend you got for views!

And did it cure the man flu?

[weaselmaster]

Lovely sharp photos. What do you use, if you don't mind me asking?
JW

A wee Panasonic Lumix DMC FT5 point and shoot - with the advantages that it's light, waterproof, drop proof (up to a point) and manages to function in low temps

[weaselmaster]

What a great weekend you got for views!

And did it cure the man flu?

Yep - it was pretty much gone by the sunday
Heartily recommend mountain air for all manner of ailments