walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis


Postby BlackPanther » Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:27 pm

Route description: Aonach Beag and Aonach Mòr from Glen Nevis

Munros included on this walk: Aonach Beag (Nevis Range), Aonach Mòr

Date walked: 21/03/2015

Time taken: 8.5 hours

Distance: 18.1 km

Ascent: 1648m

12 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

I must admit I was dreading to write this report, mainly because it is not easy to describe the emotional up-and-down I went through on that sunny Saturday. Please, forgive me if it all begins to sound like a cheap version of Jane Austin novel...
My story comes in the right time, I think, with all the current discussion on the general forum, including giving/taking advice, mountain safety and using common sense. I don't want this TR to shape up as a Greek tragedy... It's just a little lesson we were given by mountains and I'd like to share it with other hillwalkers. :)

On Saturday the 21th we planned a longer Munro bagging day, hoping to climb Aonach Beag & Mor in Nevis Range. Apart from The Ben itself, I didn't climb any hills here in winter/early spring conditions, all was done in the middle of hot summer or on hazy autumn days. So a sunny, crispy March day seemed a good opportunity to try some spring mountaineering on the highest Scottish tops.
We had one failed attempt on these two, a few years ago when we only got to about 500m and had to retread because of torrential rain and us getting completely soaked. I wanted to finish the business with the Aonachs and tick them off to forget the failure :?
From our own experience we know, that our usual walking pace puts us well "on the top side" of the times given by WalkHighlands. For the Aonachs, it says 7-10 hours, so even considering winter conditions, we calculated we should be able to get down in 8-8.5 hours. As it turned out, we finished in 8.5 and with about 30 minutes of daylight to spare, but only because we were lucky.

Our route was supposed to be the classic WH version, but due to circumstances I'll describe in a minute, we had to change it slightly:

Track_AONACH MOR BEAG 21-03-15.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Early morning in Glen Nevis was sunny and warm. Surprisingly warm, so we decided not to pack up additional warm tops, but took crampons and ice axes of course. Later, the spikes saved us some precious time!
Glen Nevis morning marching:
Image
Great day shaping up:
Image
An easy walk along an obvious path took us to the bridge by Steall ruins. Our plan was to cross the river and climb up steeply to Sgurr a'Bhuic first. I studied the uphill route, looked steep but manageable. Another walker was already half way up, so that encouraged us a bit:
Image
For the first 100m or so, there is a path, though wet. It follows Allt Coire nan Laogh:
Image
As soon as we tackled the slopes, hey, here comes The Ben!
Image
Kevin complained about getting boiled alive :lol: Yes, we had to strip to t-shirts, the sun was very sharp, but we kept a good pace (or so I thought :lol: ):
Image
Sgurr a'Mhaim across the glen was the main feature at the moment, but as we gained height, more and more views appeared:
Image
...like the pointy tops of the Binneins:
Image
A short break for a slurp of water, at this point the path petered out, but it was easy to follow the grassy slopes on the left hand side of this photo, so far we could avoid all snow:
Image
Steep... but with views to kill for:
Image
A faint path reappeared later on, but soon it disappeared again... under this patch of snow:
Image
Rather than digging up crampons just to take them off five minutes later, we avoided the snow patch by walking above it, (it took some time as ground here was wet and very slippery) and took the first opportunity to gain the ridge of Sgurr a'Bhuic. Here, the angle was much less acute and views even better!
Image
Zoomed Ben:
Image
There was no snow on the rocky approach to the summit of Sgurr a'Bhuic and when we landed by the small cairn, we felt like we deserved a short break - if only to take pictures. Wooow, now it was mountain porn to its full extent :lol: :lol: :lol:
Summit cairn is perched on the very edge of an almost vertical cliff. Don't look down!
Image
The Mamores:
Image
The Ben:
Image
Zoom to Devil's Ridge:
Image
View east:
Image
Grey Corries:
Image
A happy girl:
Image
From Sgurr a'Bhuic, a short descent on a steep, rocky north-east slope took us to the col, from where we still had about 300m of ascent to the summit of Aonach Beag:
Image
There is an obvious path following the ridge higher up, and as we stopped to catch a breath, we couldn't help but just gaze at the views behind us. The pointy profile of Sgurr a'Bhuic with the sharp ridge of the Mamores behind - fantastic. It was worth all that sweat just to see this:
Image
The path appeared and disappeared again under the snow, but we had no problem following the edge of the cliffs, here me studying the next top on our way:
Image
Looking down along the ridge with the Grey Corries in the background:
Image
On the top of Stob Coire Bhealaich we decided to sit down and have something to eat - we have burned our breakfast toasts long before! And what a spot for lunch it was, with views to Ben Nevis:
Image
It was so boiling hot that Kevin pulled up his trouser legs :lol: They looked like lederhosen from the distance :lol: :lol: Next thing he should take a yodelling lesson...
Image
The imposing cliffs of Aonach Beag:
Image
From Stob Coire Bhealaich we walked across to the final, steep climb to the Munro summit, we agreed it was crampon time now.
Panther's investigations... Curiosity didn't kill the cat this time.
Image
The snow wasn't rock hard but it would be too slippery and steep to try climbing without spikes. In crampons we kept a good pace, though I must admit I was beginning to feel tired towards the end:
Image
Looking down, zoom to the big cornice:
Image
The Mamores to the south:
Image
As the steep approach began to ease off, I knew we were close to the summit, but nothing prepared us to what we experienced when we arrived there - it's a completely different world. Mind boggling.
The summit cairn was buried under a thick layer of snow so we had to estimate where the highest point was, and I posed for "summit" photo:
Image
A wider pano east, with Grey Corries in the foreground:
Image
To the north, the massive bulk of Aonach Mor and all the hills beyond...
Image
Knoydart zoomed:
Image
To the south - the Mamores and Glen Coe hills behind:
Image
Zoom to Beinn a'Bheitr:
Image
Skye:
Image
Rum:
Image
But all this was nothing compare to the massive shape just across the glen. As beautiful as it could ever be, dressed in white, but by no means innocent, Ben Nevis...
Image
Zoomed:
Image
We snapped pictures till our fingers went numb :lol: and as we had lunch earlier, Kevin suggested, we should carry on to Aonach Mor without a longer break here, but not before he posed for another "veni, vidi, vici" photo:
Image
The traverse to Aonach Mor seemed easy now, even though it was another 100m of descent/ascent, but the slopes were friendly enough... We kept spikes on for a time being:
Image
Face to face with the giant:
Image
Traversing to Aonach Mor took us about 40 minutes:
Image
The white world of countless mountain peaks...
Image
We took a longer break on the summit of the second Munro - it was nice enough and other people started to arrive (mostly skiers). I wandered around with the camera whereas Kevin got more interested in whatever was left in his sandwich box :lol: :lol:
Image
The Ben with a small cloud lingering above the summit:
Image
People on the summit of Aonach Beag:
Image
The south-eastern panorama from Shiechallion to Lawers range:
Image
Simply amazing...
Image
So far, so good. Now, having bagged both summits and snapped enough photos to fill a whole album (choosing the best ones for this TR was a god-damn struggle :lol: ) we began to think about the descent.
Of course, we intended to get down into Coire Guibhsachan, but it turned out to be a tricky task. We descended a short distance from the summit of Aonach Mor and started looking for the best line to drop into the corrie. But to our annoyance, the ground was so steep and slippery everywhere, slushy patches of snow, very slippery grass, rocks tumbling down from under our feet with every steep down we took... We tried in a few different places, but it simply felt too risky. We lost about an hour trying to find the descent route, but eventually we admitted defeat and returned to the col between the two Munros.
Here, we checked the time - we had only 2.5 hours of daylight left and we were still on over 1000m :? Of course, we could go north and catch the gondola, but that would leave us in Fort William, miles away from the car. The only viable option then, seemed to return the way we came, over Aonach Beag. But now time was the issue - we had to be quick, to be back in Glen Nevis before it got dark!
We both carried torches so it wouldn't be a total disastahhh, if we were caught in the dark, but the descent route, if going down via Stob Coire Bhealaich, is wet to say the least and we didn't fancy trudging down that path with no daylight...
So it's back up there again...
Image
I admit, there was a moment when I felt scared. I was kicking myself that I didn't consider such situation before we set off - should have left the Aonachs for a longer day, I thought. What if we run out of time? What if we have to spend a night on the hill? But on the other hand... I pulled my crampon strap as tight as possible and shouted at myself (in my head): No panic on Titanic, we're not sinking just yet!!!
With spikes back on, we tackled Aonach Beg for the second time this day. The snow was not too slushy and going wouldn't be too bad but for the fact that we were both tired and our muscles were shouting for a break. Sadly, this was the only thing we could not afford - time was crucial now!
I don't know, what carried me forward - my stubbornness? At some point the pain in my legs became howling mad, but I kept pushing to keep up with Kevin, who suddenly found some well hidden energy and was running uphill like a young stag :lol: I didn't realise I could push myself through such discomfort. Somehow I managed to stay calm, kept my nerves on the leash. Panic not allowed.
I breathed a sigh of relief on the top of Aonach Beag. We didn't even stop, just walked across the summit plateau and continued down the southern slopes. Good snow for running down in crampons, we picked up speed and moved much quicker now. At the level of about 1100 m Kevin stopped and pointed at Coire nan Laogh:
- If we cut straight down this way, we can use snow patches to walk fast, we'll be down by the river in twenty minutes. Going over Stob Coire Bhealaich will take too much time.
- Well, let's take it then. Let's chase the sunset!
It had to be a quick decision. As soon as we started descending, I spotted footprints in the snow. Somebody else has taken this way of descent before. We knew there were no huge cliffs anywhere on this side of Allt Coire nan Laogh so the risk was worth taking.
On the way down into Coire nan Laogh - snow running:
Image
Looking back up. There was enough snow between the rocks to keep us going quickly:
Image
One of the "snow bridges" over rocky sections:
Image
Lower down, we had to cross a small tributary of Allt Coire nan Laogh, but due to a thick layer of snow we could hardy tell where it was. Carefully we walked across another snow bridge.
River window:
Image
We noticed the old footprints again, and followed them for a short distance:
Image
Following the northern side of the river, we entered the snow-free zone but kept crampons on - the ground was soaked here and still very slippery, so spikes were very helpful!
Down to about 550m, we found an appropriate "ford" across the Allt - just a few half-submerged stones. Thank heavens, the stream was not in spate! Funny for the first time in my life I crossed a river with my spikes still on :lol: :lol:
Across on the other side, we took of crampons - they were yucky and muddy but who cares :roll: It was now a formality to locate the faint path we used on the ascent. The day was slowly dying out, but we knew we won the race against the sunset:
Image
Just as well we crossed the river higher up. Now it was coming down in a cascade of waterfalls - we even had enough time to stop and take a few snaps:
Image
We reached the bottom of Glen Nevis with 30min of daylight left - just about enough time to return to the car. Lucky escape, some would say. On the other hand, maybe I'm exaggerating now, maybe it's some kind of post-traumatic syndrome??? :lol: :lol: :lol:
The last moments of the day, me posing with Steall falls:
Image
Our GPS said we did 1650m of ascent - no wonder my legs were screaming!! :lol: :lol:

Well, it was an adventure and a good lesson. No matter, how confident you are, you should always have respect for the mountains. And we were taught once again that a summer route may not always be available in winter. Maybe we could have found the way down into Coire Guibhsachan and with more time to spare we would have nothing to worry about. I must praise us both for staying calm (especially me, the panicking, meowing cat) and taking quick decisions. And if it wasn't for the good, old crampons, we wouldn't be able to move so quickly... Still, as this story proves, one is never TOO EXPERIENCED when dealing with Scottish mountains.

Thank you for reading my story and I hope it didn't sound like a soap opera :wink: Meow!
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby Mal Grey » Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:14 pm

An excellent read, and some fabulous photos.

I suspect most of us who walk in winter have chased the sunset a few times after an unexpected delay.
User avatar
Mal Grey
Wanderer
 
Posts: 4617
Munros:113   Corbetts:23
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:9   Hewitts:116
Wainwrights:71   Islands:6
Joined: Dec 1, 2011
Location: Surrey, probably in a canoe! www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby weaselmaster » Wed Apr 01, 2015 2:51 pm

Grand pics, BP
We had similar conditions doing these two hills and had an unpleasantly steep descent into Coire Guibhsachan on treacherous snow- Allison still remembers being a bit freaked out by it. Your decision to head back up Aonach Beag the sensible one, i think :D
weaselmaster
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 2429
Munros:277   Corbetts:216
Fionas:183   Donalds:73+30
Sub 2000:391   Hewitts:33
Wainwrights:15   Islands:28
Joined: Aug 22, 2012
Location: Greenock

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:22 pm

Brilliant read BP, and stunning photos as always :clap: :clap: Its good to hear your story, being a slow walker I intend to tackle these two on a long day, but having said that we've had a few trips which ended up with a head torch :? Its good to be reminded that we can all be caught out on the hills - its not just about stunning photos :wink: :wink:
User avatar
Huff_n_Puff
Walker
 
Posts: 1083
Munros:278   Corbetts:20
Fionas:10   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:19   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:1   Islands:19
Joined: Apr 13, 2012

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby BlackPanther » Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:41 pm

Thanks, folks :D We had a good day on the Aonachs after all and sharing my stories is always a pleasure.

weaselmaster wrote:Your decision to head back up Aonach Beag the sensible one, i think :D


Looking back at it, I think the same... Trying to find the way down to the corrie was unnerving to say the least :?

By the way nice to know we were not the only ones scared by this descent!

Huff_n_Puff wrote:we've had a few trips which ended up with a head torch


So did we, once we came down from Beinn Alligin in total darkness... And we didn't have torches on that occasion... Luckily the good old Moon lit us the way :lol:

Maybe doing the Aonachs circuit clockwise (up Coire Guibhsachan first) would make it faster - I always find it easier to actually climb the steep slopes rather than descending them - especially in wet conditions.

Mal Grey wrote:I suspect most of us who walk in winter have chased the sunset a few times after an unexpected delay.


Yes, I guess most folks here will have similar stories to tell... So our case is not so extraordinary. I only hope that this TR will be a good reminder that sometimes, up on the hills, things can get out of control. But days are getting longer now, so it will be easier to fit in longer walks :D
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby rockhopper » Fri Apr 03, 2015 5:46 pm

Good day for it, BP, and glad to hear all was well in the end. Found it slippery enough descending into the corrie in June without the snow - not sure I'd like to try it at this time of year either - cheers :)
User avatar
rockhopper
 
Posts: 7446
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:136   Donalds:89+20
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:2
Wainwrights:3   Islands:20
Joined: May 31, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby hopper68 » Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:57 pm

Excellent report and pics, I was on Ben Nevis that day
hopper68
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 62
Munros:199   Corbetts:34
Fionas:17   Donalds:28
Sub 2000:9   Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:13   Islands:11
Joined: Oct 25, 2014
Location: Hamilton

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby BlackPanther » Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:50 pm

rockhopper wrote:Found it slippery enough descending into the corrie in June without the snow - not sure I'd like to try it at this time of year either - cheers :)


Aha, that's one more vote for the voice of reason :lol:
Seriously, the more I think about it, the more I'm sure we took the right decision.

hopper68 wrote:Excellent report and pics, I was on Ben Nevis that day


Nevis looked busy that day! We spotted quite a few people doing the arete and more near the top:
Image
User avatar
BlackPanther
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3839
Munros:268   Corbetts:182
Fionas:136   
Sub 2000:75   
Joined: Nov 2, 2010
Location: Beauly, Inverness-shire

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby onsen » Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:02 pm

Great adventure....with sublime views. :thumbup:
User avatar
onsen
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 290
Joined: Oct 10, 2012
Location: The Great Southern Land, Australia

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby Collaciotach » Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:19 am

A grand read and aye easy to get caught out !
User avatar
Collaciotach
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1896
Munros:282   Corbetts:219
Fionas:47   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:25   
Islands:28
Joined: Aug 8, 2011
Location: Gàidhealtachd an Iar

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby dogplodder » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:58 pm

That was a good read. Think if I did these two again by this route I'd do it clockwise since like you I prefer slippy steep slopes on the ascent. :wink:
User avatar
dogplodder
 
Posts: 4238
Munros:242   Corbetts:74
Fionas:25   
Sub 2000:32   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:9   Islands:24
Joined: Jul 16, 2011

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby BobMcBob » Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:01 pm

Nice report and great pics as always. I met a very fit guy on top of Carn Mor Dearg once who said he'd come over from the Aonachs and I think he used your abandoned line of descent to get across. This was in July and he said it was very slippery and he'd had a couple of nasty slides. Also he was complaining about the pain in his knees! Sounds to me like you made a very sensible decision in rather stressful circumstances, so you should pat yourselves on the back.
User avatar
BobMcBob
Rambler
 
Posts: 1420
Munros:73   Corbetts:18
Fionas:9   
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:33
Wainwrights:12   
Joined: Jul 26, 2011
Location: In a van, somewhere

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby AnnieMacD » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:41 am

Fantastic photos, BP - at least you got the great views. Good for you getting down before dark. I carry TWO head-torches and spare batteries as I'm such a slow-coach and expect to finish after sunset in winter!
User avatar
AnnieMacD
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 789
Munros:25   Corbetts:15
Fionas:13   
Sub 2000:8   
Joined: Jun 25, 2013
Location: Applecross

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby ChrisW » Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:58 pm

Damn BP, I knackered just reading this, I so glad you still managed to get such lovely photos along the way....even on the grand rush out toward the end. I'm more pleased that you two escaped unscathed (other than some aching muscles) Great report :clap: :clap:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: Chasing the sunset down to Glen Nevis

Postby dooterbang » Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:45 am

Great report BP. The snow is slowly disappearing, good to get out and enjoy it when you can. Roll on the summer :D
User avatar
dooterbang
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1828
Munros:262   Corbetts:58
Fionas:18   Donalds:10
Sub 2000:10   Hewitts:18
Wainwrights:21   Islands:19
Joined: Oct 27, 2009
Location: Isle of Skye from Feb 2019 (Originally Glasgow)

12 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Next



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: apopis32, Aultguish, Owen b, roxk and 80 guests