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This was my third attempt to bag the summit of Creag Meagaidh.
The first time was on 24th March 2009. I went along the ridge of Carn Liath and Stob Poite Coire Ardair, down to the Window and up into a whiteout. Carefully following a compass bearing in the direction of the summit, I encountered a big cairn, breathed a sigh of relief and turned back for Coire Ardair. It was only when I got back to the bunkhouse at Roy Bridge and, out of curiosity, checked the map and guidebook, that I realised the big cairn had been Mad Meg's, not the summit
The second time was on 23rd February 2016. The well-made path into Coire Ardair had disappeared under an ever deepening blanket of soft snow, through which I tortuously waded and into which I sometimes sank up to my waist. After what seemed like several hours had passed, I was still nowhere near the lochan. On checking my watch to see that the apparently epic passage of time was no illusion, I realised I was fighting a lost cause and turned back.
- February 23rd - second attempt at Creag Meagaidh, defeated by thigh-deep snow in Coire Ardair.
A month later there was much less snow on the ground. So, mindful of Mad Meg's Cairn, I was hopeful that this would be third time lucky.
The last forecast Karl and I saw, two days previously, wasn't bad, but as we drove up from Kinlochleven the sky was overcast and the clag was down on all the higher mountains. As we booted up in the big (free) car park at Aberarder, there was a hint of drizzle in the air. It was just after 8.00am by the time we got going and we soon stopped again to check out the noticeboard at the farmhouse to see what wildlife had recently been spotted by folks - but the whiteboard had been wiped clean.
- Good to see such important research being carried out...
The nicely constructed path, being snow-free, was a pleasure to follow; quite a contrast from a month ago when it wasn't even visible!
- March 23rd - approaching the cliffs of Coire Ardair, much less snow this time, but the clag's down again!
- Lochan a' Choire, still frozen. Raeburn's Gully runs up the left side of the big rocky buttress (Pinnacle Buttress, which the SMC climbing guide describes as 'one of the highest continuously steep cliffs in the British Isles'.)
At the Lochan a' Choire, which was still frozen over, we sat down on some rocks for a coffee break and contemplated the awe-inspiring scene. The clag had descended a little to just above the Window (the distinctive col between Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh). The snow was soft and it seemed to me that the gullies of the great face were out of condition for climbing. Just then we noticed two guys had arrived and were eyeing up the face. We asked them what they had in mind and they pointed at Raeburn's Gully, a classic grade I, but then added that they were having second thoughts as the snow was a bit soft. I agreed and said I thought there was avalanche potential. They said that according to the reports there was little risk, but decided against Raeburn's anyway. They headed off towards the Window and we let them get a good distance ahead before setting off ourselves.
- Coffee break to contemplate the scene - looking up to the Window
- Staghorn Gully
- The Post Face from below the window
- Looking back down Coire Ardair
The big snow slope leading up to the Window was quite soft even towards the top where it steepens. The steps made by the two guys in front came in very useful.

The mist had come right down now and we couldn't see much as we toiled upwards, keeping mainly to the right-hand side.
- Looking through the Window
At the other end of the Window we were surprised to see the path winding up snowless slopes towards the plateau. We noticed the two other chaps going up it, but this was the last time we saw them. We were soon in the clag, and continued to follow the path, or a path, onto the plateau. Further on, the path became vague and disappeared under patches of snow, so we checked our position on the GPS and took a bearing for the summit. As the ground rose we entered the summit snowfields and were engulfed in a total whiteout - always an eerie experience. It was a case of complete trust in the compass, but it wasn't long before we noticed footprints heading exactly the same way, and they stayed with us, just visible, all the way to the summit cairn. It was a huge satisfaction and relief to see the cairn loom out of the blank whiteness, just a few yards ahead. But before we got too excited I thought I'd better check the GPS, just to make sure!
- Into the whiteout
- The summit of Creag Meagaidh - third time lucky
We didn't linger but headed back on the reverse bearing until eventually the snow thinned out and traces of a path became visible again. We were soon back down at the Window.
- Back at the edge of the cliffs
- Coire Ardair from top of the Window
At the top of the big snow slope we got the axes out and enjoyed a fast semi-glissade down into the corrie - the snow was soft enough to allow this. After some whooping as we went, we noticed something lower down that stopped us in our tracks - something we hadn't seen on the way up. It was a spread of avalanche debris at the bottom of the Cinderella gully, extending down almost to the middle of the snow slope. So, either the mist had simply obscured it from us, or, at some moment between going up from the Inner Corrie and returning to it, there had been an avalanche.

I think the former is more likely, as on close inspection of the photo looking up to the Window from the lochan, the debris seems to be visible, though from that distance it just looks like a patch of dirty snow.
- Avalanche debris
Naturally, we couldn't resist taking a closer look. Many of the blocks of snow ranged in size between that of a beer barrel and that of a small car. It obviously hadn't been a big avalanche, but quite impressive all the same. At the edge of the debris the underlying snow was extremely unconsolidated and swallowed us up to our waists. We thought we'd better get away from there before we sank without trace or got buried by another avalanche!
- Closer to the debris
- Big snowball - one of the smaller blocks
- The Cinderella gully, where the avalanche came down
- Looking back up to the Window
- The Inner Corrie and the Staghorns
- The Allt Coire Ardair
Back down at the lochan we stopped for another food break. A group of about six people appeared, briefly admired the view of the mighty cliffs, then made their way back down. Reluctant to tear ourselves away from this scene, we eventually followed them.
So, finally I've managed to bag Creag Meagaidh. But I have a feeling that this grand mountain will draw me back yet again, one winter's day when the sky is clear and the snow is crisp...
