Buachaille Etive Beag, this time with added views
Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 8:11 pmBuachaille Etive Beag today; been up there before in cloud but promised myself I'd go back on a better day and today was a better day. Light conditions were all over the place, though, so forgive the white balance 
New favourite mountain, after having seen it in the daylight. Wasn't particularly impressed with Stob Coire Raineach (and feel there should be a campaign to get it demoted again
), but Stob Dubh is an exceptional walk, narrowing to a wonderful ridge which never feels even slightly dangerous but has the air of real mountaineering about it. Really excellent walk, recommended very highly.
The path up
How the Aonach Eagach looked at the start of the day
Initial pull up to the ridge is hideously steep - but you gain height very quickly, and lose it very quickly on the way back down.
View along the ridge to Stob Dubh
Lola just before the final ascent
Aforementioned final ascent. There are some big drops around here but no real sense of exposure despite the relatively narrow ridge
Stob Dubh summit
View back along the ridge
Better look at Stob Dubh after the sun came out
Second Munro of the day, the much less inspiring Stob Coire Raineach
Looking over to Bidean Nam Bian
Lola with Aonach Eagach behind
Looking up to Glen Etive and Loch Etive.
Terrain on Stob Coire Raineach is abysmal. Scree everywhere, absolutely purgatorial descent
Second summit.
Nevis range detail. Not much snow left on the Ben.
Behind the Nevis range. Don't know what any of these are; Mamores? Grey Corries? Trieg and Ossian way? No idea.
Glen Etive again, from Stob Coire Raneach summit.
Aonach Eagach on the way bach down
Exceptional walk, loved it. If I wasn't aiming for the all the Munros, though, I wouldn't have bothered with Raineach despite the summit view (which would have taken about an hour off the day). Took four and a half hours, and three and a half driving each way. Big day but some mountains are worth it and this was one. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Munros that I've climbed in the cloud which I'm now thinking I'm going to have to go back for after all Up to 59 now. Slowly filling in the ticks in the book
Billions of people up there today; some of you must have been among them Lola says hello if you were, and apologises for dirtying your trouser legs and tops depending on the level of affection you showed her
New favourite mountain, after having seen it in the daylight. Wasn't particularly impressed with Stob Coire Raineach (and feel there should be a campaign to get it demoted again
), but Stob Dubh is an exceptional walk, narrowing to a wonderful ridge which never feels even slightly dangerous but has the air of real mountaineering about it. Really excellent walk, recommended very highly.The path up
How the Aonach Eagach looked at the start of the day
Initial pull up to the ridge is hideously steep - but you gain height very quickly, and lose it very quickly on the way back down.
View along the ridge to Stob Dubh
Lola just before the final ascent
Aforementioned final ascent. There are some big drops around here but no real sense of exposure despite the relatively narrow ridge
Stob Dubh summit
View back along the ridge
Better look at Stob Dubh after the sun came out
Second Munro of the day, the much less inspiring Stob Coire Raineach
Looking over to Bidean Nam Bian
Lola with Aonach Eagach behind
Looking up to Glen Etive and Loch Etive.
Terrain on Stob Coire Raineach is abysmal. Scree everywhere, absolutely purgatorial descent
Second summit.
Nevis range detail. Not much snow left on the Ben.
Behind the Nevis range. Don't know what any of these are; Mamores? Grey Corries? Trieg and Ossian way? No idea.
Glen Etive again, from Stob Coire Raneach summit.
Aonach Eagach on the way bach down
Exceptional walk, loved it. If I wasn't aiming for the all the Munros, though, I wouldn't have bothered with Raineach despite the summit view (which would have taken about an hour off the day). Took four and a half hours, and three and a half driving each way. Big day but some mountains are worth it and this was one. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Munros that I've climbed in the cloud which I'm now thinking I'm going to have to go back for after all
Up to 59 now. Slowly filling in the ticks in the book Billions of people up there today; some of you must have been among them
Lola says hello if you were, and apologises for dirtying your trouser legs and tops depending on the level of affection you showed her