free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
There are some hill days that turn out better than you could ever have imagined. This was one of those days!
I remember a few years ago planning to climb the Grey Corries Stob Ban with Kath, but we pulled the plug at the last minute because of a fresh dump of snow. I'm not sure what we were thinking then about driving over the pot-holed approach track but maybe I wasn't so bothered as our car at that time sat higher off the ground than the one we have now.
More recently that track posed a problem as neither Moira nor I were prepared to risk our cars on it. Rob and I had talked about hiring a vehicle suitable for rough roads, then Rob came up with the inspired idea of asking his friend Jonathan (who owns a land rover) if he fancied a walk in the Grey Corries and in return we would pay for the fuel. In principle Jonathan was up for it but in addition to his regular job he also works as a mountain guide so doesn't have a lot of spare time. So I wasn't all that hopeful it would come together that we would all be free on the same day!
But the day did come when Jonathan, Rob and Mary all had days off, Moira and I were both free and we had a good forecast for the Grey Corries!
Six of us travelled down in the land rover and stopped at the Commandos' Memorial to pick up Jonathan's daughter and soon to be son in law, along with their dog. They all piled in and it was 8 plus a large dog who continued the journey through Spean Bridge and along the minor road to Corriechoille. The track varied in degrees of roughness but there were sections that had us bouncing in our seats which was fine for the land rover but Moira and I were glad we hadn't attempted it in our own cars.
We parked on the left shortly before the track reaches a locked gate and headed off, soon meeting up with the Wee Minister whose photo I've seen many a time in WH reports. He doesn't look too healthy with his face a strange colour - it seems too much standing around in the weather hasn't done him any good at all.
The wee minister is quite wee right enough
We continued on the good track which is part of the ancient right of way over the Lairig Leacach, crossing the Allt Leachdach and uphill over the pass between the Innse Corbetts on the left and Stob Coire na Ceannain on the right. After reaching the high point and beginning the descent the sharp peak of Stob Ban came into view.
Stob Ban appearing on right
The track gradually led down to Leacach Bothy where we sat in the sun for a wee break.
Leacach Bothy
From the bothy we crossed the Allt a' Chuil Choirean by the ford (the bridge a little upstream has seen better days) and turned right on the path marked by a small cairn, which heads up towards the NE ridge of Stob Ban. To start with the going was a bit wet and boggy but it improved as we gained height and we were rewarded with good views back to rocky Sgurr Innse on the other side of the glen.
Sgurr Innse from Stob Ban's NE ridge
On the left Stob Ban and in the centre the highest of the Grey Corries, Stob Choire Claurigh
The path levelled off as we reached the bealach and again we had lovely views - this time south towards Glencoe and Rannoch Moor.
Hills of Glencoe from bealach
From the bealach the path zig zagged steeply up the summit cone of Stob Ban which means the 'white peak' - so called because of the gleaming white quartzite typical of the whole Grey Corries ridge.
Final ascent up Stob Ban
Zoomed NE from summit to distant Loch Laggan
The party of 8 had straggled out a bit during the ascent but once we were all assembled we had a photo taken by another walker who instead of giving us the usual "say cheese" got a more spontaneous smile with "Boris Johnson" instead!
Stob Ban summit (977m)
Herself, me and view south west
At this point there was some discussion. Jonathan was keen to continue over Stob Choire Claurigh so he could claim a top he hadn't previously done but this involved an awkward scree descent off the steep north side of Stob Ban and then some substantial ascent to the main Grey Corries ridge. Some felt they'd already had enough exertion on the ascent of Stob Ban and were content to descend the way they had come up, while others were keen to press on. I wanted to go on but equally I didn't want to leave anyone on their own for the descent. In the end it worked out neatly that Moira and Mary would return with the young couple and I would go on with Jonathan, Derek and Rob. I was slightly concerned that my slow pace on the scree would hold them back so, as soon as we had agreed who was doing what, I set off gingerly down the slippery slope!
I took it very slowly while Jonathan (our off duty mountain guide) dug in his heels and bounced down like he was jogging down the stairs at home. In my defence I don't like putting my feet on ground that isn't necessarily going to stay there - and that makes me tense, which in turn makes it more likely I'll slip. It was a relief to reach the bealach without mishap and pass the pretty little lochan on the way to the next climb.
Lochan
Looking back to Stob Ban
Contemplating the way up
Ridge we walked along later
It was a stiff pull up to the main ridge but I enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with the men and soon enough we topped out and found the cairn of Stob Choire Claurigh.
Stob Choire Claurigh summit (1177m)
Having set off to climb Stob Ban (a great hill in its own right) I was buzzing to unexpectedly find myself on the 14th highest Munro. What a bonus!
The views were magnificent in every direction. Looking back the way we had come Stob Ban now looked tiny in comparison to the other Grey Corries. We managed to pick out the young couple and their dog walking along the level path below the steep descent off Stob Ban, didn't see the other two but presumed they weren't far behind. We were able to keep an eye on them from the ridge and check their progress as they headed back to the bothy before taking the track along to the point we would come off the hill.
Stob Ban from Stob Choire Claurigh
Looking SW along the rest of the ridge I so much wanted to get along there and was already scheming a way that would leave out the rough track from Corriechoille, wondering how easy it would be to approach the ridge from Glen Nevis.
Grey Corries ridge snaking south west
Same again with Ben Nevis in the frame
Grey Corries ridge looking north east (the way we were heading)
After a good 20 minutes at the summit drinking in the views we set off along the rocky ridge which on first sight looked improbably narrow and slabby but on closer acquaintance the rocky crest could be easily bypassed on paths to the left. It was rough going and there was a bit of hands on, clambering over quartzite boulders, but all in all it was great fun.
Rocky crest
Rob with steep descent off Stob Choire Claurigh behind
We reached another cairned summit from where there was a choice of directions. We continued left down the ridge towards Stob Coire Gaibhre while Jonathan had gone ahead and taken the detour to the east to climb his previously unclaimed top Stob Coire na Ceannain.
To the naked eye Jonathan was clearly visible on the top
The descent to Stob Coire Gaibhre was easy walking over stony ground and gave good views across the corrie to Stob Coire na Ceannain and its tiny lochan nestled below.
From there the descent was on open grassy hillside which became wetter and more tussocky lower down. This seemed to go on for ever and was for me the least enjoyable part of the day. Eventually we reached the plantation where we took a right turn and picked up a rough path through a wet area that took us down to the track where the other group had arrived about 10 minutes earlier.
It had been a fabulous day and we're grateful to Jonathan for spending his day off with us and making it possible for us to get to these hills without risking injury to our cars.
I didn't have my dogs with me as it would have been too long a day for them now that they're 12. But here's one of Tess back in 2010 on Stob Coire Easain showing pointy Stob Ban on the left of her head and the massive bulk of Stob Choire Claurigh on the right.
