Buachaille Etive Mor part 1 with the raven

[U059361]

Parked the car in the rambling car park below the A82 and got ready to walk. The weather didn't look too promising from there but the sun was trying to get through.
Buachaille Etive Mor by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
It is a straightforward walk over the bridge and up into Coire Tulaich with a good path.
Buachaille Etive Beag by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
A sunny little shepherd gave hope of a better day waiting to break out.
Coire na Tulaich by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
The going got steadily steeper climbing up into the corry and the path rougher. There has been a lot of work done on the path though to stop erosion which helped. However, the scree slope beckoned ever closer. A stone stepped path heads off to the right away from the bealach. I didn't follow it so don't know where it goes. I picked a more direct route up through the scree and onto an exposed rocky bit in th emiddle of the scree. I picked a route that avoided the loose stuff as much as possible but keeping to the right of the gully that runs right through the scree. It was tough going though. Getting to the rocky bit was such a relief. Met a couple who had struggled up through the scree before me. Not so lucky in their choice of route. Happy to have made it to the bealach. I felt absolutely drained of energy. Great excuse for photos to get my breath back.
Looking down Coire na Tulaich by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Took me a wee while of walking slowly up Stob Dearg to recover a bit.
Stob na Doire by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
It's a rocky road to the top but nothing serious. Now there were stunning views all round.
Stob Dearg overlooking the A82 by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Stob Dearg back to car park by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Stob Dearg and River Etive by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
A82 from Stob Dearg by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Along Glencoe from Stob Dearg by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
On reaching the top a raven was crowing loudly. I take it big bird wanted some lunch. It did not move an inch as I walked past it in either direction. My camera has a wide angled lens so I was close to it when I took this.
Stob Dearg Raven by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
I walked back down to the bealach and found a spot for my lunch. Lovely weather so far. Looked at Stob na Doige while I ate, psyching myself up for another climb.
Stob na Doire by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
It wasn't too much of a climb, but I still felt knackered from the scree slope and I was now behind schedule.
Stob Dearg from Stob na Doire by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Stob na Broige and Stob Coire Altruim by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
I didn't hang around and clambered down the rocky slope to the next bealach. I passed the turnoff for the descending path and climbed up the small top to the far away part of the path. This little top was a tough climb. I looked at what I still had to do and the time I had available and decided I didn't have the energy to finish it off today.
Trouble coming Beinn Ceitlein by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Down Coire Altruim by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
The weather looked to be closing in again, so I dropped down the Coire Altruim path. It was a tiring descent. It is steep most of the way. At two waterfalls the water has exposed the bare rock. On the granite one, there are step like ledges to use to get over it, but on the grey rock further down, no such luck. There is also a sheer drop into a gully to stop you avoiding it. So it was a bit a scramble with hands and feet to get down it. Not what I wanted at all and I'd need to come back up here again to finish the ridge. After this bit the path is clear with stone steps all the way to the river and the ford. The cloud was now covering all the tops.
Coire Altruim from Lairig Gartain by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
The walk along Lairig Gartain is easy and I managed to keep up a good pace.
Buachaille Etive Beag from Lairig Gartain by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Buachaille Etive Beag Stob nan Cabar by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
On reaching the road, there was little traffic so I kept to the road. I had good visibility along the road, so when I spotted heavy traffic I went onto the path that follows the road. But this is up and down into wet and peaty parts so I stayed out of it as much as possible. Glad to get back to the car.
Buachaille Etive Mor and Glencoe by Joe Kincaid, on Flickr

[dogplodder]

That sounded quite hard work - but well rewarded by those views!

[prog99]

The raven is well known, it can open rucksacks!