by montie » Mon May 08, 2017 8:29 pm
Date walked: 06/05/2017
Time taken: 5.9 hours
Distance: 18 km
Ascent: 1900m
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Ok, so this was the weekend of Bods birthday meet up in Glencoe. (5th and 6th of May 2017). I had to work all day Friday and therefore I planned to get up early on Saturday and head to Glencoe.
Well after another restless night my plan to leave Perth at 6am became 8am and I arrived at the small car parking area for Buachaille Etive Mor at around 10am. This was two hours later than I had planned. My plan was to bag the four Munros of the Buachailles and meet with the birthday party at the top of Stob Coire Raineach later in the day but due to the late start it was now more than likely that they would be off the hill before I got there. My plan was to bag Stob Dearg first and my fourth Munro would be Stob Coire Raineach.
So, confident in my choice of route and pleased with the lovely sunny weather (Faintly reminding me about heatstroke on Mulllardock a few years ago at this time of year hahaha, but we don't want to go there!!!), I set off at a jog down the track heading for the small bridge crossing the river Coupall. Thereupon I heard a shout of "Monty" and I turned to see Theresa, Pauline and Gill emerging from their car parked near the bridge. It was now around quarter past ten and they asked me if they were at the correct hill. I was sure I had read that Bod and the main party were ascending Buachaille Etive Beag today and assured by the lack of friends in the vicinity I duly told them so. Feeling like prats they headed of in their car to the car park 3 miles or so up the road.
Well as it turned out I was wrong again and the ladies were not best pleased when they returned and struggled to find a parking spot hahaha. Shouldn't laugh really but have they really completed the Munro's? One wonders (who guided them snigger hehehe).
I crossed the bridge and followed the path past the small house at Lagangarbh taking the path forking right heading for Coire Na Tulaich. I was moving quite quickly and I was soon boulder hopping up the Coire. There are traces of paths up the coiries right hand wall but they tend to rise and fall and drop into the corrie as they course up the hillside so I kept deep in the coire for a more gently sustained incline as I progressed. The fact that the coire was extremely dry due to the previous week of good weather made progress very fast and I was soon emerging into some scree approximately 80m below the beallach. It was then a simple but steep short climb up to the bealach. The total ascent so far was only 550m and I was feeling good. Its now a less steep incline of 200m ascent over 1km to reach the summit of Stob Dearg.
I arrived at the summit in approximately one hour in glorious sunshine with views too incredible for words so check the photos out below and weep hahaha. Mind you the summit was busy as was expected on such a good day so lots of walkers were getting there fill of Scotland's beauty on a glorious sunny day.
With no further ado I was heading back to the beallach and onwards up to the superb peak of Stob Na Doire. Such a shame this peak is not a Munro as it is far more spectacular than many summits that are on the list. In fact I had a conversation with three young lads at this summit whereupon I informed them that they were certainly mistaken and they still had a few km's to walk to reach the second Munro.
Anyway I continued on my way and it seemd like just a hop skip and a jump to the second Munro Stob Na Broige, on this fine ridge, approx 4.5km from Stob Dearg. I had done this route years ago but in the reverse direction and I knew that the route I was going to take down from Stob Na Broige was very steep and bouldery and I was thinking about it with some trepidation, however I had to just get on with it being very careful on the descent. I would advise others to avoid this descent unless they are fully experienced with such moves and warn that it is certainly not for the faint hearted.
So after descending 150m South West I then turn North West and head over the edge of the hillside. It is quite steep and the Glen looks a long way down however after careful route picking and trying to stay as much as possible to the grassy areas with less scree/rocks it was only a descent of just over 350m to reach the path that follows the glen floor. On reflection I found I had actually dropped 50m more than I needed to but no worries. I blame a walker in the glen. He was walking South West towards Loch Etive and I detoured so I could have a quick chat with him. haha.
Ok time for some food, water and a refreshing head dip in the small burn. It was absolutely roasting. God knows what the temperature was but it was hot....dang hot.. and I now had to ascend 500m to the summit of Stob Dubh. It took me an hour to climb the 500m over a distance of 1.4km (slow for me but I think Naismith would have been pleased. That just about fits his rule).
So now onwards over the top, down to the beallach and ascend Stob Coire Raineach. This munro looks impressive from the beallach and certainly looks a much bigger climb than the 170m or so it actually is. Its not too steep though and I was soon on the last summit. The distance to this summit on my round was 12.5km and It took me 4hrs 40min to get here. I thought that I would not be quick enough to catch Bod's group but I was also thinking that I maybe actually ended up on the wrong hill hahaha. I should have went anti clockwise.
Ok its an easy enough descent to the beallach then an easy grassy descent for 350m to the path out the glen. When I arrived at the main road (A82) I had a 1km walk to the car park where my car was. Fortunately there is an undulating path behind the road barrier to walk on keeping me safe from the traffic.
So I would like to repeat that this route has an element of pathless dangerous walking and should not be attempted unless you are fit and able and have experience of this kind of walk.
It was now a drive back to the Red Squirrel campsite, have some dinner and join the group for some chat and a beer. Unfortunately I only had the one beer and ended up with a bad tummy so it was an early night for me. Great meeting so many good friends so soon after the Spring Walk Highland meet.
- Attachments
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Buachailles Route.gpx
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- Parking the car
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- The Path In
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- Ascending Coire na Tulaich
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- The Beallach
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- NorthNE to Black water Resevoir and the Mamores
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- NorthNW to Ben Nevis
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- SoutW to Stob na Doire
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- Stob Dearg Summit 1
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- Stob Dearg Summit 2
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- Stob Dearh Summit 3
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- Stob Dearg Summit 4
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- Stob Dearg Summit 5
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- Stob na Doire
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- Stob Na Doire SouthW face
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- Lairig Gartain and out to Blackwater Resevoir from Stob Coire Altruim
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- Ben Nevis from Stob Na Broige
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- SouthW to Loch Etive from Stob Na Broige
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- My descent into Lairig Gartain
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- My ascent up Stob Dubh
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- Looking back at my descent from Ston Na Broige
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- Looks quite an impressive descent from here haha
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- Stob Dubh Summit
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- Great View to Loch Etive
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- Stob CoireRaineach Summit