Bidean nam Bian
Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:34 pm5.30am the alarm is delayed until 6.00am, then 6.30am followed by a few 10 min "snoozes" - this walk nearly didn't happen! We are so happy we crawled out of bed, got ourselves moving and drove straight to Glencoe. Snacks and coffees in the carpark and we were ready to walk by 10.00am on the dot.
These lochans were a great place to sit and enjoy our first food-stop and let Ritchie have a play and paddle. We noticed most other walkers were heading straight up the left side boulder areas, but we're heading NW to catch the north coire edge to reach the top of Stob Coire nan Lochan. What a great route! (caused my wee wife a bit of concern as to why we were departing from the route of others, but she loved it!)
On top of Stob Coire nan Lochan it was time to settle down and recover, along with several others including our pal John whom we had enjoyed chats with on the lower path. Ritchie also met a collie dog and exchanged greetings. Next we stood up and viewed the approach towards Bidean nam Bian...wow!
On top of Bidean nam Bian we met a large party (including a lovely wee 7 week old puppy) who proceeded to spread a white table cover on the ground and pass round glasses of Champagne. We left this celebration of one man's completion of the Munros and headed SE towards Stob Coire Sgreamhach with a brave wee bark from the puppy to see us away.
It is very important now to take note of the gravel-path-chute that drops into the Lost Valley (easy for us on such a great day). Here we left our rucsacs and met Kilted Biggles who joined us to the second Munro summit. We were all intrigued with the white flag flying! Biggles was great fun and we enjoyed our meeting and 20 minutes together before he shot off (ripped pants and all) to join his party.
Time to head back to the Bealach and the gravel-path-chute that drops into the Lost Valley. Dropped down to this point, collected our rucsacs and got blethering with others about how to pronounce this mountain's name. I headed first down the chute to block the way should Valerie slip!
Bidean nam Bian was a great experience and did not disappoint. There is one final point to raise, despite some hairy points during the day the final mile down the gorge had us watching our feet more than any where else. We thought at first we had lost the main path (who knows, maybe we did?), but it certainly kept you focused all the way back. Ritchie was helped for the first time in the gorge, and was delighted to get another Munro under his collar. He slept well all the way home and didn't even get up for fish and chips at the Real Food place at Tyndrum. Great scoff! Drams awaited...
- Crossing the Bridge at the foot of Coire nan Lochan (First meeting with our new pal John)
- Me and ma dug Ritchie mid-way up Coire nan Lochan (Valerie spotted several climbers on the craggs opposite the path. Spotted the howff too!)
- The lochans below the coire where you can chose to go left or right?
- Valerie making good progress (she's a mountain goat on the path, but off-path I have more fun, he he)
- The Lochans below.
- Valerie sitting on the edge of the cracks and the pinnacles (we could have been much more daring, but it made sense to be happy with a degree of due concern. A wonderful spot.)
- The last stretch to the top of Stob Coire nan Lochan (one of the best Munro Tops we have ever experienced, we saw 2 birds close by that we are almost sure were ptarmigans, certainly mountain cousins of the pigeons?)
- A fantastic view of this north running coire edge with Glencoe Village below (could have stayed and played all day, but still had two mountains to climb).
- Heading SW...cool
- The only way is up!
- Heading along on a wonderful Scottish mountain day (fancied a glass of champers ourselves).
- What a day (the Buachaille ahead in the distance).
- Continued great ridge walking, including a sit down with John drinking juice near the Lost Valley pinnacles.
- Would be very slippery when wet!
- Kilted Biggles and the Bean marching to the rocky summit (Ritchie and I following in awe of amazing clear panoramic views - ye ha, the Ben, Ben Lui, Schiehallion, Knoydart Hill, Garbh Bhienn, Colonsay, Paps of Jura the lot!)
- Ritchie the dug, Valerie and I with glorious Scotland all around us (photographer Kilted Biggles).
- The Lost Valley.
- Wonderful country to the South!!!
- Wonderful country to the North!!!
- he he he ...
- Almost there (though there's a fair scree scramble to follow, more solid paths eventually.)
- The valley floor, where we believe there is another howff - will need to return and look further.
- A very very large pebble in the middle of the burn (though all the water is below out of sight!)
This has shown me what I might face at the end of October and I would love it of the weather was as good as yours. The photographs are stunning...well done Bod and Val ...the beauty of the Scottish hills brought to our attention just at a time when the grey and dark nights are starting to creep in ..... 