this report is great.
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
We drove up to the end of the road in Glen Etive on Thursday night. I've never camped in Glen Etive before and probably won't again...for a wet and very windy Thursday evening there were 2 other tents and at least 4 campervans in the car park at the road's end. Hate to think how busy it would be at a weekend when it was sunny. 2 girls had a pop up tent, which looked to be on its first outing. They also - somewhat impressively in the conditions - managed to get a fire going. I ended up putting extra pegs in as there was such a wind coming off the loch. Their tent was gone when we got up in the morning - either they were early risers or had blown away like Dorothy...
We drove back to the parking spot at Coiletir where there was already a couple of vehicles and prepared to set off up Starav, mainly to get the two Tops Allison requires. I felt really tired and washed out, like I hadn't been wound up and the boggy start to the journey further defused any energy I had left. We couldn't get across the river on stepping stones as it was too full and fast, so had to backtrack to the bridge. It was a very slow climb up the shoulder of Starav indeed. I had climbed the mountain 3 times before and on two occasions gone round the five Munros in around 11 hours - well it was to be much slower today.
DSC01392 by
Al, on Flickr
DSC01394 by
Al, on Flickr
The day was overcast, mist revealing then hiding the mountain tops. Still a fair bit of snow around higher up, new stuff as well. We reached the summit of Starav after three and a half hours - torture

As we started off for Meall Cruidh it began to snow, heavily too. Allison remarked that I had developed a nice cornice on my shoulder

By the time we had reached the second Top of Stob an Duine Ruaidh the snow had stopped and it was pleasantly sunny - how it remained for the rest of the day. Last time round I'd come off the western ridge back towards the lochside, but this hadn't been particularly pleasurable (crags and bog) so we'd decided to press on to Glas Bheinn Mhor. Trouble was the not inconsiderable re-ascent to Starav, to then lose all the height going over to Glas Bheinn Mhor. Allison was also thinking strategically that leaving Beinn nan Aighenan wasn't a wise move as it would be relatively awkward to get it later on its own. We therefore decided to cut down into Coire nam Fuaran and avoid reascent. This proved slow as Allison takes her time going over boulderfields but eventually we crossed the Allt Hallater high up in the coire, as it ran over granite slabs, and set off up Beinn nan Aighenan.
DSC01396 by
Al, on Flickr
Summit Starav
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Al, on Flickr
Meall Cruidh
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Al, on Flickr
To Stob an Duine Rhuaidh
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Al, on Flickr
Starav
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Al, on Flickr
2nd Top
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Al, on Flickr
Beinn Trilleachan
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Al, on Flickr
The way ahead to Beinn nan Aighenan
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Al, on Flickr
Beinn nan Aighenan
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Al, on Flickr
Oh the delights of paths up Munros. 350m ascent, but easily attained. A fine day now, good views south to Cruachan. Back the way we'd come and up to the bealach between Starav and Meall nan Tri-Tighearnan. The long back of Glas Bheinn Mhor stretched ahead of us - it was 6pm by the time we reached the summit. Some tricky sections descending the ridge before Coire Odhar as accumulations of snow covered the path and deep crevasses sat gaping and waiting to swallow us. But we reached the path down into Coire Odhar and followed the Allt Mheuran. We kept to the right of the river, ground becoming ever boggier as we descended, but it was such a fine evening that this was insignificant. An almost full moon loitered in the sky as we returned to the car, past a shaggy-maned stag with new velvet antlers pushing up on his head. a good drive down an almost deserted road, not home til almost 11pm...
Looking back at our 2 Tops
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Glas Bheinn Mhor
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Al, on Flickr
Summit Aighenan
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Al, on Flickr
Glas Bheinn Mhor
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Looking back into Coire Odhar
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr