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The Aonach Eagach, with its pair of Munros and foreboding reputation had occupied our conversation for much of the past week. Similar to many of the worlds best laid plans it was formulated in the pub when confidence was running high and clarity had all but disappeared.
Driving north the mountains were draped in fresh snow but blue sky punctuated with white cloud promised it wouldn't last for long. All too soon the familiar sight of Stob Dearg loomed in the distance, the early rays of the sun showing every detail of its imposing face.
Arriving in Glencoe village we parked up and caught the bus back through the gorge to the beginning of the climb. Immediately apparent was the severity of the gradient required to make the ridge but the advantage was a speedy height gain. Upon attaining the summit of Am Bodach the grandeur of the Aonach Eagach was revealed and we were at once confronted with the first major obstacle of the day, a twenty metre drop.
As always with these scenarios the thought was infinitely worse than the task and we gained the ridge for the first time with little difficulty. What quickly became clear however was the scale of exposure we were to be confronted with for the remainder of the climb, on either side the drop to the glen was massive and immediately called for a steeling of our composure. From hereon there was no way off but forward and we committed fully to the ridge making our way up the first of the many pinnacles that lay between us and safety.
Travelling east to west it was difficult not to squander most of the day capturing the stunning surroundings. The views south to Stob Coire Sgreamhach and Bidean Nam Bian, north to the Nevis Range and west to Stob Dearg are among the most spectacular in the world and deserve undivided attention.
A series of pinnacles were surmounted with maximum exposure and bum clenching scrambling with the effect that I could not watch most of my climbing partners manoeuvres. The chancellor soon loomed to our left hanging over the glen, tempting the climber but we resisted its lure and made our way further west to the infamous chimney, a fifteen metre gash in the rock. Plenty of handholds and firm footing made for an unexpectedly easy ascent and we were soon on the peak, only to be confronted with a further dose of exposed scrambling. The most difficult of these being an awkward climb on the southern side which reveals the lack of distance between you and a fatal fall.
This exposed scrambling is the dominant theme for the ridge and the last of the pinnacles are a welcome sight. A sting in the tail is the short but steep pull up Stob Coire Leith and then the second Munro Sgorr nam Fiannaidh but we persevered and were rewarded with views to the Atlantic far in the west. A phenomenal end to a memorable day.
