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Problems on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Easain

Problems on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Easain


Postby yellowone » Fri May 19, 2017 4:44 pm

Route description: Stob Coire Easain and Stob a'Choire Mheadhoin

Munros included on this walk: Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin, Stob Coire Easain

Date walked: 18/05/2017

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 15 km

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I had good weather so I am not complaining. It was an enjoyable day but I just want to mention:
1. It's not easy to find the ridge as there are so many folds in the landscape. I was looking for a stone pillar though catching sight of the wrong one (a trig point?) had me scratching my head. However , lots of walks seem to start this way.
2. On the way up Meall Cian Dearg, the path was badly eroded just above a gulley and it looked dangerous. I scrambled/climbed up away from it but did not feel comfortable doing so. :( On the return, I thought I would avoid this spot but still found myself looking down towards it on an unstable path. Getting down/away was more difficult than getting up :crazy: :( so I felt relieved to have eventually reached what felt like safety. I know that for many, this would hardly be a problem, but for others I would say that care is certainly needed.
3. The return route. I thought about going down to the west from the bealach between the two Munros and to look for the path that maintains height. I was not sure if I would find the path so I returned the way I came up, with the problem mentioned above. After passing Meall Cian Dearg, I came off the hill towards Loch Treig. This worked out fine and I reached the works road further south than I had left it in the morning, but it probably was not the quickest way back to the car park.
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Re: Problems on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Easain

Postby jmarkb » Fri May 19, 2017 5:59 pm

Point 2: yes it is quite steep and awkward. In winter I have skirted it on the west side, but that still crosses some quite steep ground.

Points 1&3: you seem to be lacking some confidence in your navigation: it would probably be good to do something about that if you are going solo in the hills, e.g. learn from a more experienced companion, get a book, go on a course.
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Re: Problems on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Easain

Postby Coop » Fri May 19, 2017 6:55 pm

You didn't find a cheap walking pole on the wee nose bit did you. :)
I got the ice axe out, didn't strap my walking pole securely enough- and the rest is history.

Ps I found that dodgy going down in the snow
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Re: Problems on Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Easain

Postby katyhills » Fri May 19, 2017 8:33 pm

I did these last year on a lovely day in June. I enjoy a bit of scrambling, but I can understand if you feel a bit wary. Perhaps, as jmarkb says, it would be worth doing a course to help you with navigataion, but it also might be worth seeking out a few lower or more straightforward hills that have a few steeper sections, which would give you a bit of extra scrambling experience and build up your confidence. I'm sure you'd get some recommendations of hills near you that you could experiment on.

I was fortunate to be on those hills the day Jasmin Paris did her record breaking Ramsay Round, and spent a good half hour on the plateau chatting to one of her checkpoint chaps. I felt extremely inadequate watching her disappear into the distance! :lol:
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