free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
I walked this route just under a year ago. It was the second route I had done with this friend, and it remains one of the best walks I have done to date - we followed the Walkhighlands route exactly.
Joe is, first and foremost, the possessor of a mighty fine beard. He had also for some time been a good friend for the odd beer and game of darts. However, sometimes when darting with him, and Dom - another friend of mine with who I often went walking, Joe had occasionally expressed an interest beyond the darts and towards our walks. Eventually, I one day managed to get Joe to go for a walk on the Tarmachan Ridge, and, I think he rather enjoyed it. Certainly enough to ask me "Great, whee are we going next?" I thought about it for a bit, and then asked him how he felt about driving all the way to Glencoe. He seemed keen and said he'd invite his friend, Stewart, from Glasgow to meet us there.
So that was settled. We left at about 8 am, giving me ample time to make the sandwiches. That was the deal with my walking. whoever I was walking with would do the driving, and I would provide sandwiches, crisps, shortbread and mandatory mountain-top pork pies. Oh, and bananas. Lots of bananas. This was a convenient arrangement as at the time I didn't have a car! I had on this day gone for the classic combination of chicken, sesame seed strawberry and rocket sandwiches, which had proved a hit on previous occasions. We got to Glencoe after an uneventful drive, and made good time, arriving shortly after 10:30, bang on time for out 10:45 rendezvous with Stewart. Scotland can on occasion be a might chilly, and so it was on this occasion. So we sat in the car and waited. And waited. And waited. The discussion soon arose at what time do we set off without Stewart, we were mindful that daylight was in short supply at this time of year. At precisely 11:03 and a bit, we decided we'd had enough, and got out of the car to get booted up. Of course, Stewart arrived just as we locked the car to set off. He was quick to get ready (and so he should have been!) and we were soon off!
Time for walkies!I am always the navigator on such trips, so I had explained the route in some detail to Joe on the drive up, having familiarised myself with the map the night before. Nonetheless, I think it's fair to say Joe was skeptical, having seen the imposing face of Stob Dearg as we drove across Rannoch Moor. I was pleased, therefore, that Stewart had too looked at the map properly, and agreed with me that it was not too difficult. We set off with Stewart in the lead, setting a punishing pace for the inexperienced Joe, and the terribly unfit me. Nonetheless, it wasn't a long walk and the path was in very good condition, and largely very simple, save a simple loose-surface-hand-or-two-down-just-in-case-scramble near the top of the Corrie. We were up in no time! The wander up the broad, bouldery ridge to the summit was very pleasant after the intense pace of the first section of the walk, and the small amount of the first snow of winter at the top made the summit feel all the more special. Celebratory pork pies all around!
The views open up towards Loch Lihnnie
The final simple path to the summit.
Where's my hat gone!?!?
Spectacular views down Glen Coe...
...and along the ridge...
...and into Glen Etive...
...and across to Ben Nevis... and.... you get the idea... it was pretty.Ahead of us now was the excellent ridge walk along to the top of Stob na Broige. We wandered along for a bit, the intense initial climb certainly taking its toll and slowing our pace now. And soon it was the ascent up to Stob na Doire. This was the killer for Joe. And when we reached the top, he asked for a pork pie to celebrate this second summit. I informed Joe that this does not count as a Munro, and therefore he was not entitled to a pork pie. "Not a Munro!? Not a Munro...!!!! But this was harder than the first one!" Joe was not pleased. We continued along the ridge, descending the 'not a Monro' with Joe periodically shouting how ridiculous it was, and informing us that the descent from this 'not a Munro' was doing far worse things to his knees than any real Munro ever could do!
View from Stob na Doire, looking along the final part of the ridge.
Not a happy man, having just learned that he is in fact not ontop of a Munro!
The sun starting to get pleasantly warm over Glen Etive.I must say, although I found Joe's complaint's very amusing, on the point of difficulty, I will agree with him. Stob na Doire certainly had been the toughest bit of the walk, both for it's ascent and descent! But, of course, that wasn't something I was going to admit to, as it might have undermined my pretext for laughing at him! We continued along the ridge, and the final ascent up Stob na Broige, which had looked daunting after the effort of Stob na Doire, turned out to be very fast and easy. By the time we reached this final summit (which was a Munro this time, crack out the pork pies!), the sun was casting a beautiful warm light on the hills, and promising a very pleasant return walk along the ridge. In fact, so nice were the conditions, that we rather dawdled on this higher ground.
Ascending the final section of the ridge.
Views across to Buachaille Etive Beag.
View back along the ridge to Stob na Doire.
More splendid ridgeyness.
All three peaks. I have to admit, the 'not a Munro' does look the biggest in this photo!
Warm afternoon light.
Ben Nevis again.
Joe still grumbling!
Joe and Stewart enjoying a gentle stroll along the wide ridge.
The obligatory deer shot.We descended quickly, the light starting to fail given how long we'd sat around enjoying the surprisingly warm sunshine (there had been no wind!). The descent was steep in places, but not too bad, and we were soon down in the valley on the flat for a blast past vast numbers of deer to the road, and then back to the cars. A great day!
Back at the start.
Looking towards Glen Etive at the end of the day.
Hey... we've just been up there!
Lovely evening conditions.
The end of an excellent walk!