Ben Starav bridge what bridge

[jonny616]

Headed out to Glen Etive, leaving Glasgow at 06:30 with the intention of walking Stob Coir'an Albannaich with Meall nan Eun & Glas Bheinn Mhor. A 21k stroll partly inspiered by curlywurly's report a couple of weeks ago & in preperation for tackling the South Shiel Ridge in August.

Met up with the reat of the crew in Tyndrum arriving at our start point at about 9am. I had never been down the etive road & it is a beautifull place.

Stob Dubh (BE Beag) to Starav

Whilst getting geared up & looking at our first target GB Mhor it seamed silly not to go over Starav first. So of we set with a why not kind of attitude. We had all told respective partners we would be home late.

Starav & GB Mhor

B E Beag

Off we set along the track to Coiletir crossing the bridge over the etive & follow the fence round. Headed accross the marshy bracken ground having pin pointed the path to Starav on the other side of the Alt Mheuran. This was clearly quicker than following the route nearer the etive. Oops!

Arrived at the raging torent that was Alt Mheuran & preceded to what can only be discribed as 'fannying about' in an indiscisive way going up & down, into the revien, out of the revien, higher up to look for a suitable place to cross. Eventualy we took different routes & methods. Myself & Harry choosing lower down, boots of trousers rolled up & wade across.

river crossing

We all met up again higher up on the path, by which time some other walkers had told my pals about the bridge! At this point i was summeraly dismised from my map reading duties with no right of apeal, but hayho onwards & upwards. Cameron McNiesh discribes thie as 'a brutal ascent' & for once i agree with him. It went on & on untill we came to the boulder field & final push to the summit. From the bolder field we were in the clag so no more views.

View back

Starav in mist to GB Mhor

Sky

boulder field

Launch at the summit & then of along the narrowing ridge, which is great fun whith a few scrambly bits, but nothing serious. Down of Starav over the minor bump & up to the summit of GB Mhor.

Ridge of Starav

Not that way

Summit of GB Mhor

From here we could not pick up the path. So decided with the time already taken & with the rain now on it was head for home time. Followed our compass bearing & kind of zig zaged our way down very steep grass slops brocken up by crags. Eventualy emerging safely out of the clag with the bealach on our right & the stream directly ahead.

Then a 5.5k yop through some awfull bog back to the track.

Where did the day go back to the car at 19:30 having been gone 10.5 hours. The last 3 in the pouring rain.

All in a good day though.

[walk aboot]

Nice report - looks like a good day out with lots of variety, going by the photos .


Um, I can never seem to find bridges either!

[Milesy]

Nice report. That is actually the Rum Cuillin and not Skye you can see on Starav

[Graeme D]

Launch at the summit

Interesting outing jonny! Is this some new way off summits that you have developed?

[weescotsman]

Been there myself last year, Starav was only my 2nd time climbing with the guys I go out with, and I'd agree with the brutal description. At least we had a relatively sunny day for it..... and coming back down I decided to give the bridge a miss and wade straight across the river, still wearing boots and all. Seeing as I'd done in one of the soles on the boulder fields I wasn't too concerned about wet feet, as one already was. And the ice cold water was very soothing as I stopped for a few mins mid-river......

All in some fantastic views from the top though, well worthy of a climb even if I was cursing at the time......

[jonny616]

Launch at the summit

Interesting outing jonny! Is this some new way off summits that you have developed?

Hi Graeme

Pasta power. It's the only way down.

[kevsbald]

The bridge is at the bottom of the burn/river, not far from the cottage but most folk cut across to meet the river higher up - Pythagoras theorem and all that.

[Lottie]

Ahhhhh - Starav was my first Munro - your photos brought back really good memories We had less cloud, fortunately! I also thought it was a never ending, brutal, upward slog (well....it is compared to my normal stomping grounds of the Cotswolds and Mendips), So worth it, though.

[mountain coward]

I was wondering whether the bridge had washed away with all this rain and your title! Some great photos there - you make that narrow ridge after Starav's summit look really scary in your photo - almost makes me doubt I went along it (but I know I did really)

[jonny616]

I was wondering whether the bridge had washed away with all this rain and your title! Some great photos there - you make that narrow ridge after Starav's summit look really scary in your photo - almost makes me doubt I went along it (but I know I did really)

There was a couple of bits i thought might not have been MC friendly

[jonny616]

Nice report. That is actually the Rum Cuillin and not Skye you can see on Starav

I thought it was a bit to close to be Skye, but it looked like it . My geography has always been a bit dodgy, which is a worry considering my hobby!

[jonny616]

Ahhhhh - Starav was my first Munro - your photos brought back really good memories We had less cloud, fortunately! I also thought it was a never ending, brutal, upward slog (well....it is compared to my normal stomping grounds of the Cotswolds and Mendips), So worth it, though.

I agree on the so worth it point although it might be a while before i do it again

[mountain coward]

I was wondering whether the bridge had washed away with all this rain and your title! Some great photos there - you make that narrow ridge after Starav's summit look really scary in your photo - almost makes me doubt I went along it (but I know I did really)

There was a couple of bits i thought might not have been MC friendly

Surprisingly, I didn't mind any of it - the only thing I found it was a slog!

[DEADEVEN]

Ahhhhh - Starav was my first Munro - your photos brought back really good memories We had less cloud, fortunately! I also thought it was a never ending, brutal, upward slog (well....it is compared to my normal stomping grounds of the Cotswolds and Mendips), So worth it, though.

interesting intro to scottish hills! what did you do to deserve this i wonder