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It was a gorgeous morning as I crossed Rannoch Moor en route for Glen Etive.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Stob Coir'an Albannaich from Glen Etive.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I was pleased to get this photo of Starav below, partly because it shows the full bulk and height of this mighty hill, but also because it shows my entire route.
I planned to ascent the narrow ridge about half-way up the photo on the left, named Glas Bheinn Chaol. Its knobbly nature can be seen by its jagged shadow cast on the slope to its right. From the map, I guessed that this ridge would have superb views, especially in morning light, of the surrounding hills and valleys. In fact, it turned out to be even better than I hoped.
Then, I planned to traverse across from the upper part of the ridge, just before its final steepening, to the snappily-named Bealachan Lochain Ghaineamhaich. Then I would follow the left-hand skyline to the summit of Stob Coire Dheirg, then on to Ben Starav, and descend the north ridge.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The River Etive was my companion for the first stage of the walk.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Even more beautiful was the Allt Mheuran. This is destined to become a hydro-electric power station. I took several photos - my elegy for this magic place.
Looking upstream to the old wooden bridge
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The old bridge and Beinn Trilleachan.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Above the bridge
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I crossed the stream here.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I did not expect to find a path along the crest of the Glas Bheinn Chaol ridge, but in fact one appeared almost immediately - this is looking back down the path into Glen Etive.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The ridge provided wonderful widening views of the neighbouring peaks - Glas Bheinn Mhor and Stob Coir'an Albannaich on my left, Ben Starav and its fine satellite Stob Coire Dheirg on my right.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking downwards on my right - I was intrigued by this waterfall falling into a slot canyon, like ones I have seen in Arizona.
IMG_1636 by
Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking ahead along the upper part of the Glas Bheinn Chaol ridge.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Glas Bheinn Mhor
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Stob Coire Dheirg
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
A small icy pond
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I reached the highest part of the ridge accompanied by a chorus of loud croaking. It was like that Paul McCartney Frog song. The frogs were in several large, beautiful pools along the crest of the ridge.
Glen Coe hills in the background.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Zoomed shot of Bidean nam Bian.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Other views from the ponds.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
After a while sitting and enjoying this idyllic spot, I traversed across to the bealach, where there were more good views - Beinn nan Aighenan and Beinn Eunaich
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking from the bealach up the ridge towards Stob Coire Dheirg (right) and Ben Starav (left).
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Beinn Eunaich, Beinn a'Chochuill and the Ben Cruachan peaks.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking up the ridge from the bealach to Stob Coire Dheirg. The thin whitish line in the centre of the photo is not snow but a vein of quartz.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Views from the ridge.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The upper ridge and the quartz vein
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Midday sun casting long shadows
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The summit of Stob Coire Dheirg
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Ben Starav from the cairn
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
A quartz pinnacle in the foreground, my ridge of ascent in the middle distance, Mamores, Grey Corries, Easains and the Geal Charn group far away. Stob Ghabhar on the far right.
IMG_1751 by
Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Ben Lui and its neighbours above Beinn nan Aighenan.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The north ridge of Ben Starav. The twin peaks of Beinn a'Bheithir are on the right hand skyline. Rum can be seen, very faint, above a dark patch of forestry on the left.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The arete along to Ben Starav was brilliant fun. Views along the arete...
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The cairn on the east summit of Ben Starav, and views from it.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The final stroll to the summit felt like a walk in some celestial realm.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Last steps to the cairn
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
View from the cairn of Ben Starav, with Ben Nevis appearing exactly above Bidean nam Bian - nice to see these three bad boys lined up.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Zoomed shot
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Views from the summit
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Starting the descent - a look back at the summit
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
And I couldn't resist some last shots of Beinn Trilleachan and Loch Etive
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Views along the north ridge
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking back up to Ben Starav
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The Robber's Waterfall visible from this angle
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Late afternoon light around the Allt Mheuran gave a different ambience to the morning views I'd seen.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Back to the old bridge
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Waterslide in the evening sun
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The River Etive again
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Coileitir Cottage and Stob Dubh
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
A last view of Ben Starav from the bridge over the river
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Sunset sky over Buachaille Etive Mor
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr