Twa Days Same Hill - a drookit knockback and a braw day oot.
Munros: Creise
Date walked: 04/11/2021
Time taken: 7.5 hours
I broke a rule by choosing to hill-walk regardless of weather. I don’t mind a bit of weather but I also chose a serious route. Sron na Creise as a steep approach to the top Stob a’ Ghlas Choire and Creise, the Munro, got a recommend in a few trip reports hereabouts. I felt ready for a challenge, booked a bunkhouse room near a favourite pub, The Clachaig, and off I went.
By the time I got to Glen Etive the ‘slight’ problem of crossing the river in rain so continuous Mrs Noah fancied a cruise caused me pause. It slowly dawned on me that the river was impassable. Not just impassable without a soaking, but life threatening don’t even think about it.
I drove back up a bit over the bridge and wandered off to view the branch that comes from Kingshouse. It too was up and not crossable. Looking way downstream where the river is wider, there were no stepping stones, just brown fast deep flows everywhere. Oops big error. KNOCKBACK.
Oh Well. I’ll lunch at Kingshouse, dinner at Clachaig, early night and try tomorrow. And it rained, rained some more and so on all night. It was also so dark on the Clachaig back road I didn’t even see the path off the road that now I know runs about half of the mile I had to walk. It runs between pub and campsite in case you wondered. My single berth in a six bunk room cost me the full room price. I won’t be doing that again – but the independent hostel was pleasant enough, except that the drying room was really a few washers and a massive dryer – for the laundry – not for punters’ wet gear over night in an airy hot room with lots of shelves.
In the morning there were few glimpses of my route however I had a notion that one could cross the Etive (Kingshouse branch) by the classic ᴖ shaped bridge on the A82 and walk in along the east bank. This would allow an approach even in dreadful weather and my plan was to file this knowledge for a future go. I walked in about 1km until I was certain the ‘minor’ streams feeding the Etive were ford-able or jump-able or stepping stone assisted.
The big yellow arrow points at the A82 bridge where you can position yourself East of the two river branches and head in. In principle you could go this way in, at the cost of +2km to your walk, in any weather or height of stream. However that would only work if the large Allt Càm Ghlinne and at least one of its chums were passable. So I decided to pretend this was a reconnaissance trip and not that I no longer felt up for Sron na Creise in the rain. I'll walk in as far as that stream and decide if it is indeed fordable and return to fight another day. It was I did.
You can see here both the Sron na Creise ridge itself and the top - Stob a' Ghlaise Coire - after which don't forget Baggers is about another Km to the Munro. And so ended the Great Etive Knockback of 26-27/10/21. How long would it be 'til Vibrams drew me hillwards again?
Not long as it turns out.....on 4/11/21 provoked by a Facebook comment from a friend and in the serendipitous context of a single day favourable forecast, and with no bed booked, off I went.......
Now, even although I could tell the streams were probably returned to an antediluvian state and it was only just after eight a.m. as I approached, I wanted to avoid a repeat of my fluvial wanderings in selection of a start point and decided to cash in my reconnaissance token-of-prescience. In other words take the hit of an extra 2km and get started towards what I knew would be quite a stretch goal for this auld fat Bagger.
Given that the flow was way, way down from the 27/10 reconnaissance, this crossing was not trivial. It was easier to commit to a no-chance-of-slip option than risk a dry shod teeter over awkward angled, potentially slippy boulder and stone hops. I re-assert though, that this would be passable even in spate.
So the Approach having been described in exquisite detail - The Climb.
It so happens the entire slope ahead no matter which way you go toward that ridge shows evidence of former feet. My approach, you may recall , is a bit more 'left' than if one had come up from the Etive road and a suitable ford point, which had the effect of me heading a bit straighter 'up' than perhaps I'd intended because I was as they say upferrit.
I have been a climber in my 'Yoot'. I could lead at 4c and maybe 5a/b on a good day. I have a few top-roped 6's on the odd crag. So it wasn't reckless to head unroped as the whim took me into the rock bands above. However once hands were on cold rock and with the sponge of vegetation still oozing from recent downpours and with the steepness behind and ahead on the left-of-intended route I had a wee dip in confidence and was soon in moderate bother. Not 'gripped' I would say but definitely needing to reduce the exposure of my route and particularly the vertical drop and roll on offer if a slip ocurred. The natural route up Sron na Creise I knew was to my right, so, with some obvious weaknesses visible, and a bit of deft traversing I got on to more comfortable terrain and continued up.
The black line in the pic was lifted off this site in another member's post. I intended that originally but instead followed the red. On the second band of wet cold rocks I began to feel the exposure of the slope and drops behind me and finessed my way back on track by a reasonably tense traverse on 'moderate' ground.
Continuing on and up the route becomes more evident from scree paths and steps in vegetation but still the ways are many. A big left then right zig-zag '<' is the basic track. This avoids verticalities or exposed scrambing although there are alleged specific scrambles hereabouts that one might choose over the follow your nose routefinding.
I never hang about long on a Munro. This one was amazing though. I had had cramp at the top of the ridge and was expecting to fuel up and hydrate on Creise itself, putting off doing so on the pleasant walk from SaGC. The heat from the strenuous ascent and the sunshine found me approaching the summit of Creise in T shirt and fleece open to the waist. I met another solo walker who arrived there about sixty seconds ahead of me, In the time it took to chat about his route and intentions and identify Clach Leathad, the temperature plunged. I had been pondering CL and a descent directly down by the Allt Càm Ghlinne but within seconds after deciding to don my jacket for the first time all day, my fingers were too cold to open my prepackaged "Green Wellie" sandwich. We both abandoned our plans - he having been put off by my description of what a Sron na Creise descent would be like and me by declining any more 'up' and preferring the known devil of back the way I'd come rather than the unknown devil of a possibly trackless route down the valley. A young couple appeared at this point but a quick hello was all I managed before legging it. There were frozen puddles about and I had hands stuffed in pockets as I jogged briskly back towards the top. I did have gloves but they are quite tight at mere XL on my XXL hands so I didn't bother. Get lower, get warmer, get fed was my mantra. Two iron man types came running towards me and we stopped for a brief chat. I warned them how cold it was on top but they seemed unfazed by that; they warned me how serious was the way down from there, but having just climbed it I was unfazed by that. Off we went in opposite directions.
Back at the top of Sron na Creise I met another guy. It was still warm there and I scoffed my sandwich and took a drink. He also warned me of terrain ahead but chilled when I said I'd come up that way. So I'd met six people on Creise but exchanged very little chat. Them's the hills dude.
Tempted by delusions of an easier route down than I'd come up I made some feints southwest of the ridge but convex slopes to steepness put me off. With assist from the advanced technique of use of the a*se I actually made a steeper descent than I'd come up. If a groove, ledge, chimney or bulge on my direct line looked like it would go then it did. Gravity on my side and plenty of decent jugs, small holds or balance options and avoiding the big drops got me down quite quickly.
The last photo I took - none at all from the top, dammit - was after most of the higher buttresses were behind me. Not long after this the hat was off, the jacket unzipped as, tiring by now, I traversed once more towards my self selected route East of the natural line. I still scared myself a few times by deliberately accepting an exposed ledge or bad step rather than a muddy wet alternative but soon enough I was back near the flat bit. My next picture was a pint.
I will admit that as delighted at my sojourn of 7.5 hours car to car as I was, the first thought as I wandered into the (New!) Kingshouse Hotel was not a pint. It was the possibility of a drive back to Embra being avoided. Any room at the bunkhouse I enquired? - knowing that would be unlikely.
No. But hold on a moment.
Five minutes later he's back, The manager is in a good mood, (knows the meaning of contribution margin I think he meant) so we can offer you a hotel room for the same price as a bunkhouse room.
Now I already know that in Covid times that means price of a fully occupied bunk room even if just for one. Nevertheless that is a very nice room, an amazing breakfast only constrained by my Noom diet app, the ability to enjoy more than one pint after my exertions and the privilege of a posh-end stay at one of my fave locations. Result.
I have stayed here in a tent, in the Cunningham era chaotic times' bunkhouse, in the modern bunkhouse and in the old hotel with its creaking floors, musty odour and tartan carpets. I remember having a bath in brown water and discussing it with a Yorkshire barmaid. Yeah she said, I phoned me Moom and told 'er I was in t'bath with peat. Me Moom says who's Pete?
Thus I cannot overstate how tickled I was to get a £180 (minimum) room (inc bkfst) for £45.
Better yet after my bath - yes the water is still broon - I watched the weather return to sh1t and my Carpe Diem plan outcome was complete success.
Hope you enjoyed my blather. Git oot in them thar hills folks!
By the time I got to Glen Etive the ‘slight’ problem of crossing the river in rain so continuous Mrs Noah fancied a cruise caused me pause. It slowly dawned on me that the river was impassable. Not just impassable without a soaking, but life threatening don’t even think about it.
I drove back up a bit over the bridge and wandered off to view the branch that comes from Kingshouse. It too was up and not crossable. Looking way downstream where the river is wider, there were no stepping stones, just brown fast deep flows everywhere. Oops big error. KNOCKBACK.
Oh Well. I’ll lunch at Kingshouse, dinner at Clachaig, early night and try tomorrow. And it rained, rained some more and so on all night. It was also so dark on the Clachaig back road I didn’t even see the path off the road that now I know runs about half of the mile I had to walk. It runs between pub and campsite in case you wondered. My single berth in a six bunk room cost me the full room price. I won’t be doing that again – but the independent hostel was pleasant enough, except that the drying room was really a few washers and a massive dryer – for the laundry – not for punters’ wet gear over night in an airy hot room with lots of shelves.
In the morning there were few glimpses of my route however I had a notion that one could cross the Etive (Kingshouse branch) by the classic ᴖ shaped bridge on the A82 and walk in along the east bank. This would allow an approach even in dreadful weather and my plan was to file this knowledge for a future go. I walked in about 1km until I was certain the ‘minor’ streams feeding the Etive were ford-able or jump-able or stepping stone assisted.
The big yellow arrow points at the A82 bridge where you can position yourself East of the two river branches and head in. In principle you could go this way in, at the cost of +2km to your walk, in any weather or height of stream. However that would only work if the large Allt Càm Ghlinne and at least one of its chums were passable. So I decided to pretend this was a reconnaissance trip and not that I no longer felt up for Sron na Creise in the rain. I'll walk in as far as that stream and decide if it is indeed fordable and return to fight another day. It was I did.
You can see here both the Sron na Creise ridge itself and the top - Stob a' Ghlaise Coire - after which don't forget Baggers is about another Km to the Munro. And so ended the Great Etive Knockback of 26-27/10/21. How long would it be 'til Vibrams drew me hillwards again?
Not long as it turns out.....on 4/11/21 provoked by a Facebook comment from a friend and in the serendipitous context of a single day favourable forecast, and with no bed booked, off I went.......
Now, even although I could tell the streams were probably returned to an antediluvian state and it was only just after eight a.m. as I approached, I wanted to avoid a repeat of my fluvial wanderings in selection of a start point and decided to cash in my reconnaissance token-of-prescience. In other words take the hit of an extra 2km and get started towards what I knew would be quite a stretch goal for this auld fat Bagger.
Given that the flow was way, way down from the 27/10 reconnaissance, this crossing was not trivial. It was easier to commit to a no-chance-of-slip option than risk a dry shod teeter over awkward angled, potentially slippy boulder and stone hops. I re-assert though, that this would be passable even in spate.
So the Approach having been described in exquisite detail - The Climb.
It so happens the entire slope ahead no matter which way you go toward that ridge shows evidence of former feet. My approach, you may recall , is a bit more 'left' than if one had come up from the Etive road and a suitable ford point, which had the effect of me heading a bit straighter 'up' than perhaps I'd intended because I was as they say upferrit.
I have been a climber in my 'Yoot'. I could lead at 4c and maybe 5a/b on a good day. I have a few top-roped 6's on the odd crag. So it wasn't reckless to head unroped as the whim took me into the rock bands above. However once hands were on cold rock and with the sponge of vegetation still oozing from recent downpours and with the steepness behind and ahead on the left-of-intended route I had a wee dip in confidence and was soon in moderate bother. Not 'gripped' I would say but definitely needing to reduce the exposure of my route and particularly the vertical drop and roll on offer if a slip ocurred. The natural route up Sron na Creise I knew was to my right, so, with some obvious weaknesses visible, and a bit of deft traversing I got on to more comfortable terrain and continued up.
The black line in the pic was lifted off this site in another member's post. I intended that originally but instead followed the red. On the second band of wet cold rocks I began to feel the exposure of the slope and drops behind me and finessed my way back on track by a reasonably tense traverse on 'moderate' ground.
Continuing on and up the route becomes more evident from scree paths and steps in vegetation but still the ways are many. A big left then right zig-zag '<' is the basic track. This avoids verticalities or exposed scrambing although there are alleged specific scrambles hereabouts that one might choose over the follow your nose routefinding.
I never hang about long on a Munro. This one was amazing though. I had had cramp at the top of the ridge and was expecting to fuel up and hydrate on Creise itself, putting off doing so on the pleasant walk from SaGC. The heat from the strenuous ascent and the sunshine found me approaching the summit of Creise in T shirt and fleece open to the waist. I met another solo walker who arrived there about sixty seconds ahead of me, In the time it took to chat about his route and intentions and identify Clach Leathad, the temperature plunged. I had been pondering CL and a descent directly down by the Allt Càm Ghlinne but within seconds after deciding to don my jacket for the first time all day, my fingers were too cold to open my prepackaged "Green Wellie" sandwich. We both abandoned our plans - he having been put off by my description of what a Sron na Creise descent would be like and me by declining any more 'up' and preferring the known devil of back the way I'd come rather than the unknown devil of a possibly trackless route down the valley. A young couple appeared at this point but a quick hello was all I managed before legging it. There were frozen puddles about and I had hands stuffed in pockets as I jogged briskly back towards the top. I did have gloves but they are quite tight at mere XL on my XXL hands so I didn't bother. Get lower, get warmer, get fed was my mantra. Two iron man types came running towards me and we stopped for a brief chat. I warned them how cold it was on top but they seemed unfazed by that; they warned me how serious was the way down from there, but having just climbed it I was unfazed by that. Off we went in opposite directions.
Back at the top of Sron na Creise I met another guy. It was still warm there and I scoffed my sandwich and took a drink. He also warned me of terrain ahead but chilled when I said I'd come up that way. So I'd met six people on Creise but exchanged very little chat. Them's the hills dude.
Tempted by delusions of an easier route down than I'd come up I made some feints southwest of the ridge but convex slopes to steepness put me off. With assist from the advanced technique of use of the a*se I actually made a steeper descent than I'd come up. If a groove, ledge, chimney or bulge on my direct line looked like it would go then it did. Gravity on my side and plenty of decent jugs, small holds or balance options and avoiding the big drops got me down quite quickly.
The last photo I took - none at all from the top, dammit - was after most of the higher buttresses were behind me. Not long after this the hat was off, the jacket unzipped as, tiring by now, I traversed once more towards my self selected route East of the natural line. I still scared myself a few times by deliberately accepting an exposed ledge or bad step rather than a muddy wet alternative but soon enough I was back near the flat bit. My next picture was a pint.
I will admit that as delighted at my sojourn of 7.5 hours car to car as I was, the first thought as I wandered into the (New!) Kingshouse Hotel was not a pint. It was the possibility of a drive back to Embra being avoided. Any room at the bunkhouse I enquired? - knowing that would be unlikely.
No. But hold on a moment.
Five minutes later he's back, The manager is in a good mood, (knows the meaning of contribution margin I think he meant) so we can offer you a hotel room for the same price as a bunkhouse room.
Now I already know that in Covid times that means price of a fully occupied bunk room even if just for one. Nevertheless that is a very nice room, an amazing breakfast only constrained by my Noom diet app, the ability to enjoy more than one pint after my exertions and the privilege of a posh-end stay at one of my fave locations. Result.
I have stayed here in a tent, in the Cunningham era chaotic times' bunkhouse, in the modern bunkhouse and in the old hotel with its creaking floors, musty odour and tartan carpets. I remember having a bath in brown water and discussing it with a Yorkshire barmaid. Yeah she said, I phoned me Moom and told 'er I was in t'bath with peat. Me Moom says who's Pete?
Thus I cannot overstate how tickled I was to get a £180 (minimum) room (inc bkfst) for £45.
Better yet after my bath - yes the water is still broon - I watched the weather return to sh1t and my Carpe Diem plan outcome was complete success.
Hope you enjoyed my blather. Git oot in them thar hills folks!
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Lipeshends
- Activity: Mountain Walker
- Pub: Clachaig
- Mountain: Buchaille Etive Mor
- Place: Glencoe
- Gear: Dachstein mitts
- Ideal day out: Cold sunny winter Munro
- Munros: 160
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- Distance: 35.5 km
- Ascent: 2443m
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- Trips: 5
- Munros: 5
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- Distance: 21 km
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- Joined: Nov 06, 2020
- Last visited: Apr 10, 2024
- Total posts: 25 | Search posts