Corbetts: Meall Lighiche
Date: 30/03/2024.
Distance: 12 km.
Ascent: 760m.
Time taken: 4 hours 20 minutes.
Weather: Heavy showers in the morning gradually giving away to a sunny late afternoon.

We had a slow start to the day as the weather wasn't up to much early on - round to the Real Food Cafe for an excellent late breakfast/early lunch and then onward to find somewhere to swim. We stopped at Loch Ba because I don't think I have before - another of those places that I usually whizz by. A few boggy minutes took us to a quiet(ish) spot by the loch where Jackie decided to go in. It looked a bit on the shallow side to me so I didn't bother. Nice spot though and definitely a reminder to bring the kayaks here before too long.

Loch Ba

Then we continued to the top of Glencoe. Being Easter weekend it was busy and there were some crazy drivers about (I was overtaken on the Etive bridge by some psycho with the passenger standing up with their head out of the sunroof filming. Jackie was a few cars ahead and they overtook her just as she was about to pull out around a cyclist. She took a little while to calm down after that!). Jackie wanted to dip in the pool at the top of the glen that everyone seems to have a selfie of these days. Again a few minutes walk had us at the burn - in the end we decided it was flowing a little fast and got into a slightly inferior (but still nice) pool a little further upstream. This is not a side of Glencoe that I have experienced in a long while - we usually avoid places that are this busy!

Glencoe

Beinn Fhada

Swimming below Beinn Fhada

Dip in the Allt Lairig Eilde

As compensation we parked a short way before Achnacon with the intention of heading up Meall Lighiche. I had suggested adding a couple of the adjacent lower hills to our route but like yesterday it was getting on for 2pm before we started so these seemed unlikely. I was happy with Jackie's choice of Meall Lighiche though - my only previous time on it had been in a miserable downpour on the first ever Walkhighlands meet in 2010. This time I was hoping for some views!


An t-Sron and Bidean

Aonach Eagach

After a couple of dicey minutes on the A82 we were on the private tarmac road up Gleann-leac-na-muidhe which was lovely and peaceful. The weather was looking up too after more heavy showers on the drive down the glen. We strolled to the end of the track past all of the houses and slightly beyond, looking for the bridge marked on Jackie's map. There was a section of girder in the river but no other evidence - it probably hasn't been there for a long time!

Meall Lighiche from Gleann Leac na Muidh

Jackie approaching Meall Lighiche

Back to Sgorr nam Fiannaidh

Sgorr nam Fiannaidh

We found somewhere to hop across that wasn't too bad then started up the northern flank of the hill. From around 250m up to 650m this is one steep bugger and we noticed it . Paths came and went but despite the steepness there was fairly heavy grazing in the glen so the ground was largely good underfoot - even Jackie couldn't deny this...

Ascending the N ridge of Meall Lighiche

Beinn a Bheithir

Bidean

Sgorr a Choise and Loch Leven

There was some suspect weather lurking over Beinn a' Bheithir but it didn't rain again and in time the sun came out. In fact by the time we had reached easier ground and ambled round the curving summmit ridge from Creag Bhan, it was positively sunny and there were impressive views down Glen Creran and immediately across to Beinn Fhionnlaidh and Sgurr na h-Ulaidh.

Meall Mor

Beinn Fhionnlaidh

Aonach Eagach and Bidean

Glencoe from Meall Lighiche

Sgurr na h-Ulaidh

Bidean and Stob an Fhurain

The longer we hung around the better it got, although there was a cold enough breeze that we didn't stay up there too long. Despite some thoughts about other ways down we opted to retrace our steps in the end - the most straightforward way to getting our dinner at a sensible hour.

Jackie on Meall Lighiche with Loch Creran behind

Sgorr a Choise

Aonach Eagach from Meall Lighiche

Bidean

Summit photo with Bidean behind

There were some spectacular views of Sgorr na h-Udlaidh on the way back, and not for the first time I remembered that my dad and I had descended north from Corr na Beine when we had been up there years back (almost 30 actually ). This might be the usual route but it really doesn't look very likely from Meall Lighiche. We also managed to get closer to the crags on the east flank of Creag Bhan this time which was quite airy.

Ben Nevis and Mamores in the background

Beinn a Bheithir

Steep and tedious on the knees the descent may have been but it was quick and we shaved a good 40 minutes off our ascent time. Aside from a couple of folk we met in the last 5 minutes to the A82 (and some we had glimpsed in the glen from higher up) we didn't see anyone else out on the hill - quite a contrast to our early afternoon activities!

Driving round to North Ballachulish, we found a good overnight spot on the Kinlochleven road where we enjoyed a lovely evening right next to the loch.