After a gloriously sunny day climbing Great Ridge on Garbh
Bheinn in Ardgour, we'd reserved the next day to do some
walking. The forecast wasn't the best, low cloud and drizzle
all day, and that's how the day started. But not to be
deterred, we decide to go ahead with Plan A and do Aonach
Beag and Aonach Mor from the head of Glen Nevis.
As we arrived at the car park, the clouds began to lift, and
by the time we'd reached the Steall ruin, all the Mamores
were out of cloud, and though grey, the rain had stopped. So
we decided to add on Sgurr Choinnich Mor to the day, so we
wouldn't have to make a detour to take it in when we finally
got round to walking the Grey Corries.
The long rising ascent beneath Sgurr a' Bhuic seemed to go
on forever, in the way that pathless traverses always seem
to, and it was over 2 hours after leaving the car that we
eventually arrived at the col between Aonach Beag and
Sgurr Choinnich Beag. Another 45 minutes saw us at the
summit of SC Mor, with excellent views over the Grey
Corries and Mamores.
The Aonachs however were in cloud, and had been since we'd
first seen them (or rather, seen the cloud in front of
them). So faced with the return to the col followed by 500m
ascent into the cloud, we decided to cut the day short, and
continue the ridge over Stob Coire Easain and Stob Coire an
Laoigh before descending to the Glen.
I'm sure anyone who knows us has a good idea of what's
coming next. Sat on Stob Coire an Laoigh, we had an
excellent view along the inviting ridge towards Stob a'
Choire Leith. "Maybe we could just walk along the ridge to
the col and make a descent there, it looks easy on the map."
So a couple of miles later we duly arrived at the summit of
Stob Choire Claurigh at the end of the Grey Corries ridge. A
simple descent to the Lochan, and back down the glen. Er,
no. Down to the lochan and then despite the fact that the
weather had finally arrived and it was raining persistently,
we carried on up to Stob Ban (telling ourselves
unconvincingly that the walk back down the ridge would
probably be easier going than down by the stream).
Having finally run out of summits, we admitted defeat and
made our way down the SW ridge, via an interesting wide
grassy rake (any geologists care to tell me how it formed?).
A long long long endlessly long walk back along Glen Nevis
then ensued, complete with regulation 'interesting river
crossing'. You know, the usual long boggy path where you
can't get into a stride and the more care you take over
avoiding the deepest bogs the more chance there is of
falling in. And of course the rain by now was falling
steadily and heavily.
But eventually we got back, some 10 1/2 hours after setting
off, and having climbed neither of the 2 Munros we'd meant
to do, but doing an entirely different 4 instead. The joys
of spontaneity! Though I'm sure some would tell us off for
not writing out and sticking to a route card ;-)
Never has Nevisport bar been so welcome.