For our final day together, we decided on a split route. Colm wanted to have a crack at the zigzag route on Gearr Aonach, which is one of the Three Sisters of Glencoe, whilst Matt opted for the less technical walk up the beautiful Coire an Lochan. We planned to meet on the NE ridge of Stob Coire nan Lochan.
The plan worked a treat, and Colm and I had a blast on the top-end Grade 1 scrambling up the zigzags. The final wall has a technical move around a bulge that always gets the pulse racing, and we enjoyed the problem solving, finding the hidden undercut hold that is the key to the move.
Matt was a little chilled by the time we got to him, so we headed on up quickly, with the narrowing ridge always good fun, but never too tricky. We picked out a few spicier lines to enhance the ascent, and were soon on the summit, (which all agree should be a munro). It was then a misty descent and re-ascent onto the highest mountain in Argyll, Bidean nam Bian, which did a good line in looming views in the cloud. We rested on the cloudy summit a while chatting to some Americans, before the views suddenly revealed themselves.....wonderful. The Americans thankfully took my advice and saved themselves a very long road walk up the valley had they taken their planned route!
Buoyed by the expansive views and improving weather, we then headed for our second munro, Stob Coire Sgreamhach, before taking the eroded gully down into the Hidden Valley, as beautiful as ever. It would be fair to say the lads didn't enjoy the scree, but had a laugh trying to glissade down the snow patch (at the end of July....I mean for heaven's sake!).
The beauty of this walk just keeps on coming right until the very end, end even then you can look back up the valleys and buttresses and think 'did we really just climb those'?
Glencoe.....If Carlsberg did mountains.....
The plan worked a treat, and Colm and I had a blast on the top-end Grade 1 scrambling up the zigzags. The final wall has a technical move around a bulge that always gets the pulse racing, and we enjoyed the problem solving, finding the hidden undercut hold that is the key to the move.
Matt was a little chilled by the time we got to him, so we headed on up quickly, with the narrowing ridge always good fun, but never too tricky. We picked out a few spicier lines to enhance the ascent, and were soon on the summit, (which all agree should be a munro). It was then a misty descent and re-ascent onto the highest mountain in Argyll, Bidean nam Bian, which did a good line in looming views in the cloud. We rested on the cloudy summit a while chatting to some Americans, before the views suddenly revealed themselves.....wonderful. The Americans thankfully took my advice and saved themselves a very long road walk up the valley had they taken their planned route!
Buoyed by the expansive views and improving weather, we then headed for our second munro, Stob Coire Sgreamhach, before taking the eroded gully down into the Hidden Valley, as beautiful as ever. It would be fair to say the lads didn't enjoy the scree, but had a laugh trying to glissade down the snow patch (at the end of July....I mean for heaven's sake!).
The beauty of this walk just keeps on coming right until the very end, end even then you can look back up the valleys and buttresses and think 'did we really just climb those'?
Glencoe.....If Carlsberg did mountains.....
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