a few more days out in 2004

Tollmount and Tom Buidhe

9th October 2004

Lovely day - up "Jock's Road" from the top of Glen Clova - through the forest - the massive craggy amphitheatre of Glen Doll - steep ascent to upper valley - easy walking over Crow Craigs, then Tollmount, Ca Whins and Tom Buidhe.
Munros 174 and 175 for me.


(left) view from top of Glen Doll cliffs towards Davy's Bourach and the path onwards towards Tom Buidhe

Stob Ban (Grey Corries)

20th October 2004

A week's holiday in a cottage near Spean Bridge - the weather was varied(!), but we managed two hill days.  

We left the car at the "tramway", a mile above Coirechoille, then tramped up the forest track through the pass to the Lairig Leacach bothy, occupied by Outward Bound campers. 

Followed a very muddy path up the NE ridge, getting drier as we went up.  Final 200m were very cold and steep.  Dusting of snow above 750m, so Stob Ban was even more "ban" than usual.  Excellent views in all directions, but not a day for lingering.  Descended north towards the Grey Corries (can it really be 23 years since we were up there?), then down beside the Giant's Staircase.  Long trudge back to the car.

(right) Stob Ban and the Giant's Staircase

(below) looking south from Carn Liath

a round of Coire Ardair       23rd October 2004

Creag Meaghaidh offers plenty of possibilities.  My first skirmish was a walk up Coire Ardair with Anne, as far as the lochan, but no further - wind, mist and snow - back in May 1982!  Next visit (also with Anne) was an ascent from the south taking in the southern tops and the summit, in 1992 - memorable for having to lie down on the plateau feeling really ill after eating a Mars Bar!  Then, in 2001, Iain and I climbed Carn Liath, and its eastern outlying top, then back over Carn Liath, on a wintry April day.  

So that left one Munro - Stob Poite Coire Ardair - and several tops still to be visited.

We set off from Aberarder at 10.30 and climbed the meandering path up to Carn Liath (third time on its summit!)  Nice to have the hardest work behind us by 12.45!  Enjoyed the high level walk over various humps and bumps round to Stob Poite Coire Ardair (the target Munro) for a late lunch.  The mist had been hanging around at about 1000m, but now lifted.  

(right) Coire Ardair from Stob Poite Coire Ardair

Continued down to "the window", then steeply up again and round the edge of the plateau, with great views down into Coire Ardair to the left, and Moy Corrie to the right.

Crossed the last top at 4pm, and made a slow descent down tussocky moorland and bog as darkness began to fall.  Glad to reach the car park at 6pm, with an owl swooping over our heads!

written 18/01/10