
12/06/18 - Canoe 3.4km to campsite GR102423 against the wind and tide (16.30)! Loch Etive
A stunning evening, the clouds cleared, the breeze kept the midges down, the fire box was lit and a whisky apéritif after chicken and bean casserole with crusty bread - what more could one need.
13/06/18 - 8.2km + 1190m, canoe 3.4km. Ben Starav
Tidy up the remote tops of Ben Starav with Jen Paul, making the most of the weather before before it crapped out!
Left the tent (0725), and headed for the Allt Coire na Làrach, wanting to be on the northern side (with the canoe and tent) if the rain arrived early. made our way up the slopes, often across slabs of steeply angled rock to 822m (09.50) and the main ridge to Stob An Duine Ruaidh (10.15). we stayed out of the cloud over Meall Cruidh (10.40), until the old GR for Stob Coire Dheirg at 1086 when it descended around. we soon found ourselves on Ben Starav (11.20). A mossy slope led us down to a lovely promontory with its own cairn at GR120423 with great views into Coire Lotha and over Loch Etive. What felt like a long descent, with intermittent rain, over mixed ground that required, care took us back to the tent (13.10). We had packed most of the gear leaving mainly the tent to put away before loaded the canoe and sailed all the way back to the car park (14.20) where we got the gear in/on the van as the weather started to worsen.
A quick web booking and phone call saw us booked in to the Alex MacIntyre Hut. Being the only ones in there we were able to dry out the tent and all out wet walking and paddling gear. By now we couldn't see the other side of Loch Leven for the rain and howling wind. The morning was even worse so we headed south (and sunshine), basking in the knowledge that we had made the most of a small weather window.
Area :
Glen Etive to Glen Lochy
This is the area south of Buachaille Etive Mor as far as the A85 (Tyndrum to Oban road). It includes the peaks around the Glencoe Ski Centre (Creise and Meall a’Bhuiridh) alongside eleven other Munros and many other peaks above 600m. Highlights such as Ben Cruachan (1126m) and Stob Ghabhar (1090) remind all-comers that this is an area of high mountains and low glens.