An attempt on Stob Coire Sgreamhach via the Lairig Eilde. With Marion and her friend Zoe.
You definitely don't need to reach a summit to learn a lot from a mountain day!
On reflection the conditions today could perhaps have been predicted from the forecast and perusal of the previous day's reports but on the other hand variations due to local topography are so important that you sometimes just have to go out and see what's there!
It turned out to be a fairly typical early winter's day in Glencoe - a fresh fall of deep snow, not yet consolidated, combined with gale-force winds: in this case bitingly cold northerlies, the tail-end of named storm Darragh as it progressed eastwards towards the continent.
My choice of route was influenced by Zoe's having already reached the other Bidean Munros via Coire nan Lochan, and my knowledge of the good approach path en route to a couple of winter ascents of Sron na Lairig. I also knew from experience that the SE ridge from the col at point 741 on Stob Coire Sgreamhach was broad and free of any technical difficulties.
The car park at the Cairn east of The Study was busy on this Sunday, but luckily everyone was heading for the wee Buachaille and we had the hill to ourselves. Perhaps not so luckily however - as there was as yet no mark on the virgin snow cover and we soon learned that trail-breaking was to become the most significant challenge! The Lairig path climbs very gradually initially and with the wind at our backs we made good easy progress for the first hour or so to approximately below the Sron ridge, where we stopped to refuel. Leaving the line of the summer path and beginning to tackle the steeper slopes, I soon found myself "post-holing" steps up to the knees and above: the snow was of a particularly troublesome quality - too wet to be powder, but also lacking in any firmer layer right down to grass level, not even a superficial frozen crust. Vainly trying to weave a path between tussocks and outcropping rocks, by the time we reached the ridge I had more or less exhausted my limited early-season reserves of stamina - as I was soon to find out.
Emerging from a shallow gully on to the col, we were met by screaming North to North Westerlies, whipping up a stinging cloud of spindrift. Taking meagre shelter behind a boulder and barely able to communicate even by shouting, I ordered all extra layers on and ice-axes out. Only Zoe had goggles - wisely - which she also put on. Even wearing my heavy Mountain Equipment belay jacket, I soon found myself cooling down rapidly, and running out of energy to combat the sustained buffeting - I reckoned the strongest gusts were well above 100kph. We staggered upwards for around 10 minutes or so before another huddled confab - I decided retreat was the only option with the summit I calculated at least an hour away. We scuttled quickly down to the col and took shelter once more further down the gully, finally able to talk again and refuel with a hot flask.
The rest of the descent was tranquillity itself, mellow evening light following us down the glen, to arrive somewhat chastened at the car - but ready to face another day tomorrow - when the forecast promised high pressure building.
Total Distance 9.36 km
Elevation gain 1034m
Elapsed time 5:36
Area :
Glencoe South (Loch Linnhe To Loch Etive)
The southern side of Glen Coe includes some very well-known mountains and can be split into two groups; the ones you can see from the A82 and the ones you can’t. Included in the former group is Buachaille Etive Mor, Buachaille Etive Beag, the Three Sisters and the Ballachulish Horseshoe, and in the latter, three Munros between Glen Creran and Glen Etive (Sgor na h-Ulaidh, Beinn Fhionnlaidh and Beinn Sgulaird). With huge amounts of climbing and walking in summer and winter, this area is also home to a large cairn built for Queen Victoria, or so the story goes. Includes all major peaks above 600m.
