Plan; either doing:
1. Sgurr Na H-Ulaidh and Beinn Fhionnlaidh from Glen Etive. Or-
2. The Aonach - Eagach ridge.
When I got to our meeting point Bill was already decided he wanted to tackle the Aonach to Eagach ridge. So I just went along with that. I was happy to do either to be honest.
We had a look at the map and discussed what the weather had predicted.
9mph winds, 25mph gusts. Good Vis, but cloudy day.
Bill has done this route twice already in both directions so we talked about the pinnacles and a few other more exposed areas where we should move a little more cautiously.
Then we checked out each others gear.
I had the with me a full hiking pack, In reach mini 2, 2 man bivvy, emergency shelter, first aid and spare warm clothes for myself and extra of both for Bill. Waterproofs, food, water and extra of both for emergency. Also a headtorch and spare battery.
Bill had a different tracking device and we talked about the difference between them both.
He also has similar stuff to me for food, and emergency.
Bill parked in the carpark where we come down from the mountain and jumped in with me to drive to the start.
We stopped to chat about the Glencoe Sky race and where the route comes down, we talked about Killian Jornets time across the ridge. We talked about our plans for the year. We talked about the lichen, folded rock, best way to go up through Scree. We talked about cleaning your feet on your other leg trousers before tackling a more exposed part of the ridge to aid grip.
The ridge was easy to climb but it was quite wet in places and very exposed so we did move slowly. It was an exciting adventure. I would probably only take a more experienced hiker over that route in the future.
We took some great photos of the clouds and the dramatic landscape.
It was a fantastic day out all in all.
Area :
Glencoe North (Loch Leven To Rannoch Station)
This area covers the northern side of Glen Coe and the mountains north of Rannoch Moor. Notable features include the Pap of Glencoe, the Aonach Eagach ridge (home to a few kilometres of horizontal scrambling) and the remote peak of Stob na Cruiache which is generally accessed from the train station to the east. Includes all major peaks above 600m.
