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.
Avalanche reports suggest high risk from NW round to NE but the wind had changed direction through the week before leaving a potential for loaded gullies. With this in mind I kept fairly low and circumnavigated the mountain around to the SE flank and ascended via the right hand shoulder of Coire Cloche Finne. This meant I was sheltered from the worst of the wind but the snow above 750m was often knee deep meaning heavy going and I was always aware of my runout if I was to slip. After topping out the wind picked up and visibility deteriorated. I eventually made my way to Stob na Doire and descended via the SW flank away from the rocky outcrops but in snow that was hip deep in many places. Overall a long slow day out but brilliant.
