After a few days borrowed from spring, last weekend, out on the Five Sisters of Kintail, we were lulled into thinking that winter was behind us.
Only to have a final (we hope) icy snap on Friday night. We woke to a good covering of snow across the hill tops...
As we had planned to climb some of Scotland's highest, we donned our cold weather gear again and set off from the Upper Glen Nevis car park in warm sunshine!
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| Jim - setting off from Glen Nevis Upper Car Park |
We enjoyed the usual meander through the Glen Nevis gorge - very much greener than when we were here, just a few weeks back...
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| Glen Nevis from Eas an Tuill |
Steall Falls is always a spectacular sight.
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| Jim - Steall Falls |
And for possibly the first time ever, Jim didn't bother to cross the wire bridge (and back) over the Water of Nevis - too excited at the prospect of big hills and snow.
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| Jim beside the Water of Nevis - views to Sgurr a'Bhuic |
More meandering up to Steall ruins - taking in the views and noting the not inconsiderable amount of white stuff on the higher tops.
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| Jim at Allt Coire Giubhsachan bridge- views to Aonach Beag and Sgurr a'Bhuic |
We crossed the good bridge over Allt Coire Giubhsachan and took the rough path, initially beside the burn, then across the moor, in the general direction of Sgurr a'Bhuic - our first summit of the day and a Munro Top.
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Jim ascends beside Allt Coire Giubhsachan - views to Aonach Beag and Sgurr a'Bhuic |
It was clouding over - and there was a definite chill in the air.
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| Upper Glen Nevis |
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan |
But the views were just stunning.
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views to An Gearanach and Sgurr a'Mhaim |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views to Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views to An Gearanch and Sgurr a'Mhaim |
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| Jim - views to Sgurr a'Bhuic |
As we ascended the rough path deteriorated, became indistinct and then disappeared. We just we went up - diagonally and steeply across the hillside - aiming for some obvious rocks below the shallow bealach between an 800m mound and the start of the final pull up Sgurr a'Bhuic (NN199700 approx)
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| Sgurr a'Bhuic - An Gearanch and Sgurr a'Mhaim |
There was some zigging as well as zagging.
Ben Nevis peeked over the tops - with just a whisp of cloud over the summit.
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| Jim - ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views to Ben Nevis |
There was soon some snow beneath our boots...
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| Sgurr a'Bhuic with views to Binnein Beag, Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean |
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| Jim - ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views to Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean |
By the time we reached that shallow bealach, it definitely felt like winter - a bitter wind blowing across the tops and there were flurries of snow on that wind - brrrrrrr. We were glad of our winter gear.
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| Jim - ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
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| Ben Nevis from ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
Keeping moving was a definite - onward and upward...
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| Jim - ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
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| Ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic - views back along ascent route and to Ben Nevis |
The route took us up through rocks and scree, never too steep, an easy ascent.
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| Jim - ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
Although it was mostly cloudy, there was the occasional burst of sunshine - and the visibility was excellent, every mountain clear and sharp across our horizons.
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| Looking back from ascent of Sgurr a'Bhuic |
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| Jim nearing Sgurr a'Bhuic summit |
There's the summit - Sgurr a'Bhuic (Munro Top 130, 963m).
Amazing views...
The Grey Corries immediately took our attention, directly ahead, a sinuous ridge of white to the east.
Then the winding ledge of Stob Coire Bhealaich above the enormous cliffs of Coire a'Bhuic to the north - our onward route.
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| Sgurr a'Bhuic summit (Munro Top 130, 963m) |
The Mamores to the south and Ben Nevis to the west... Wooooo...
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| Jim - views to route up Stob Coire Bhealaich from Sgurr a'Bhuic summit |
It was too chilly to stop for long - a first lunch would have to wait for a spot out of the wind - we yomped on, descending into the bealach above Coire a'Bhuic.
We hunkered down amongst the rocks above the coire - out of the wind it wasn't too bad - a great place to marvel at the scene over a sarnie and a bit of flapjack.
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| Views to Grey Corries from Sgurr a'Bhuic summit - pretty good view for our first lunch |
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| Sgurr a'Bhuic from ascent of Stob Coire Bhealaich |
Moving on again - we ascended towards Stob Coire Bhealaich (second Munro Top of the day), keeping close to the cliffs and taking in the views - as we gained height we soon had our first sight of the summit of Aonach Beag.
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| Binnein Mor, Na Gruagaichean and Sgurr a'Bhuic from ascent of Stob Coire Bhealaich |
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| Jim - ascent Stob Coire Bhealaich |
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| Looking back to Sgurr a'Bhuic from ascent of Stob Coire Bhealaich |
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| Ascent of Stob Coire Bhealaich - with Aonach Beag beyond |
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| Looking back to the cliffs of Stob Coire Bhealaich with the Grey Corries beyond |
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| Jim - Nearning Stob Coire Bhealaich summit (Munro Top 26, 1100m) with views to Ben Nevis |
As we reached the summit of Stob Coire Bhealaich (Munro Top 26, 1100m), it really felt like winter - the wind was an icy whip, battering us with stinging hail. A moment to take some photos and we moved on - would the weather get better or worse?
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| Stob Coire Bhealaich cliffs and Killiechonate Forest |
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Beag |
Aonach Beag was ahead - an enormous snowy whale-back - we followed the cliff edge upward, past hanging cornice and frozen rocks - proper mountains!
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| Looking back to Stob Coire Bhealaich cliffs from ascent of Aonach Beag |
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| Looking back to the Grey Cories and Stob Coire Bhealaich from ascent of Aonach Beag |
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Beag |
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Looking back to Sgurr a'Bhuic and Stob Coire Bhealaich from ascent of Aonach Beag
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Beag |
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| Looking back to the Grey Corries, Sgurr a'Bhuic and Stob Coire Bhealaich from ascent of Aonach Beag |
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Beag |
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Beag |
It wasn't long before we topped out on the summit plateau - and the wind stopped!
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| Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from near Aonach Beag summit |
It felt almost warm - it was hauntingly still and quiet. We stood and stared...
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| Aonach Beag summit (Munro 7, 1234m) with views to Aonach Mor |
Aonach Beag (Munro 7, 1234m) is an awesome viewpoint. We wandered about (watching for cornices!), taking photographs in every direction and marvelling at the strangeness of the place.
Ben Nevis loomed close - surely only a hop and a jump away...
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| Aonach Beag summit plateau with views to Ben Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg and Aonach Mor |
And Aonach Mor - we'll be there in a few!
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| Jim - Aonach Beag summit plateau with views to Aonach Mor |
Continuing north, we descended into a rocky bealach, slightly slippery underfoot...
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| Aonach Mor from descent from Aonach Beag |
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| Jim - Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from descent from Aonach Beag |
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| Jim - views to Aonach Mor from descent from Aonach Beag |
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| Coire Giubhsachan from bealach between Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor |
Soon ascending again towards our second Munro of the day - Aonach Mor.
It wasn't very steep, but much further than it had looked from its smaller, but taller little brother.
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| Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dear from ascent of Seang Aonach Mor |
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| Jim - ascent of Seang Aonach Mor |
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| Looking back to Aonach Beag from ascent of Aonach Mor |
The wind had picked up again in the bealach and continued as we crossed the wide plateau.
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| Jim - ascent of Aonach Mor |
The ground had been scoured of much of the snow and the path to the summit was obvious.
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| Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from ascent of Aonach Mor |
The summit cairn was clear against the dark horizon and the wind was whipping up some snow dogs - it looked like we might be in for some more weather.
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| Dark skies over Aonach Mor summit |
We were soon at the cairn - Aonach Mor (Munro 8, 1221m) - many more photo's were taken!
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| Aomach Mor summit (Munro 8, 1221m) |
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| Aonach Beag from Aonach Mor summit |
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| Views south west over Glen Nevis and Glen Coe with Ben Nevis from Aonach Mor summit |
Ben Nevis, just across the way, was busy. We could see people queuing to get up to the summit cairn. We had Aonach Mor summit to ourselves.
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| A busy Ben Nevis summit from Aonach Mor summit |
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| Loch Eil over Carn Beag Dearg from Aonach Mor summit |
We watched the dark clouds roiling in - now might be a good time to get off the tops...
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| Jim - heading back across Aonach Mor summit plateau |
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| Looking back to Aonach Mor summit |
We headed back across Aonach Mor;s summit plateau, this time sticking to it's western edge looking for the steep path down to the watershed between Aonach Mor and Carn Mor Dearg and into Coire Giubhsachan - we were worried that we might miss it in the snow.
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| Jim - Aonach Mor summit plateau - views south west |
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| Jim - descent from Aonach Mor into Coire Giubhsachan - views to Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg |
But it was obvious in the end - there was a little cairn, but it was the curving ridge near the summit of Carn Mor Dearg, across the other side of the glen that gave it away.
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| Aonach Beag crags and Coire Giubhsachan from descent from Aonach Mor |
The path was rough, steep and steeper - but a very quick descent!
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| Jim - descent from Aonach Mor into Coire Giubhsachan |
As we descended, we were overtaken by a couple of fell runners - there's nothing like being made to feel like a couple of old fuddy duddies! - We watched them run down the path, cross the glen at its narrowest (quite narrow!) point and straight up the other side into jumbled rocks with no path to be seen.
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| North along Allt Diam from descent into Coire Giubhsachan |
By the time we reached the glen, we could just about pick them up in the distance, a good way up the next hill - Carn Mor Dearg.
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| Jim - descent into Coire Giubhsachan with views to Carn Mor Dearg |
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| Descent into Coire Giubhsachan - views south |
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| Looking back up our descent route from Coire Giubhsachan |
We were now below the snow line. We found a likely spot in the rocks by Allt Coire Giubhsachan - out of the wind that was howling through the glen - and hunkered down for a second lunch.
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| Jim - Aonach Beag cliffs from Coire Giubhsachan |
That weather that we could see on the summit breezed in whilst we were eating. So we didn't sit for long.
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| Looking back (north) as we descend through Coire Giubhsachan |
Chased by cloud and some snow flurries we descended through Coire Giubhsachan - a place to return to on a day of sun and warmth - I really fancy a paddle in the burn.
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| Jim - Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Looking back (north) to watershed between Carn Mor Deag and Aonach Mor from Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Jim - descent through Coire Giubhsachan |
The path was somewhat intermittent - but the way was obvious.
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Looking back (north) to watershed between Carn Mor Deag and Aonach Mor from Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan - views south |
And once we reached the top of the waterfalls above the final descent into Upper Glen Nevis, a rough path reappeared.
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Looking back (north) to watershed between Carn Mor Deag and Aonach Mor from Coire Giubhsachan
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| Descent into Upper Glen Nevis from Coire Giubhsachan |
And we had left the weather behind - by the time we descended into Glen Nevis it was warm - not quite tee shirt weather, but the hats and gloves could go...
Much of this mornings snow had melted from the lower hills.
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| Sgurr a'Bhuic from descent into Upper Glen Nevis from Coire Giubhsachan |
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| Allt Coire Giubhsachan bridge again- views to Aonach Beag and Sgurr a'Bhuic - much of the snow melted |
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| Upper Glen Nevis |
Once back at Steall Falls it felt like we were back in civilisation - families having picnics, dogs swimming in the river, everyone (except us) trying out the Steall bridge.
Time for a gentle meander back down through the Glen Nevis Gorge.
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| Steall Falls in Upper Glen Nevis |
Route: Upper Glen Nevis car park (NN168691), take main footpath east from car park up Glen Nevis, above the Water of Nevis, past Steall Falls (on the other side of the river) and over fb over Allt Coire Guibhsachan, (NN186687) taking faint, rough path NE beside Allt Coire nan Laogh (just before the ruins of the settlement of Steall), continue up the SW nose of Sgurr a'Bhuic on mainly pathless ground (just go up!) to 800m sh and continue onto summit, Sgurr a'Bhuic (Munro Top 130, 963m), NE on rough path over Bealach Coire a'Bhuic, NE then W along rough path above cliffs to Stob Coire Bhealaich (Munro Top 26, 1100m), continue NW on rough path to Aonach Beag (Munro 7, 1234m), then N over bealach and across wide plateau to Aonach Mor (Munro 8, 1221m) return along W side of plateau to ill defined ridge (marked by a small cairn) dropping very steeply to watershed above Coire Guibhsachan and take very rough path descending steeply W into glen, take indistinct path S through Coire Guibhsachan and follow beside Allt Coire Guibhsachan descending to Stall ruins and then W back to start point
Statistics: Distance: 18km Ascent: 1375m Time: 8 hours
Map: OS Explorer 392 Ben Nevis & Fort William
Aonach Beag
Aonach Mor
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