|
Morning at Lagangarbh
Stob Dearg
At least in the morning, this was one of those perfect mountain
days. A good forecast prompted us to stay in Glen Coe for a while longer
so four of us left the hut
and started up the Coire na Tulaich path towards Stob Dearg. It was
beautiful morning in every way, only to get better. The skies were tones
of deep blue I hadn't seen in a while, the northern mountains
snow-dusted but benign.
Being here reminded me how much I loved the
Highlands and I'm starting to feel at home... Colin and I struck
off ahead of Dougie and Davie and headed in a more direct line up the
corrie's screes. I made the most out of the brief scrambling. It was fun
while it lasted, but felt easy - much easier than when I was last here
in
December 2009. I came up with Michael Coffield on a day graced with
extreme winds, blizzards and spindrift. Getting back down into this
coire had been much harder than on a day like today. Very, very hard.
Propelled upwards by the promise of
sunlight on the ridge, I topped out to a stunning morning. It's times
like these I feel like the happiest guy on Earth, even with the bank of
clouds on the southern horizon. With the winds carrying it north, it
would hit us sooner or later so I felt a hint of urgency of reach Stob
Dearg. With four of us on the ridge, we headed to the top. It's a great
hill for false summits but it didn't bother me - I just sucked in the
weather, in awe at the scale of the world. I often cast my mind back to
December when conditions had been so very different.
Then as the summit itself came into view at
the end of the ridge, my thrill grew even greater with the sight of
Rannoch Moor framed in it's entirety beyond. Standing on this summit, on
the edge of a moor so flat, the air so crystal clear, my head filled
with the volume of space. I was way above the world now, touching a deep
blue sky reflected pure on the loch-studded Moor. This is so damn
natural - this is why I come back again and again. It's the greatest
thing on the planet. The greatest
thing I know.
I had a look down the famous East Face of
this mountain. Last time I got a view on this summit, I was thirteen
years old and knew none of the scrambles or climbs. Now I kind of knew
what I was looking for, and walked down the top of the North Buttress. A
couple of ridges weaved up - was that Crowberry Ridge? One thing was for
sure - it was a damn long way to the bottom. But I like the thought of
Curved Ridge someday.
Stob na Doire
As perfect a morning as it was,
the sublime conditions would not last. The skies were paling to the tune
of high cirrus and the southern front literally gobbled up one peak
after another. We returned to the head of Coire na Tulaich. Colin
descended this way - he had to get home, but Davie, Dougie and I stayed
up to complete the whole ridge. Having made my fourth ascent of Coire na
Tulaich this would be the first time I'd ever link all for Buachaille
Etive Mor Tops.
The wind definitely brought a drop in temperatures, not only in wind
chill but in true air temperature (It seemed) which would be curious
because the weather front came from the warm south. It was swarming each
peak and soon it would reach us. With some other walkers about, we
scurried up Stob na Doire and headed off soon after since I was wearing
a pair of shorts and was none too warm.
Stob na Broige and Descent
Stob na Doire has a steep but
easy ascent so I set off ahead of the other guys, in dire need to warm
up. It was getting desperately cold and kept a steady pace to Stob na
Broige, the second Munro. At the culmination of my first end-to-end
traverse of this ridge, I sat in the summit cairn where I quickly warmed
up without the wind chill factor. I took my boots off, blow dried my
socks 'outside' and waited for the others to arrive.
With cloud brushing the summit, I probably spent fifteen minutes there.
It was relatively warm. Bearing the wind, we headed back the way we
came, turning off at Coire Altruim.
It's amazing what a couple of hours can do to these mountains. In the
morning they had been spectacular. Now they seemed lifeless in the flat,
clear air of a front. However that's not to say I didn't enjoy them. The
walk was mentally over and we only had to get back to our digs at
Lagangarbh. The coire descent had seen interesting area where the
granite sheets had been verglassed. Caution was needed and a little
climbing skill too - but it was just fun. The walk through Lairig
Gartain was pleasant and a damn sight warmer than on the ridge. A good
path facilitates ease of access, as in much of Glen Coe. Follow this by
an unattractive road-walk to the digs and we were done.
Lagangarbh
A couple of cool things to
finish off the day: We went in to tidy the place up, and later on I
looked out the window. The Buachaille was covered in snow.
Whoa.
I'd heard snow was coming but it was great to actually see it. Writing
early December, I might not have guessed the several feet of snow we've
now received over the intervening month. So early in the season, too.
Last of all, I picked up some dropped trekking poles from the Altnafeadh
car park and located him later on. I finally got them back to the owner
late-December, but I did think they would be my own for a while...!
(Updated 2010-12-25)
Panorama
360° panorama from Stob Dearg
 |
