14th April 2012 - The Grey Corries

Incredible rock patterns seen on Sob Coire a' Chairn

Anna approaching the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor

Looking over what is to come

Looking back at Aonoch Mor. Easy Gull and other prominent lines can be easily discerned

Anna with the Grey Corries stretching into the distance

Anna with the Grey Corries, the Aonochs and the Ben in the distance

The weather, although an imrovement on the morning, was still chop and change

About to climb Stob Ban, looking down towards Binnien Mor and Binnien Beag

Today Anna and I had a fairly early start in order to complete the full round of the Grey Corries in winter conditions in daylight. We opted to approach the ridge from Glen Nevis, which some argue is the longer route but also the quieter. The walk in was pleasant, although the weather forecast did not really seem to be living up to expectations, with overcast skies, blustery winds and hidden summits. As the Glen path begins to dwindle to a boggy mess, we started off in the direction of the bealach between Stob Coire Bhealaich and Sgurr Choinnich Beag and after what felt like an eternity of slogging uphill over broken ground we finally reached the bealach, and the snow line. As I was yesterday, I felt very out of sorts, and every step seemed such an effort. Again I was not carrying a full pack (no rope) but even Anna was surprised at how much I was struggling. Having finally made it to the first summit of the day, in deteriorating visibility, we began to wonder if it was worth completing the ridge, which is renowned for its stunning vistas.

However, as we debated, the clouds began to clear, allowing us a view of our objective, which was quite daunting considering how slowly I was moving. With conditions improving, we made a decision and kept going, although the variety of snow conditions underfoot meant that our progress varied. Anna was moving well, making light work of the conditions, and stayed ahead most of the time. This was great for her to be making the route finding decisions and her judgement calls were spot on. Hopefully it has done alot for her confidence and I continue to urge her towards her ML training as she is easily capable of achieving it.

The approach to Stob Coire an Laoigh provided the only section of real scrambling of the day, and it was short but sweet on lovely rock which was stripped of any ice or snow. It is also an optional approach, as there are simple slopes to the north side of this section which provides a more walker friendly route if required.

There were plenty of teams coming in the opposite direction, and soon it seemed like a busier day than we expected. The sun made some strong appearances and we were amazed at how the temperature varied from freezing cold in the passing snow showers, to roasting hot when the wind died down. We got some tremendous views north east over Creag Meagaidh and west to the Aonochs and the Ben, shrouded in cloud as usual! We opted to skip Stob Coire na Ceannain due to time marching on, but did nip up Stob Ban on our way south and off the ridge. The slog down to glen level was as trudging as the way up had been, however I had slowly been improving through the day and was keen to get back for some real food!

It always seems the case that the walk out from any mountain seems long and arduous. In this instance, it was awful. The 'path' was boggy, wet and often performed disappearing acts, leaving us having to pick our own way through the marsh. Our spirits were still high though - its all about the challenge and just being outdoors that is so important and we had certainly had our fill today. The route is interesting but never hard, and never scary but worth every step. We look forward to doing it again in the summer, although this time we are going to try approaching it from the north, and see if it makes any difference.