Alex MacIntyre Hut weekend meet, Ballachulish
We had to remind ourselves that midsummer was fast approaching as we encountered wet, windy and snowy conditions on our weekend meet to the Alex MacIntyre Hut at Ballachulish. Undaunted, however, the group ranged widely over Munros, Corbetts and Grahams in Glen Etive, Glencoe, Kinlochleven, Ardgour and Bridge of Orchy. A special mention to our two new prospective members, Iona and Jorge who summited their first Glen Etive munro after an epic journey to the hut and a late night arrival caused by sat nav misdirection.
Mel was on a munro bagging campaign, poor weather forecast or not, and she, Tim, Craig, Iona and Jorge set off for Beinn nan Aighenan on Saturday.
Tim writes - Despite a varied forecast Mel persuaded an intrepid group to join her on a venture from the lower reaches of Glen Etive. The target was the remote Munro of Beinn nan Aighenan, located behind Ben Starav. After making good use of tracks and paths provided by a recent run of river hydro development, elevenses were taken in the upper reaches of Allt nam Meirleach, before we exposed ourselves to fierce winds and wintery conditions on the ridge to the west of Meall nan Tri Tighearnan. From there it was a simple descent and ascent up Beinn nan Aighenan's north ridge, only complicated by the weather being unable to decide between June and January. After regaining the ridge, the party split in two, with Craig and Tim diverting East along the ridge to take in Glas Bheinn Mhór, and descending via the Glen of the Allt Mheuran. Meanwhile Mel and prospective members Iona and Jorge descended by the route of ascent. All made it safely back to Ballachulish after a satisfying long day out in wintry June weather.
On Saturday Peter and Marion “did a circuit from Kinlochleven to Loch Eilde Mor, starting up the good path on the east side of the river Leven through woods in pleasant sunshine, though there were one or two heavy showers later. A small but well made path branches off the main track and climps steeply to join a path along the route of the pipeline from Loch Eilde Mor to the Blackwater Reservoir, which is a relief from the climb in being almost level, but horribly broken and boggy in places. From the loch a bit of a climb on the extension of the Mamore Lodge track brought us to a descent path, good at first but broken and eroded lower down, which eventually made its way through the woods to our starting point - a good and for us sufficiently strenuous day.
On Sunday, in the better than expected weather I am sure we all enjoyed, we did the 3k Brecklet Trail behind the slate quarry in Ballachulish, had lunch in the 'coffee and crafts' cafe at Glencoe, and then did the waterfall trail from the Glen Righ forestry car park north of Onich. Apart from admiring the fall we had added interest in watching a team from 'Vertical Descents' jumping, sliding and scrambling down it.”
Arthur, Robin and Ewen took the Corran Ferry to Ardgour and took the steep and twisty road to Polloch as far as Kinlochan from where they set off up the Long Beinn Mheadhoin ridge for the Corbett, Carn na Nathrach. It was wet and windy, but at least we had the wind at our back. We were not looking forward to the return trip with the wind in our faces, but from the summit we spotted a crag free descent to the bealach at the head of Gleann an Dubh Choirein and some clear felling of the forest in the glen with the prospect of a clear way to the head of the forest track out of the wind. And so it was.
Mel’s campaign continued on Sunday - “Mel, Tim and Fiona climbed a very busy Stob Coire Sgreamhach and Bidean nam Bian through the lost valley on the Sunday. The weather was amazing and we could see the snow on Ben Nevis.”
Tim is also including Munro tops in his round and he writes - “On Sunday morning Mel, Fiona and Tim set out from Glen Coe to ascend Bidean nam Bian and Stob Choire Sgreamhach. Sunshine and cloud vied for dominance as a glorious ascent was made through the lost valley. The path then got a bit steeper, before it decided to get steep, and then decided to stop all this nonsense of gradual increases in gradient and just get properly steep. Mel and Fiona emerged out on to the Bealach Dearg, more from a desire to escape Tim's moaning about the gradient than anything else. Once the col had been gained and stroll out to Stob Choire Sgreamhach completed, the group climbed Bidean. Mel and Fiona took lunch at the summit while Tim pushed out to the top of Stob Coire nam Beith for his vittles. By the time he returned over Bidean, Mel and Fiona had returned to the Bealach and back down the lost valley. Tim however diverted down and up the north ridge between Bidean and its seconds top of Stob Coire nan Lochan. Form there he descended the airy north east ridge that becomes Gear Aonach, however the Glen of the Coire nan Lochan was used as the route of descent, with Tim joining Mel back at the car park a wee while after Fiona had headed back homeward. A great weekend of hill walking despite a poor forecast. “
Michael writes - On Saturday from the 'Bee Hive' car park I hike up Stob Coire Raineach (Buachaille Etive Beag),there were heavy snow showers nearing the summit so I retreated down. On Sunday I walked with Ewen doing a circuit from Kinlochleven up to Loch Eilide Mhor ( spraining my ankle) and eventually back to Kinlochleven.
On Sunday Arthur went home via Tyndrum, stopping off to climb Fiarach, a missing Graham.
Robin climbed the 770M Corbett Stob Coire a' Chearcaill from Duisky on the south shore of Loch Eil. It was, he writes “a straightforward affair, if something of a slog over boggy and tussocky ground on the lower slopes before reaching the Braigh Bhlach ridge, which afforded superb views in all directions, including the new summer snow crowning Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg and the Aonachs.For a while it looked like some grubby weather was approaching from the northwest, and overtrousers were donned in anticipation, but it passed harmlessly south and faded out allowing the trigpoint and cairn to be reached in the dry. The only other walkers seen, a trio also from Inverness as it turned out, were encountered on Braigh Bhlaich on the descent.”
Taking Part: Craig, Mel, Tim, Fiona, Michael, Robin, Ewen, Arthur, Peter, Marion and new prospective members Iona and Jorge.
Words: Peter, Robin, Mel, Tim, Michael and Arthur
Photos: Robin, Mel, Michael and Arthur
