Walk Report: The Western Mamores
Saturday 23rd July
Today the weather was brilliant once again. It won't last, of course, it was already beginning to cloud up today but that just served to cool the temperature just at the hottest part of the day. The weather combined with the tremendous terrain to provide a thoroughly enjoyable days walk. It was one of those days in the hills you remember with fondness and make me say to myself, "This is why I do this." This morning I caught the bus from the youth hostel to its terminus at the lower falls in Glen Nevis, and immediately started following a signposted 'Forest Walk'. I was following Ralph Storer's Route 21 today, which should have taken me onto the ridge via a 'hilltop seat'. No such path to a seat could be found and I ended up following the river, Allt a'Choire Dheirg, on a clear, though occasionally muddy, path to the boundary fence. I was now faced with a very steep climb up the hill beside the fence in the blazing sun; the clear path was my only assurance that I was following a path that many before had followed. [There were even a few people further up the hill also going this way, but a quick look on the internet has revealed a probably easier route beside the Allt a'Choire Riabhach gaining the ridge much lower down. Ralph Storer's is non-existent and probably has been for years.]
When finally on top of the ridge I squeezed through the gap in the fence and headed up the ridge on an increasingly rocky path to my first Munro of the day: Mullach nan Coirean. A short diversion took me to Meall a'Chaorainn and back; a pleasant, little effort required trip. Bypassing the summit of Mullach nan Coirean on my return I headed off along the eastern ridge towards Stob Ban passing over various minor summits and admiring the stunning scenery on the way. Climbing up the white stony path I reached my second Munro and had my lunch (and also provided the midges theirs!). Storer's route was now almost downhill all the way despite it being only lunch time so I decided to abandon Storer once I had got down the steep rocky descent of Stob Ban (a great path, but very tricky in descent it would have been really difficult in ascent. I'm glad I didn't go up that way!).
Passing Lochan Coire nam Miseach, below Sgor an Iubhair, I headed up the steep grassy slope to the bealach between the aforementioned and Stob Choire a'Mhail. Passing over the latter I began to cross the narrow 'Devil's Ridge', which although very high, in this weather (almost no wind) I had no problems walking along the top except for one small crevice in the rocks that seemed too high for me to dare jumping over. A path exists bypassing this bit but I clambered down on one side of the gap and then climbed up on the other side. My nerve may have failed to allow me to jump the gap, but I'll be blowed if I was going to miss the top of the ridge out altogether! With a short scramble down at the end I completed the narrow ridge that had been worrying for ages but turned out to be alot easier than Crib Goch and began the climb up my third Munro of the day: Sgurr a'Mhaim.
After a short rest at the top to admire the views down Glen Nevis and across to Ben Nevis, I began a most enjoyable descent over the white stones on its western slopes often sliding down the hill several feet with every step. It reminded me of how Wainwright used to describe Dorehead Screes before it lost all its stones(!); this wasn't as steep, but still a very enjoyable way to descend several hundred feet. There now remained a long descent zigzagging down the steep grassy slope back to the bus stop. Unfortunately I had missed the bus by less than ten minutes but the three mile walk back to the youth hostel failed to dampen what had been a very enjoyable day over thoroughly exciting terrain. The walk and terrain reminded me of the best sort of walk imaginable in the Lake District; it was a ridge walk, par excellence. And I get to go back again tomorrow.
Today the weather was brilliant once again. It won't last, of course, it was already beginning to cloud up today but that just served to cool the temperature just at the hottest part of the day. The weather combined with the tremendous terrain to provide a thoroughly enjoyable days walk. It was one of those days in the hills you remember with fondness and make me say to myself, "This is why I do this." This morning I caught the bus from the youth hostel to its terminus at the lower falls in Glen Nevis, and immediately started following a signposted 'Forest Walk'. I was following Ralph Storer's Route 21 today, which should have taken me onto the ridge via a 'hilltop seat'. No such path to a seat could be found and I ended up following the river, Allt a'Choire Dheirg, on a clear, though occasionally muddy, path to the boundary fence. I was now faced with a very steep climb up the hill beside the fence in the blazing sun; the clear path was my only assurance that I was following a path that many before had followed. [There were even a few people further up the hill also going this way, but a quick look on the internet has revealed a probably easier route beside the Allt a'Choire Riabhach gaining the ridge much lower down. Ralph Storer's is non-existent and probably has been for years.]
When finally on top of the ridge I squeezed through the gap in the fence and headed up the ridge on an increasingly rocky path to my first Munro of the day: Mullach nan Coirean. A short diversion took me to Meall a'Chaorainn and back; a pleasant, little effort required trip. Bypassing the summit of Mullach nan Coirean on my return I headed off along the eastern ridge towards Stob Ban passing over various minor summits and admiring the stunning scenery on the way. Climbing up the white stony path I reached my second Munro and had my lunch (and also provided the midges theirs!). Storer's route was now almost downhill all the way despite it being only lunch time so I decided to abandon Storer once I had got down the steep rocky descent of Stob Ban (a great path, but very tricky in descent it would have been really difficult in ascent. I'm glad I didn't go up that way!).
Passing Lochan Coire nam Miseach, below Sgor an Iubhair, I headed up the steep grassy slope to the bealach between the aforementioned and Stob Choire a'Mhail. Passing over the latter I began to cross the narrow 'Devil's Ridge', which although very high, in this weather (almost no wind) I had no problems walking along the top except for one small crevice in the rocks that seemed too high for me to dare jumping over. A path exists bypassing this bit but I clambered down on one side of the gap and then climbed up on the other side. My nerve may have failed to allow me to jump the gap, but I'll be blowed if I was going to miss the top of the ridge out altogether! With a short scramble down at the end I completed the narrow ridge that had been worrying for ages but turned out to be alot easier than Crib Goch and began the climb up my third Munro of the day: Sgurr a'Mhaim.
After a short rest at the top to admire the views down Glen Nevis and across to Ben Nevis, I began a most enjoyable descent over the white stones on its western slopes often sliding down the hill several feet with every step. It reminded me of how Wainwright used to describe Dorehead Screes before it lost all its stones(!); this wasn't as steep, but still a very enjoyable way to descend several hundred feet. There now remained a long descent zigzagging down the steep grassy slope back to the bus stop. Unfortunately I had missed the bus by less than ten minutes but the three mile walk back to the youth hostel failed to dampen what had been a very enjoyable day over thoroughly exciting terrain. The walk and terrain reminded me of the best sort of walk imaginable in the Lake District; it was a ridge walk, par excellence. And I get to go back again tomorrow.
posted by David Keates at 4:36 pm
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