UKC

Absolute stunner on Buachaille Etive Mor today. Not bad for a 3rd option plan!!

Winter's definitely arrived in Glencoe, but it's not quite there yet. After a very windy night (van was rocking for all the wrong reasons in the Glencoe Ski area car park last night), there was a good freeze this morning but no frost to be seen.

Decided to go for an alternative ascent of the Buachaille, and went for the East Ridge of Stob na Doire. Starting at the bridge in Glen Etive over the river coming out of the Coire Cloiche Finne, there's a good deer track up the West side that takes you to the rocky start of the ridge. From there on in it's make your own route up time - massive scope for making things as hard or as easy as you want, with gully, ridge or scrambly options all over the place. Nice little section of ridge to finish with that takes you direct to the summit.

Turf, where exposed, was pretty well frozen, but the stuff under the deep snow is still a bit wet, but getting there. Snow had a good crust on top, but not quite at the holding your weight stage, and heavy dry powder underneath is quite tiring when it gets to knee deep!!

Fantastic route up the Buachaille, can't imagine it sees much traffic, but one of the best winter days out I've had - definitely reccommend you put it on your list of mountaineering based routes to do, and with better conditions you could have a fairly decent day on the steeper bits.

Some photos here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151998601585865.1073741844.7386...

Cheers,
Gordon

In reply to peebles boy:

Looks like a cracking day.

In reply to peebles boy: Thanks for sharing, heading over that wat for the weekend. might have a look at SCnL the morn

In reply to peebles boy:

Nice idea! I'll store that one away for later use.....

In reply to peebles boy:
A classic bluebird day. Glad you enjoyed it.
Was on sron na larige and conditions were a mirror of yours. Canny and balancy to avoid ripping turf.
It too is a lovely route ... Cant really believe we had the place to ourselves.
B.

In reply to peebles boy: "Absolute stunner on Buachaille Etive Mor today"

Did you get her number?!

Seriously though, that looks a lovely day out.

In reply to cannichoutdoors:

Brilliant... have to go and clean my computer screen now. Covered in coffee

E

In reply to peebles boy:
Great pics. Love the stag

In reply to peebles boy: nice photos but now feeling home sick

In reply to peebles boy: Great pictures Gordon, congratulations on your wonderful early Winter day out.

Yours enviously, Simon. No matter, I will be off to Cogne soon.

In reply to Hay:

How were things snow wise on the Sron na Lairig? Looked like there was a hell of a lot from where I was!!! Cracking route isn't it, with some nice harder options at the start of it and great positions near the top. I could well be tempted to head up it again at the weekend!

In reply to peebles boy:
Hi.
Totally fine. Sugary and a bit useless but not too much of it.
Occasionally breakaway crust slab but never bigger than a4. Not enough to worry about.
Turf soft and required care other than that it was fine,
B.

In reply to Hay:
>> It too is a lovely route ... Cant really believe we had the place to ourselves.

Me and my mate followed in your illustrious footsteps today. Despite my "Settled forecast, the Coe will be hoachin, we'll be lucky to get parked..." misgivings on the drive up, this side of the hill was very quiet, no one in front with only one guy and a couple behind who we enjoyed a good blether with at the top. Descended the Beinn Fhada ridge to round of a cracking mountaineering type day.