UKC

Looking at running or walking the Lochaber traverse of the Grey Corries, Aonachs, CMD and the Ben on the bank holiday weekend. My only concern, if the weather is good, is the lack of water on the route. Has anyone done the route before, and if so, what did you do for water? I don't fancy running with 3 litres of water if I can avoid it. Cheers.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Check on the Ramsay Round website, also there's the FRA forums. I believe there's a spring in the coire to the west of Stob Coire an Laoigh that the RR contenders use - they skip Stob Coire Easain as it isn't one of the required tops.

Also looks from the map like there's some sort of water feature at the bealach between the Aonachs and Carn Mor Dearg.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

I did it a few years back with 2 litres of water. It was enough but I definitely felt quite dehydrated from Aonach Beag until the end at the bottom of the Ben track. I tend to get by with less water that most apparently though, so some more might be needed for others.

It's a great route, one of the best

In reply to Bob:
Stob Coire Easain is definitely a part of the Ramsay Round !

In reply to Bob:

Ah good spot on the map. Having a look it does look like there is at the bealach between the Grey Corries and Aonach Beag too, even if you do have to drop down a little bit. After this winter's snow melt they should be well fed so hopefully they will be fine. Cheers.

In reply to steelbru:

Not according to Charlie - http://www.ramsaysround.com/the-round/ section 4

Actually there's two: I'm referring to the one just west of Stob Coire an Laoigh not the one in the Easains.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Could be bit of melt water too with all the snow. Last year the gully under the overhang onto Aonach Beag's ridge was borderline unpassable with a massive bank of snow, much easier to traverse along left a bit and get onto the bealach immediately under Sgurr a' Bhuic.

Anyway. I did it last year and don't really remember having an issue, equally I don't remember filling up with water. I did pass underneath Stob Coire Easain and didn't recall picking up any water.

In reply to all:

Great, thanks. Doesn't sound like much of a problem then. Now just got to work out whether we want to set off early-morning from Roybridge campsite or walk into the Lairig Leacach hut the evening before and just carry a sleeping bag round. I'm tempted by the latter.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

You could also start from Glen Nevis and do the boggy walk up the glen and then back over the tops?

In reply to Bob:

Ah, that makes sense, forgot about the "other" one

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Not easily as we're doing the trip with public transport only, so it needs to be accessible with a train really. Could walk over from Corrour but that would be pretty tedious I think and is a fair trek to start the route.

In reply to Mr Fuller:
Roughly (counting grid squares) 10Km from Roybridge campsite to Leachan bothy assuming you can cross the river easily but it's mostly uphill (about 400 metres of ascent). 11Km from Corrour, first half downhill and second half gently uphill with about 100 metres of ascent.

Scenery wise I'd choose the latter as the climb up from Roy/Spean bridge is basically a wide track next to the forestry. A good blast downhill on the MTB though

In reply to Bob:

When you put it like that that's a good idea actually. I counted the same distances but didn't factor in the ascent (foolish...). I've walked out on the track from the north before from the bothy but haven't done the Corrour to bothy one so it could be the way to go! Cheers.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Slightly off-topic. A few years ago I offered to support a Ramsay Round attempt. I got the train up from Leeds to Glasgow then Corrour, where I had the "Trainspotting moment". I then walked down to Loch Treig and along the Abhainn Rath which is an absolutely lovely area. I'd to meet someone who I'd never met before by the side of Loch Eilde Mor (at 11pm!) who'd give me the supplies that the contender needed. This person was then going on to the old ruin at the far end of the loch as a changeover point.

I decided to wait at the col between Binnein Beag and Binnein Mor. Eventually at 3am a set of lights appeared over the summit of Sgurr Eilde Mor. The team that eventually arrived at my location didn't include the contender I'd come to help as he'd pulled out, but the other two he'd set off with. I continued along the Mamores with them (the early morning shot on Binnein Mor on the cover of the Ramsay Round map is mine) back to Glen Nevis.

In reply to Bob:

Cool story. It's a nice thing that someone can support strangers set to do what is really a pointless challenge, but something that demands serious respect!

In reply to Mr Fuller:

For anyone who's interested, water's not a problem at all on the traverse. There's good water available between the Grey Corries and the Aonachs and looked to be between the Aonachs and Carn Mor Dearg, though we didn't get that far. We were carrying full backpacking gear and the torrential rain on Aonach Mor made the gondola too inviting... The Grey Corries and Aonachs is a great route though.