UKC

Heading to Scotland in Sept and a little overwhelmed with the walking options so struggling to make any actual decisions on what to do outside a basic frame work so can anybody help!

Defiantly going to Fort William and the Ben, also Ben Lomond is pretty much nailed on but as for anything in-between I am not sure.

Would like to do two or three mountains (or days for multi tops) that are just amazing. Could write the list for the lakes myself (Blencathra yes, Bleaberry Fell, no) but Scotland is a strange new world for me and guide books aint helping.

Max 16 km day, and no airy ridges as taking the other half. Any ideas welcome.

Steven

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Between Ben Lomond and Fort Bill why not do Ben Lui near Tyndrum. A beautiful mountain. A bit longer than 16K but a lot of the length in on the walk in . So so much to explore and do. Enjoy

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Best hills for a first visit imo

The Cobbler, Arrochar
Beinn Dorain
Stob Ghabhar
Anything in Glen Coe
Glen Nevis/Ring of Steall

In reply to kwoods:








Nice list, with the possible exception of Beinn Dorain, which is nice but not special. I think I'd substitute something else in Glen Coe instead - maybe Buchaille Etive Beag one day and Bidean the next day.
The Cobbler is an excellent idea - proof, if proof were needed, that size isn't everything.

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

another vote for Bidean nam Bian

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Thanks guys, have heard good things about the Cobbler before so I think that will be inked in as a 'rest day'!

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Cobblers stunning. Just a shame about the litter on the path up from Arrochar last few times I've been. Haven't been up in the last wee while though.

In reply to tony:

It's been years since I've done it, but doesn't Stob Ghabhar have quite an airy bit of ridge scrambling on the usual circular route of its horseshow ridge (the OP said he didn't want 'airy')?

Agree about Bein Dorain - nothing special on its own but could be the start of a nice (long) day taking in the Bridge of Orchy tops to the North and ending down into the Crannach woods and back along the Water of Tulla. Some lovely corries up there beneath Beinn Achaladair and Beinn a Chreachainn.

The Cobbler is a lovely little minature mountain but it's a bit of a slog to start, whathever way you head up. And a shame to do it but not 'thread the needle' on the central peak - which is a bit 'airy'...

Not too far away Beinn Starav and Beinn Cruachan are good hill days out too.

Ian

In reply to goatee:

Seconded. IIRC much of the walk in along Cononish glen would be bikeable which would be well worth doing.

In reply to Asleep in the backs:
If you do the Ben make sure you do it from the north face, you can walk up via the CIC hut and continue to the base of CMD Arete and rough walk (/ very easy scramble) up to the ridge or do a round from Carn Beag Dearg - the walk up and down the tourist path really isn't anything that amazing.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/4_36/4_36_3l.JPG

Ben Lomond I'd drop personally and carry on to the cobbler area.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/1_12/1_12_2l.JPG

The traverse of the buachaille etive mor and also bidean nam bian (go up lost valley and down stob corrie nan lochain) are just rough walks and are really quite breath taking.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=buachaille+etive+mor&rls=com.microsoft:en...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Coire_nan_Lochan_11-06-...

A walk around the cairngorm plateaux taking in the loch avon basin and ben macdui would be amazing too for a change of scenery. The only sub artic area of the UK and loch avon with nie on 300 metre cliffs rising out of it is really quite something.
http://www.huntermountaineering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/photo.jpg

My personal favourite area of Scotland is the NW highlands but I guess it's a long way for you to go?
http://www.landandlight.co.uk/gallery-images/Loch-Maree-Slattadale.jpg

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

I'd drop Ben Lomond from the list.

Ben Lui: good call and you can add Ben Oss and Ben Dubhchraig to a circuit back to Tyndrum.

I'd look at Stob Ghabhair & Stob a'Choire Odhair. I remember these as a brilliant day out. Access from beyond the Inveroran Hotel.

Go up the Cobbler but take in Beinn Narnain afterwards and descend via the SE ridge: a great way back.

Ben Starav is well worth a visit: stunning view down Loch Etive.

So much...I sympathise!

In reply to Flinticus:

Exactly my choices!

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Thanks again, some great ideas.

Have to do Lomond as it is part of a beer and mountain challenge, http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=611363&v=1#x8005923

Thanks for the directions guys, get the feeling this will be the first of many adventures north of the wall

In reply to Asleep in the backs:


And the further you north, the better it gets! You have some great mountain days to look forward to!

In reply to Asleep in the backs:
Couple more suggestions for you:

If you are going to do Ben Lomond, go up the Ptarmigan ridge and down the "tourist" route.

The Tarmachan Ridge (no relation!) is a good day out with the bonus of a high start point. Go clockwise, and avoid the eroded scrambly section of path on Meall Garbh on the left.

Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean from Glen Nevis - a much better walk than the tourist route up the Ben!

In reply to Mark Bull:

Yeah glen nevis is really nice remember thinking how nice that area is when I walked up to do the ring of steall.

In reply to kwoods:



Second visit:
Lochnagar
Braeriach
Anything in Glen Shiel
Beinn Eighe
Quinag

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

Ben Ledi out at Callender is easily on a par, two of my favourites; the latter possibly piping it even though I'm an inveterate west coaster.

North of Ben Lomond and without heading any further north than Ben Nevis ( do the carn mor dearg arête if you can!) here's a couple of suggested lists.

Modest days
The Cobbler, Ben Cruachan, Ben Vorlich and Stuc A Chroin

Longer days
Stob Gabhar (via the Aonach Mor from Glen Etive ), Grey Corries traverse, Bidean nam Bian (via the zig zags and Stob Coire an Lochain)

Scrambly Days
A Chir Ridge and Cir Mhor (Arran), Aonach Eagach (Glencoe), Buachaille Etive Mor via Curved Ridge ( end of scrambling) then traverse to Stob na Broige and descend into Lairig Gartain .

I promise you that these are all excellent days out.

Obviously my scrambly suggestions are all airy to a high degree ( eg much , much more exposed and continuous than say Striding Edge which would be negligible by comparison), To be honest the route on Bidean (which is magnificent) might seem so too...Maybe not what your after... Its not even impossible that Ben Cruachan ( for a tiny bit just east of the summit) and Ben Lui from Cononish might seem pretty airy too as, certainly, the true summit of the Cobbler is . Incidentally Ben Lui is much, much better in the winter or spring when the snow emphasises the scenery.

I love Ben Ledi - been up it twice this year already but its not one I'd recommend as one of the best routes in this part of the country .

Stob Ban and Mullach an Coirean may well be superior to the tourist route on the Ben but I think they are, in fact, the least interesting part of the mamores.

In reply to kwoods:


As an alternative, without the slog up the large path (which is pretty dull) go a bit further along the road and go up Beinn an Lochain, cracking hill, and quite short if weather is poor or need a rest day - then gives an easy is drive to Cruachan and then up to GlenCoe that way - either way perhaps just be flexible as the weather may dictate where you go and what you do, enjoy

In reply to andrew ogilvie:


Each to their own! It's a good natural circuit, decent paths to start/finish, nowhere too steep, no exposure, not too long a day.

Na Gruagaichean and Binnein Mor from Kinlochleven would be another good option that meets the remit.

In reply to Asleep in the backs:


It might be a wee hill but you need to remember that the car park is at the beach so every foot of the ascent is earned.

In reply to Mark Bull:

"Least interesting part of the Mamores" isn't the same as "not a good walk", to be fair.

In reply to zebidee:

Ha I never realised that was actually the sea!

In reply to Asleep in the backs:

There are plenty of great options in all the suggestions you've had. But it does kind of hinge on how airy is too airy. In Lakes terms, would Striding Edge be OK? I'm guessing just about, but that Sharp Edge would be over the line. If you can manage narrow but very minimally hands-on then a lot of the best hill walks in the area have sections of ridge roughly comparable in airiness to Striding Edge (though they don't all have an awkward little downclimb like SE).

If you've only a few days then I'd concentrate on the Black Mount, Glen Coe and Glen Nevis, and - to be brutal - give Ben Lomond and anything in the south a miss. Except for The Cobbler, which is a max impact walk in an easy half day, good for your return travel day for instance.

Any of these would be great:

southern highlands
- The Cobbler (very highest point is a hard scramble but you can walk with your hands in your pockets to immediately adjacent to the top block, so it's basically a doddle with a final tricky optional bit): http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=84

black mount
- Stob Ghabhar via Aonach Eagach ridge (not THE AE...considerably easier): http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=83

glen coe
- Buachaille Etive Mor: http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=712
- Bidean nam Bian's three main tops: http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=100
- Beinn a' Bheithir (miss out Sgorr Bhan's scrambly ENE ridge and do the gentler NE ridge instead): http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=819

then up in Glen Nevis
You can't miss a walk through the nevis gorge to Steall falls - amazing scenery at zero effort. Ideally you'd carry on from there to do something in the middle or eastern end of the Mamores, but given your no airy ridges remit I'd maybe err towards the western end of the range instead. There are no dull options in the Mamores.
- Sgurr a' Mhaim is a grand summit viewpoint but an unmitigated slog from the glen, and then to link it to any other peaks is unavoidably airy
- Better would be the round of Stob Ban (go up the east ridge: the obvious north ridge is airy) and Mullach nan Coirean

-Ben Nevis: if you must. The tourist track is the only obvious non-airy route up and down it, and sadly this is a very poor way to climb the best mountain in Britain. Don't get me wrong - it's still a good day out compared to, say, going to ASDA. The summit plateau is a great place to be (in the right weather), just don't expect the walk there to be anything like as quality as all the other routes that've been mentioned.

That should do you for a few days