UKC

Can the folk of UKC please recommend a good scramble in the mentioned area that is good to get a beginner out on rock.

I'm looking at a bit more than the CMD Arete as its not that much hands on. Thinking about Ledge Route but just wanted peoples advice.

Open to suggestions in Glencoe area also and other mountains around Ben Nevis.

Cheers,

AT

In reply to An Triubhas:
Ledge Route is a fine scramble, or if you're considering Glencoe then the Aonach Eagach makes a good step up from the CMD. If you catch it in benign conditions then it's not as fearsome as people say, although it can be serious in wet weather.

Something else to think about is the Beinn Fhada ridge in Glencoe. The scrambling is confined to one end, but it's a big, dramatic ridge surrounded by fine scenery and culminating in a great summit (Stob Coire Sgreamhach).

In reply to An Triubhas:
Scrambles in Lochaber by Noel Williams is the guidebook for what you are after. It's currently available for just over £9 online. The cover has a picture of a route I'd like to do at some point - Pink Rib on Beinn a'Chrulaiste (opposite Buachaille Etive Mor). In addition to those mentioned above I'd add Dinnertime Buttress on the west side of Aonach Dubh.

In reply to drmarten:

Pink Rib is aesthetic but very easy - it's been done no-hands.

In reply to Only a hill:


+1 as Alex said........best 2 scrambles in the area! They're popular though so pick your day if you want some solitude...

In reply to Jamie B:

I think Noel Williams mentions it's a lot easier than it looks on the cover photo, but I didn't think it was that easy.

In reply to Jamie B:

Descended no-hands too!

In reply to drmarten:

That's the South Face of A' Chailleach, not Pink Rib!


Pink Rib is *very* easy. But also quite delightful and ideal for first steps on rock.

In reply to petestack:
I posted without actually checking, you are right it isn't Pink Rib at all. There is a picture of Pink Rib facing p.97 in the guide, it looks rather different!

In reply to An Triubhas: curved ridge?

In reply to An Triubhas:
The South Face of A'Chailleach (spelling might be wrong!) is a cracking route, but not for its aesthetic line - it's actually rather wandering and intricate with no defined line whatsoever. However, some of the individual bits of scrambling (interspersed with walking and heather bashing) are very good, particularly the top section as depicted on the cover of Scrambles in Lochaber. It's steep but the holds are good. It's been a few years since I did the route but by my recollection I'd say it's more serious than the majority of ridges at the grade thanks to the route finding difficulties and the high chance of wandering onto much more serious terrain.

In reply to An Triubhas:

If you're looking for a fairly benign introduction then scimitar ridge in Glen Nevis is pretty good, has a very non threatening feel, couple of different ways up and you can avoid some of the trickier obstacles. Would reccomend doing that to get the measure of who you're taking then pick something based on how they got on?

In reply to An Triubhas:

How do you know that the CMD will be too pedestrian for your companion? I'd have thought it was ideal in that the difficulty/exposure can be varied to suit. Assuming that novice scramblers will find something easy has got plenty of folk into bother over the years.

Ledge Route is not much harder to be honest, except the often-greasy slab on the first "ledge", which seems to feel quite counter-intuitive and intimidating to novices. I often miss it out by taking the traverse in across the top of Moonlight Gully buttress which gives a more balanced (but quite easy) route. If your pal is fit you could even go on to do the CMD in reverse, which makes a cracking mountain day.