Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Munro 2007 - Day 16: 1st May
Tuesday 1st May
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin 1105 m (Munro 24) (Naked Munro 15)
Stob Coire Easain 1115 m (Munro 25) (Naked Munro 16)
Distance: 20.9 km
Ascent: 1174 m
Time: 6:26 hours
Mountain name: Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin Pronounced: Stob a Horrer Veeyann
Translated: Peak of the Middle Corrie
Mountain name: Stob Coire Easain Pronounced: Stob Korrer Essin Translated:
Peak of the Corrie of the Little Waterfall
Weather: It was chilly overnight and remained clear all day. The E or SE breeze had
dropped a bit but was still brisk at altitude.
Nature notes: There wasn’t much to report. One pair of Ptarmigan on Stob a’ Choire
Mheadoin was the only life I saw on the high ridges. I did see Common Sandpiper and
Buzzard among many common birds in the lower reaches of Coire Laire.
Geological note: There were good examples of Roche moutonne ascent. This is where the
rocks have been worn smooth by glaciers flowing over them. Most of the rocks on the
main ridge were sparkling in the sun which I presume was mica schist. There was a band
of a red rock which must have been a metamorphic rock rich in iron. Stob Coire Easain
was topped by quartzite. The east face of Stob Coire Easain showed the contortions that
the rocks had undergone with rocks which had originally been laid down horizontally now
on a vertical plane.
Local note: The water flowing down Allt Laire disappears into underground pipes at the
same place that I met the old tramway (or railway) built by the old British Aluminium
Company. I assume this water is taken to Loch Treig, a reservoir, and from there to the
Blackwater Reservoir which is the reservoir for the hydro-electric scheme which has
provided, and still provides, the vast amount of energy required for the aluminium
smelter at Kinlochleven.
Also running down the shore of Loch Treig is the railway which has just emerged from
Rannoch Moor and which links Glasgow to Fort William.
The Route: From Fersit I headed up a good track, taking a right hand fork just before the
Treig Dam. Shortly after the dam I took one of several small paths, marked by a small
cairn, up the slopes to bring me to the foot of Meall Cian Dearg. There was a small path
winding up steeply between the crags and then easy walking to the summit of Stob a’
Choire Mheadoin. It was easier to keep to the left on the drop down to the col between
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin and Stob Coire Easain before climbing easily up the steep slope
to Stob Coire Easain. I then decided to descend via the north ridge. This was very steep,
but was made possible by a small rough path on the steepest part. If there was a path
down the rest of the ridge I missed it and went slightly to the NW to avoid the worst of
the crags before dropping steeply down into Coire Laire. I don’t think I would recommend
this descent in bad weather. It wasn’t until I approached the forestry lower down the glen
that I picked up a decent path. This led me to the dismantled tramway which contoured
round Craig Fhiaclach and took me back to my starting point.
Personal notes: This was my first day in rough mountains rather than rounded hill. I was
able to walk semi-naked until about 800m before the wind became too strong. There were
superb views from the ridge across to Ben Nevis and the grey Corries, both of which had
substantial amounts of snow still unmelted. The descent down the north ridge of Stob
Coire Easain was at the limit of what I would want to do and was a strain on the knees. I’
m not sure that I would have wanted to descend the steep slope if there hadn’t been a
path down the slope. I was able to strip off in the sun for my lunch-break and I continued
naked for the rest of the day. I didn’t in fact see anyone apart from a hiker on Stob a’
Choire Mheadoin when I was on Stob Coire Easain. The descent into Coire Laire was
rough and I waited until I was well down the glen before having a second break and a
siesta in the sun.
Book: “The Riddle of the Third Mile” by Colin Dexter. The sixth of the Inspector Morse
Mysteries.
Overnight: I spent a second night at the parking area at Fersit. I spent the evening
listening to Liverpool playing Chelsea in the second leg of the semi-final of the European
Champion’s League. Liverpool managed to score fairly early to level the overall score and
then won on penalties to go through to the final.
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin 1105 m (Munro 24) (Naked Munro 15)
Stob Coire Easain 1115 m (Munro 25) (Naked Munro 16)
Distance: 20.9 km
Ascent: 1174 m
Time: 6:26 hours
Mountain name: Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin Pronounced: Stob a Horrer Veeyann
Translated: Peak of the Middle Corrie
Mountain name: Stob Coire Easain Pronounced: Stob Korrer Essin Translated:
Peak of the Corrie of the Little Waterfall
Weather: It was chilly overnight and remained clear all day. The E or SE breeze had
dropped a bit but was still brisk at altitude.
Nature notes: There wasn’t much to report. One pair of Ptarmigan on Stob a’ Choire
Mheadoin was the only life I saw on the high ridges. I did see Common Sandpiper and
Buzzard among many common birds in the lower reaches of Coire Laire.
Geological note: There were good examples of Roche moutonne ascent. This is where the
rocks have been worn smooth by glaciers flowing over them. Most of the rocks on the
main ridge were sparkling in the sun which I presume was mica schist. There was a band
of a red rock which must have been a metamorphic rock rich in iron. Stob Coire Easain
was topped by quartzite. The east face of Stob Coire Easain showed the contortions that
the rocks had undergone with rocks which had originally been laid down horizontally now
on a vertical plane.
Local note: The water flowing down Allt Laire disappears into underground pipes at the
same place that I met the old tramway (or railway) built by the old British Aluminium
Company. I assume this water is taken to Loch Treig, a reservoir, and from there to the
Blackwater Reservoir which is the reservoir for the hydro-electric scheme which has
provided, and still provides, the vast amount of energy required for the aluminium
smelter at Kinlochleven.
Also running down the shore of Loch Treig is the railway which has just emerged from
Rannoch Moor and which links Glasgow to Fort William.
The Route: From Fersit I headed up a good track, taking a right hand fork just before the
Treig Dam. Shortly after the dam I took one of several small paths, marked by a small
cairn, up the slopes to bring me to the foot of Meall Cian Dearg. There was a small path
winding up steeply between the crags and then easy walking to the summit of Stob a’
Choire Mheadoin. It was easier to keep to the left on the drop down to the col between
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin and Stob Coire Easain before climbing easily up the steep slope
to Stob Coire Easain. I then decided to descend via the north ridge. This was very steep,
but was made possible by a small rough path on the steepest part. If there was a path
down the rest of the ridge I missed it and went slightly to the NW to avoid the worst of
the crags before dropping steeply down into Coire Laire. I don’t think I would recommend
this descent in bad weather. It wasn’t until I approached the forestry lower down the glen
that I picked up a decent path. This led me to the dismantled tramway which contoured
round Craig Fhiaclach and took me back to my starting point.
Personal notes: This was my first day in rough mountains rather than rounded hill. I was
able to walk semi-naked until about 800m before the wind became too strong. There were
superb views from the ridge across to Ben Nevis and the grey Corries, both of which had
substantial amounts of snow still unmelted. The descent down the north ridge of Stob
Coire Easain was at the limit of what I would want to do and was a strain on the knees. I’
m not sure that I would have wanted to descend the steep slope if there hadn’t been a
path down the slope. I was able to strip off in the sun for my lunch-break and I continued
naked for the rest of the day. I didn’t in fact see anyone apart from a hiker on Stob a’
Choire Mheadoin when I was on Stob Coire Easain. The descent into Coire Laire was
rough and I waited until I was well down the glen before having a second break and a
siesta in the sun.
Book: “The Riddle of the Third Mile” by Colin Dexter. The sixth of the Inspector Morse
Mysteries.
Overnight: I spent a second night at the parking area at Fersit. I spent the evening
listening to Liverpool playing Chelsea in the second leg of the semi-final of the European
Champion’s League. Liverpool managed to score fairly early to level the overall score and
then won on penalties to go through to the final.
Beinn a' Chaorainn
Roche Mouttonne,
Meall Cian Dearg
Meall Cian Dearg
Summit, Stob
Coire Easain
Coire Easain
Stob Coire Easain from
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin
Stob a’ Choire Mheadoin
Ben Nevis and
Grey Corries
Grey Corries
Allt Laire
Summit,Stob a’
Choire Mheadoin
Choire Mheadoin
Summit, Stob
Coire Easain
Coire Easain
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