Mamores

Saturday's run was one to be enjoyed, forecast for cloud, some showers, but maybe the cloud would lift in the afternoon. My route was Mullach Nan Coirean, Stob ban plus the Ring of Steall. This undulates over 6 munros plus four other minor tops, one unanmed top between the Mullach and Stob B, Stob Choire a Mhail, Sgurr an lubhair and An Garbhanach. 15 miles and close on 8000' of ascent.

I left Achriabach at 9:30 on the track beside Alt a Choire Dheirg. Last time I struck up through Fir then Silver Birch trees to the Mullachs NE Ridge, this time I kept to the track and as I left the the trees behind the track turned uphill, same climb but much easier. Stopped for a chat with some walkers on the approach to the Mullachs summit. Here's a link to their photos, they took in 4 Munros and two tops, their pictures are taken with a real camera!

No need to stop on the misty Mullach and ran towards Stob Ban, startled by a Ptarmigan, my phone camera failing to capture the fine specimen. Back into the mist on the climb up Stob Ban, no need to stop here either, the run off a steep rocky track twisting along the ridge. Easy running along towards Sgurr a Mhaim until the final climb up a stalkers path to the ridge. Pick my way along the ridge through the first notch with no problem, couldn't figure my way through the rock slab at the second notch so eventually took a slight diversion off the ridge down grassy slopes under the edge of a large rock. Getting cold so worked hard up the short climb up to Sgurr a Mhaim, another misty summit. About turn for the return over the ridge, concious that I was cold pushed on and covered the ridge about 12 minutes quicker than the way out.

New territory from here to An Gearanach so frequent stops to pick out the route through gaps in the clouds, navigation pretty easy, good tracks most of the way. soon over SAL running the ridge towards Am Bodach, a stiffer rocky climb, stopped for some food on the way up in the lee of the hill and had a look at the map, the way off seemed to be down a steep NE ridge, turned out a bit of a scramble and picked my way down past a group of upwardly mobile walkers.

The cloud now lifting slightly for views of the homeward ridge, a rocky knoll then Stob Coire a Chairn, minor top An Garbahanach and the last hurrah up An Gearanach, a few squeaky steps along this rocky ridge, careful to check out each part as there are two or three small tracks at each summit, some more exposed than others. All down hill from here, a steep track coming into the glen beside Steall falls, a wade across the water of Nevis and run down the gorge path then road back to Achriabach, finishing in about 7 hours.

Timings that I can remember, 1:30 to summit of the Mullach, 2:15 to the summit of Stob Ban, 2:53 to the start of the Devils ridge, 37 mins out 25 back, lost track after that, reached the summit of An Gearanach in 5:40, 40 minutes to the glen, 30 or 40 mins from there back to Achriabach. Some hazy pictures from my phone camera.