Over The Hill

Ten days ago we had to abandon this walk due to high winds and heavy rain (Click here to read walk report). Today the forecast promised clear skies and 5kph winds at summit level, just too good an opportunity to miss for a day in the hills.

It was an early start and we were parked, booted and walking just after 9.00 with the forecast living up to its promise. We covered the ground from the start point to the Allt Coire Sgriodain in good time , the track being much dryer than on our previous attempt when it was awash with floodwaters, and at which point we had abandoned that walk.

The riverbed here is strewn with multi-coloured boulders and stones, washed down the mountainside through years of heavy winter rains, and when the water is low, as it was today, the river can be forded without getting your boots wet as the water flows below rocks making an eerie sound beneath us as we walked over the boulders.

The easy part of the walk was over, now we had the ridge line in front of us. Rising directly from sea-level on the shores of Loch Etive the ridge is unbroken and rises directly to the summit cairn, 1078m above in just 2.3kms. At least there should be no problems navigating the route, get onto the ridge and just keep heading up, with steep coires to each side, it would be obvious which way to go.

The ground over the first 300m of climb was short tufted grass on a rock base, the tufts prone to breaking as we clambered over the rocks making the going underfoot slippery at times. However, to compensate some wonderful views opened up down Loch Etive as soon as we started to gain height.

Above 400m, we had numerous rocky sections and small crags to scramble over, nothing too serious, but they did require some care and added a little extra challenge to the climb. All the time, the weather remained perfect, a light covering of very high cloud kept the strong sun from us, but did nothing to lessen the wonderful views we were getting, as by now we could see the length of Loch Etive and beyond to the Isle of Mull, northwards to the Mamores and the Ben Nevis range, and west along the line of Glen Etive and its wonderful peaks.

On a day like this there was no need to hurry, so we called an early lunch break around 800m altitude and sat atop a large flat slab and just soaked up the views, forgetting the dismal weather 10 days earlier.

As we approached the final 150m of climb to the summit we could see that the rocks and crags gave way to what we thought at first glance was a scree slope, but as we got nearer realised was in fact a large boulder field. This proved quite difficult to cross, and the boulders were extremely unstable, even a large boulder, which you might expect to be a good stepping point or hand hold, would suddenly move or rock like a cradle. At this point we spread ourselves out across the ground to ensure that any dislodged rocks would not catch those below.

I mentioned earlier that this ridge rises directly from the loch shore to the summit cairn, but even knowing that, it was a surprise to see just how this ridge does just that. One step you seem to be still climbing the rocks over the ridge, the next you are on top of the cairn.

We left our packs at the summit cairn and walked the 500m to Ben Starav's southeastern cairn which sit at 1068m, here we had a great panorama of the ridge line east to Glas Bheinn Mhor, and then south to Beinn nan Aighenan and beyond to the Cruachan range. We returned to the summit to retrieve our packs and set off down the north ridge (the usual and popular ascent route) for our return to Glen Etive.

Descending via the north ridge on a beautiful clear day like today presented us with some wonderful views the length of Glen Etive, and made the descent over the eroded and rocky ridge path that more enjoyable. On reaching the base of the ridge the cool clear waters of the Allt Mheuran beckoned and provided a welcome cool dip, well more of a splash and slunge of the face to cool us down.

An excellent walk - thanks Alan