A Superb Day on the Tops of Aonach Mor

Fri 12 June 2015

The final day of our Roy Bridge trip, I’d scheduled to do the two Munro Tops of Aonach Mor which live on a little side ridge. I’d had a recce to try to reach the start of the ridge from the main road via Leanachan but, as reported on my Stob Coire a’ Mhail post, was totally unsuccessful. I couldn’t get any more information about reaching the start of the ridge – most seemed to contour round the Aonach an Nid nose on the north-east side of Aonach Mor. Being fairly unsound of leg and also wanting an easy day, I didn’t see why I shouldn’t take the Nevis Range Gondola up to the mountain restaurant and start from there.

The reason I’d left this walk until Friday was because I wasn’t sure the superb spell of weather we were having would last till the end of the week and these can easily be navigated and walked in any weather. As it turned out, the weather remained superb and I wouldn’t have missed the gorgeous views for anything!

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I was at the Gondola station around 10am and the ride up took ten minutes or so – very pleasant it was too. There were a few tourists also going up and quite a few mountain bikers as there are now famous downhill runs on the north side of Aonach Mor. I showed myself up right at the start when I tried to get into the cable car with my walking pole strapped across the back of my bumbag – my bum isn’t big but the combination was and I bounced back out again. The guy overseeing people into the carriages looked away so as not to make me feel even more stupid but I could tell what he’d be thinking. Out of all the people going up in the Gondolas that day, I was the one he remembered with a sardonic smile when we came back down later!

I exited the carriage at the top and looked around to see if any kind of track set off around the nose of Aonach an Nid. A track set off briefly but gave up in less than 100 yards and then I just followed one of the snowfences. As usual, when contouring corrie walls, I ended up gaining quite a bit too much height with the clambering up and down the sides of streams and rocky sections but it wasn’t too bad going.

A much sanitised-for-the-non-walkers Sgurr am Finnais Aig… there were even pushchairs going up this one!

There were a few steep snowfields to cross but, after a few days walking up here already, I knew they’d be fine so just stomped across. I noticed only the deer had crossed them recently – this isn’t a popular walk…

Aonach an Nid

Rounding the corner under the cornices of Aonach an Nid, the lovely corrie of Coire Choille-Rais came into view – more of a high glen than a corrie really. Also my ridge appeared and looked wonderfully easy. I could see there was a lovely grassy route up to a col between the two Tops I had to do so descended towards a ski-tow apparatus I could see in the corrie for the burn crossing – I didn’t know they skiied down this side!

Just before I made it down to the burn, I suddenly came across a deep gorge with vertical sides. The best way to cross this was on the snowfields so I did, hoping it was firm enough to hold – it was fine. I took photos both up and down the gorge snowfields…

I’m sure this ski-run could still be open!

I then reached the burn and studied it for a crossing place. Initially, I found a section where I could jump a gap between dry rocks but wasn’t keen on the landing rock – it was a bit jagged. There was another flat rock just beyond it which you could continue onto but in the end I chickened out. I resorted to my usual method as that is the easiest – boots off and wade. Nowadays, of course, I have a walking pole to help out…

I was soon across the burn and had a break in the sunshine for a coffee while my feet dried. I’d had quite a few drinks out of the burns on my contour of Aonach Mor so wasn’t desperately thirsty but knew I probably would be on the climb up the grass to the col in the sunshine. But it wasn’t too hot on my walk at all as there was always a nice breeze.

Soon I set off up the grass and found it was a very short and fairly easy ascent to the col. I just had one snow patch on the way which I decided to contour above seeing as I was going up to the ridge anyway. The east side of Aonach Mor across the glen looked fantastic all the way as it still had lots of snow.

Once I reached my ridge, stunning views all round burst into view! To the east were the lovely Grey Corries, the main peaks in view were Stob Coire Easain and Stob Coire an Laoigh.

Ahead, above my higher top of Stob an Cul Choire, loomed Aonach Beag – still very snowy and with savage, sharp black ridges of rock running up the front of it.

Looking at Aonach Mor, there was no route up onto that today or for quite a while as a cornice ran along the whole ridge with an ominous crack along its whole length!

In between the Grey Corries and Aonach Beag were Sgurrs Choinnich Mor and Beag – not quite so spectacular from this side but still beautiful.

To their right was the lovely, and very snow-clad, Binnein Mor. The cute little Binnein Beag was in view but, as the hills behind over-top it, wasn’t really photogenic unfortunately.

I took ages along the ridge to the summit as I was gazing at the view and there were crags immediately to my left so I had to try to look where I was going as well. Soon I met the single snow patch on the ascent but the ridge isn’t very narrow so I was happy just to stomp up it. I found it tiring though and had to have a little rest at the top of it before I continued to the cairn.

Soon enough, I was at the cairn. There was another little lump further on which I decided to visit – it looked around the same height and some obviously think so as another cairn had been made there. I’m pretty sure the first cairn is the higher of the two and the proper summit though. The second lump was a great place to sit and have a long break as it had lovely flat-topped rocks. I sat for another coffee, an enthuse at the view and to take more photos.

Dramatic Aonach Beag

Aonach Mor Ahead – not for me today!

Stob Coire Easain and Grey Corries Ridge

Eventually, I tore myself away for a return along the rest of the ridge to Stob Coire an Fhir Duibhe. This peak had lovely narrow sections of ridge with craggy ends but the left-hand side was easily descended to pick up the next narrow ridge. Eventually, I ran out of narrow ridges and descended the side to take the ridge path to the col before my second Top of Tom na Sroine (Fhir Duibhe isn’t counted).

Looking back to Stob an Cul-Choire

Incidentally, the view to the valley from the col showed a perfectly good route coming all the way from both Corriechoille Farm and Spean Bridge through the forest on good and simple tracks which reached the foot of the ridge – there even looks to be a bridge to cross the river! Oh well, my car was at the bottom Gondola station now but, legs allowing, I might well do the walk from there another time as it’s so nice…

I then plodded up the easy ground on flat rocks and grass to Tom na Sroine. I sat for another break in the sun for a coffee at the cairn – very rare I have so many breaks but it was all just so wonderful for a change 🙂

Tom na Sroine

Looking back to Stob an Fhir Dhuibhe

I’d decided to descend the ridge to just past a steeper section where I’d seen a grassy rake came easily back down to the corrie. Descending the rake, which others have used as it had sections of path, gave me a great view of the river for potential crossing places. The river is quite a lusty one and was flowing quite hard with the snowmelt. I could see a couple of potential sites and headed towards the higher one first – that way, I could stroll downhill along the river studying it for more crossing places if necessary.

Luckily, I arrived at a braided section with a little island in the middle where I could certainly cross the first half. I had to put my boots in the water in a few places but it was shallow water and flat rocks. That was me on the island. I couldn’t continue to cross where I was so headed uphill until I saw a good place where I could cross the second half completely dryshod. I hopped across…

Now all that was left was to plot a route up the corrie wall to contour back under Aonach an Nid to the Gondola station and restaurant. First though, I went to look at the fantastic waterfall coming out of the gorge I’d crossed on my contour in. I took a couple of photos of the waterfall and then picked a line and started my contour.

Farewell Beautiful Corrie and Ridge – I’ll be Back!

I managed to stay lower than I had on the way in, especially when I saw the chairlift I’d been above before and aimed more or less just above it. I soon re-found my fenceline and, moments later, the mountain restaurant came into view not far away.

At the restaurant, I thought it only fair to buy something and decided an ice cream was the order of the day. I got a lovely tub of Mackies Strawberry ice-cream and a soda water and sat on the sunny terrace watching mad mountain bikers, the Gondola cars and the tourists while I ate and lounged. A little more fibre was added to my ice cream by a workman drilling nearby – the sawdust cloud drifted slowly into my tub!

I have to say I found the exit from the gondola station for the downward run a bit scary and grabbed my seat at the start! After that I relaxed until they stopped the cable cars to get mountain bikers off at the top station – that made the cars swing about a bit and felt alarming – it also always seemed to happen when I was above one of the steeper bits and a long way from the pylons so had no point of reference.

Back at the carpark I paid the requested £2 for my parking (there’s no actual charge) and returned happily to Richard who’d had an equally good day around Roy Bridge and the riverbank. The Gondola is £12 for a return for anyone else wanting to do this great route. I can vouch for it being a lovely walk 🙂

Stats: 6 miles, 1670 feet of ascent, a leisurely 3.5 hours