Stob Ghabhar and Stob a’ Choire Odhair SE G4
Stob Ghabhar and Stob a’ Choire Odhair from Victoria Bridge NN 271418
Ascent of both Munros: G4 ***** 9½ml/15km, 1200m/3950ft
Ascent of Stob Ghabhar alone G4 ***** 8½ml/13km, 910m/3000ft
Ascent of Stob a’ Choire Odhair alone: G1 **** 7ml/11km, 780m/2550ft
Park at Victoria Bridge car park, 400m from the end of the A8005, walk to the bridge and take the track that heads west along the Abhainn Shirra. After 1ml/1½km, at the foot of the evocatively named Allt Toaig (Owlt Toe-ig, Stream of the Fit of Passion), you’ll reach Clashgour Hut, a small green building that in more populous times was a schoolhouse but which is now used by Glasgow University Mountaineering Club. At the bridge just beyond, leave the track for a stalkers’ path that climbs beside the Allt Toaig.
Although the path is wet in places and rough higher up, it nevertheless gives an excellent approach walk. On its left is An Steallaire (An Shtyowllera, The Cascade), a multi-tiered waterfall that drops from Stob Ghabhar’s south-eastern corrie (Coire na Muic, Corra na Moo-ichk, Corrie of the Pig). Ahead, the ascent route up Stob a’ Choire Odhair’s grassy south-west spur is seen in its entirety. Ironically, the path’s directness and gentleness encourage a rate of knots that renders the approach a more tiring promenade than it seems it should be.
Stay on the stalkers’ path as far as the stream that comes down from the bealach (NN 253446) between Stob a’ Choire Odhair and Beinn Toaig. For future reference, note that the stalkers’ path continues beyond here to the foot of a series of small waterfalls on the Allt Taoig. Beyond these, a rougher boot-worn path continues up a shallow upper corrie (Coire Taoig) to the bealach at its head, between Stob Ghabhar and Stob a’ Choire Odhair. Take this route if you wish to omit Stob a’ Choire Odhair and climb Stob Ghabhar alone.
For Stob a’ Choire Odhair, leave the path c.20m past the stream, which can be a nuisance to cross when in spate. A steeper, drier baggers’ path climbs straight up the south-west spur, which forms the left-hand side of the stream. The path takes a steep, direct line at first but relents higher up when the Stob generously deigns to provide a welcome set of zigzags. Above these, gentler slopes of grass and rocks, among which the path becomes indistinct, lead to the scenic summit.
Continuing in the direction of Stob Ghabhar, a stony path runs down Stob a’ Choire Odhair’s gentle west ridge to the intervening bealach, where it joins the upper end of the Allt Taoig path. Those who are omitting Stob Ghabhar and climbing Stob a’ Choire Odhair alone should descend from here.
At the bealach, it is worth taking a moment to get your bearings. Coirein Lochain is hidden to the right around the foot of a rocky spur, which climbs to a rubbly peak seen above on the near corrie rim. This peak is the former Top known as Aonach Eagach (Ernach Aikach, Notched Ridge), named for the rocky ridge that lies hidden beyond it. Don’t be confused by the OS map’s misplacing of the peak’s name on the south-east ridge. Coirein Lochain’s far rim, known as Sron nan Giubhas (Strawn nan Gewas, Nose of the Pines), faces you across the trench-like glen below the corrie.
From the bealach, the path heads for the corrie entrance before turning left to climb straight up the rocky spur to Aonach Eagach. Before you start the climb, we recommend making a short detour around the foot of the spur to the lochan at the heart of the corrie, where the encircling cliffs will make you feel very small indeed.
Amid the imposing surroundings, the ascent to Aonach Eagach is very steep and very stony. Sensitive souls may well wish they’d opted for Route 56b instead. Congratulations to all who manage to stay upright the whole way.
You top out at the junction with the south-east ridge for a short stroll to a cairned rise (the former Top). Ahead now lies the ‘notched ridge’ itself, which forms the divide between Coire na Muic and Coirein Lochain.
If the ridge’s name arouses hopes (or fears!) of the kind of heart-stopping scrambling to be found on its Glen Coe counterpart, you’re in for a disappointment. The traverse is not much more than a short balancing act along a narrow crest. There are only a couple of places that actually merit a G4 grade. Nevertheless, the ridge’s narrowness, loose rocks and big drops will not appeal to everyone.
Clamber down easy rocks into a dip, then follow the path that rises up the ridge. It stays left at first before running along the crest to the first brief scramble, then it runs along the crest again to the second brief scramble (which it avoids on the right). And that’s it.
A broader, almost level ridge continues to another cairned rise at the junction with Coire na Muic’s west rim, then a short climb puts you atop Ghabhar’s bouldery summit cone. N.B. Ghabhar’s two satellite Tops, Sron a’ Ghearrain (Sron a’ Ghearrain Strawn a Yarrin, Nose of the Gelding) and Stob a’ Bhruaich Leith (Stop a Vroo-ich Lyay, Peak of the Grey Slope and Stob a’ Bhruaich) lie off-route to the west, where they are reached by Routes 56b and 56c.
A descent that retraces steps to the Stob a’ Choire Odhair bealach and descends from there beside the Allt Taoig is surprisingly not the best return route. The path back down from Aonach Eagach is even more awkward to negotiate on descent, while the upper section of the Allt Taoig path becomes very boggy after rain.
The easiest descent route goes down the stalkers’ path ascended by Route 56b. Another easy, more direct descent route goes down the west rim of Coire na Muic. Return to the cairned rise at the near (west) end of Aonach Eagach and bear right to find a developing path down easy slopes of grass and rocks. After a stroll along the broad west rim to the far corner of the corrie, stony ground is left behind for rough, steep grass slopes that descend all the way to the Allt Toaig path. To avoid rocky ground around An Steallaire, aim for the forest edge at NN 252432. Recce the route on the outward trip up the Allt Taoig.
Anyone who has enjoyed Aonach Eagach will find a more interesting way down from Stob Ghabhar’s summit via An Steallaire, as shown on the route map. First re-cross Aonach Eagach, then bear right down the broad south-east ridge (Coire na Muic’s north rim). Just before it terminates at a rocky nose, descend slopes of grass and rocks into Coire na Muic. Again, you can recce the route on the outward trip up the Allt Taoig.
Once into the bowl of Coire na Muic, make for the stream to find a path along its left (north) bank, which leads to the lip of the day’s final obstacle – An Steallaire. The waterfall plummets ominously out of sight over crags that guard the corrie entrance, but the path provides a surprisingly funsome descent as it drops from one levelling to another beside tier upon tier of picturesque cascades. A manky thrutch or two half-way down adds to the fun, with no exposure and no problem other than a damp posterior.
From the foot of the falls, a boggy path continues down to the Allt Toaig to join the stalkers’ path back to Victoria Bridge on its far side. And as an added bonus, if you’re lucky, crossing the Allt Toaig may necessitate a refreshing inundation of the feet.
hiking
rolandkelly on scottexservices.com