Stob Ban (grey corries) in summer sunshine...

A week off work, what is a boy to do?? Well this boy decided to pack his car with a rucksack and head for the hills. Accommodation booked for two nights at Dailanna guest house near Loch Eil, with a plan to tackle the Glenfinnan Munro's on Wednesday and Gulvain on Thursday before heading home. This meant I could feasibly attempt Stob Ban from Corriechoillie on the way down today, the only grey corrie I have left to do. Weather forecast was even suggesting it could stay dry today...that turned out to be an understatement!! Corriechoille lies at the end of a very rough road/track from Spean Bridge and driving it takes all your attention, which is unfortunate because some of the best mountain scenery is to be found in abundance around these parts.

I arrived at my destination around ten o'clock and left the car parked on a grass verge as I followed what remained of the rough road through a forestry fence. The path winds its way around some recently felled trees and follows the ancient right of way over the Lairig Leacach. One of the things I vividly recall of my last trip here was the figure of the wee minister emerging from the mist in front of me, unexpectedly, and causing me to stop in my tracks. This time I could see him as soon as I turned the corner in the path, no surprises this time, as he stares out at his parish.

I followed the track as it passed through a couple more forestry fences and sheep fences, seeing the steep climb off to my right that leads to the grey corries and wincing at the memory of just how steep it is. The track continues on along the Lairig Leacach and crosses the Allt Leachdach before continuing uphill into a pass, the grey corries to the right and two Corbett's Cruach Innse and Sgurr Innse to the left.

There was a slight chill in the minimal wind at this early stage, but the sun was always there or thereabouts, peeking behind the occasional cloud, warming my head as I trudged onwards. I had elected to try a lighter pair of boots today (I had been wearing my winter Manta's recently) with a view to cutting down on the impact to my joints on the long paths back. The downside of this was not having worn them for quite some time and never on a hill walk (they were bought for walking round town in winter) they started to rub against my heel very early on so blister plasters were called for after only an hour!! I stopped by some rocks and removed my socks, they were soaking already with sweat (another downside being that these boots were less breathable than my usual hill walking ones) and applied a blister plaster to my left heel. I have been putting off buying a new pair of lightweight summer boots, although I have been window shopping in recent days, but after today I may just have to bite the bullet and persuade my partner that they are essential. I quite like the reviews of the Merrell Protera boots and also the Salomon Synapse ones, though they would both be more suited to long dry hikes and less so to the bogfests that normally inhabit the lower slopes of Munro's. I reached the high point of the Lairig Leacach, 515m, and started the downward leg towards the Leacach bothy.

Stob Ban looked mighty fine with a dappled snow effect on her flanks. I waded across the river, completely ignoring the stepping stones, then realised there was a bridge a little further upstream!! Once across the river I followed the path to a tiny cairn, which signified a veer off to the right, then started up a very boggy slope which would lead me eventually to the summit of Stob Ban. Up until this point I had not seen anyone else in front of me, there had been three cars at the grass verge but I had assumed they were all on the grey corries today, until halfway up these slopes, just before a flat plateau at around 700m, I spotted a lone walker ahead of me moving quite slowly. I soon caught up with him as he stood and surveyed the steep slope ahead.

Although he was clearly moving far slower than I was I still elected to walk with him to the summit and listen to his stories. Although he looked about 90 he claimed to be 67 and had been doing the Munro's all his adult life, just continuous rounds of them, starting when he was 19 and completing his first round within three years. He told me numerous stories of epic days in the hills, including a ten Munro marathon around lochaber in his mid twenties, all of which enthralled me. We plodded on up the slopes at his pace and he pointed out all the surrounding Munro's for me as I snapped away with my camera, of which there were far more than I expected to be able to see. We pulled up onto the summit cairn at 977m to be met by the most wondrous mountain vista imaginable.

The views were as clear as I had hoped they would be and stretched for miles to all corners of the country. We could pick out Schehallion, Ben Lawers, Glen Lyon, Ben Cruachan, Ben Starav, all the Glencoe peaks, all the Mamores, Ben Alder, Creag Meageah, Aonach Beag and many more. The old boy told me he planned to go on a bit further southwards before cutting east and meeting the Lairig Leacach at the foot of Loch Treig. I apologised for being on a schedule and also for trying to keep some fitness for longer treks to come in the next two days. We parted on the summit, after taking the usual pictures of Jelly McBaby, and went our separate ways.

I returned to the car via the Lairig Leachach, including ignoring the stepping stones and bridge again when I crossed the river, and made it back within five and a half hours. I headed to Fort William for supplies then headed to my accommodation for the night, with a wonderful view across Loch Eil to keep me inspired as I write this blog. Hopefully the weather will hold for the next two days and the views will be as inspiring as today.

 

228 down, 54 to go. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/john.stalker.31/media_set?set=a.10202133664450036.1073741844.1440975916&type=3