The Lairig Gartain and Buchaille Etive Beag

Buchaille Etive Beag
A mountain also known as the wee Buchaille. This is often ignored in favour of it's bigger brother but it still provides great views and a grand walk. The easiest approaches reach the bealach between the two summits from either the Lairig Eilde or the Lairig Gartain. The approach via Lairig Gartain is quite boggy and is a longer walk in before you start the climb to the bealach. The Lairig Eilde starts lower but the ascent is quicker.

On Buchaille Etive Beag looking along the ridge from Stob Dubh

The southern ridge on Buchaille Etive Beag

The southern summit has a fairly narrow ridge (no scrambling) and so offers a good introduction to winter ridge walking. There's a square on view of Loch Etive from this summit. The southern summit can be reached easily via a long steep slog from Glen Etive while the ascent from the top of the Lairig Eilde is steeper with some tricky sections. The views across to Bidian nan Bian is superb giving an excellent view of the Beinn Fhada ridge.

Stob Dubh, the principle summit on Buchaille Etive Beag

The northern slopes of Buchaille Etive Beag

Bidean nan Bian and Buchaille Etive Beag
seen from Buchaille Etive Mor

The northern summit by contrast is less ridgey. It's quite a slog from the bealach but still some interesting pedestrian route could be found on the north face. These are all steep and some involve serious scrambles (some likely to be quite slimey).

Bidean nan Bian
This is in my opinion the most majestic peak in Glen Coe. It has many deep corries and fine ridges making it a very complex mountain. It's also a serious mountain with most approaches (either via the ridges or corries) being steep. The mountain provides numerous route finding problems in the mist where some exit routes follow a precise line among the craggy bluffs.

Bidean nan Bian seen above a sea of clouds from the south

The famous Aonach Dubh ridge seen from the Clachaig inn

The finest ridge approach is via the summit of Beinn Fhada - pretty narrow including a scramble on the final pull to the main summit ridge. You need to follow quite an intricate route to reach it from the Glen Coe valley.

Stob Coire Sgreamhach and the Beinn Fhada ridge

The Beinn Fhada ridge

The ridge linking Bidean nam Bian and Stob Coire nan Lochan

A great approach to take is that via Coire nan Lochan. The ascent goes up a steep V-shaped valley. This opens out into a grand north facing corrie with 300m high cliffs and gullies extending further above you once you've arrived to the already lofty hieght of 800m. The western ridge to Stpob Coire nan Lochan is the easiest while the eastern ridge tackles a number of scrambly rock steps. The direct route tackles a grade 1 gully just west of the summit. The western ridge up to the top affords a big view down the lower part of Glen Coe. The valley is 1000m straight down!

Stob Coire nan Lochan seen from the corrie floor

The northern cliffs of Bidean nam Bian

The ridge from Stob Coire an Lochan to Bidean nam Bian is easy but the initial rise up to the Bidean looks vertical from here. Relax! It's just a plod.

The three sisters seen on the way up to the Aonach Eagach ridge

The north ridge of Bidean nam Bian

On the north ridge of Bidean nam Bian

There are two fine corries worth ascending. One is called "The Hidden Valley" or Coire Gabhail and is appropriately named - after ascending up beside the waterfall at Glen Coe, you move over massive boulders and finally descend into the valley floor behind - perfectly hidden from view. The views are stunning - super steep super big walls on three sides. This valley is also very well sheltered from storms - 130mph winds can scream across the ridges while all is calm in this valley. The other corrie is Coire nan Bieth - a higher corrie and feels very arctic during the winter with eerie cliffs.

Under snow, it's safer to stick to the ridges to get on and off the mountain - the corrie headwalls are particularly prone to avalanche though many folk take great sport in sledgeing down them and not stopping for 300m. They describe it as hilarious!

Sgor na h - Uldaidh
This mountain lies largely hidden from the Glen Coe road - it's further back than the other summits and the bulky ridge of Aonach Dubh a' Ghlinne gets in the way (though impressive in it's own right). The easiest route is to ascend the side of the aforementioned ridge, via long, steep and unrelenting slopes to reach its broad back. The rest of the route is kinder on the lungs. The final rise to the summit slope, however is very steep. I had once turned back at this point.

The north face of Sgor na h - Uldaidh

Sgor na h - Uldaidh seen from upper Glen Creran

The popular descent route is towards the Corbett of Meall Lighiche. It's very steep in places - following the fence posts up there will gaurantee that. Before you encounter these crags, you will find easier passage by trending west and here the descent to the bealach should be uncomplicated.

This munro could also be linked in with Bidean nan Bian via Beinn Maol Chaluim though the route is very steep in places - the west slope of Beinn Maol Chaluim particularly so as well as the south west slopes beneath the summit of Bidean nan Bian. Beinn Fhionnlaidh via the south ridge is a worthwhile summit to climb along with Sgor na h-Uldaidh.

The Aonach Eagach ridge
The highlight of Glen Coe for many is the Aonach Eagach ridge. It's the scariest mainland munro bagging ridge to be offered with huge drops on both sides and no way off other than at the start and finish of this ridge. The ridge is rated as a grade 2 scramble / grade3 ice climb that's most easily tackled in the summer.

The pinnacles seen close up on the Aonach Eagach Ridge

The beautiful Stob Coire Leith seen from the east on the lower slopes of Meall Dearg

The way up to Am Bodach

Both munros can, however, be tackled piecemeal without even scrambling. The western summit can be ascended from the Pap of Glen Coe via rocky slopes and the Eastern summit can be approached from Loch Leven.

The long long drop into Glen Coe from the ridge

Am Bodach and the notorious Chancellor

On the main ridge on a brief broad grassy section

The most notorious part of the ridge is regarded by many as being the Chancellor on Am Bodach. Many people are so terrified of that bit when they meet it face to face that they turn back on it. I tried it once in dry summer conditions. The ledges dropping down the cliff face are easy but very exposed. The rest of the ridge is mostly easy (and enjoyable) scrambling except for the "crazy pinnacles". The crazy pinnacles are incredibly narrow but the obstacle is rather short. A diversionary path goes round the north side of those pinnacles but is a bit loose and exposed.

The Ballachulish Horseshoe
Further west Beinn a' Bheithir forms a grand horseshoe with great views up and down Loch Linnhe and west towards Ardgour. The ridge is graceful - without much scrambling needed at all. The western summit is rockier while the eastern summit has smoother lines. The northeast ridge of Sgor Bhan at the east end of the range provides a grade 1 scramble that is said to have some exiting bits on it. The easy ridge of Beinn Bhan - the north ridge can be chosen to avoid the steep stuff - though it does have a big worn path going up it.

The snow laiden slopes beneath Sgorr Dearg

The Ballachulish ridge - Sgor Dhonuill seen from Sgorr Dearg

The western end of the mountain is normally approached through the forests in Gleann a' Chaolais. Some knowledge of where the paths go through this forest are needed as the forest is thick - and other exits of the mountain are steep.

Sgurr Dhoniull and Sgorr Dearg seen from the Glen Creran summits

Gorgious views to the Mamores, Ben Nevis and Loch Leven from the top of Sgorr Dhearg