York Alpine Club Blog

After reading a report on Walkhighlands.co.uk (recommended for record keeping) about a Grey Corries traverse from Glen Nevis I was keen to repeat this as it seemed to describe a more interesting outing than the usual route.

I left home at 7am (passing K on his way to work – SUCKER) and drove up to Kinlochleven, where I had unfinished business. I parked up at 2ish by the now defunct Hotel looking very sad and followed the track then path up the hillside towards Na Gruagaichean (1056m). Towards the top I left the path as it zagged away from the summit. A quick tick and I was back at the car just after 6, cup of tea and repacking my kit and on my way to Glen Nevis (via the excellent KLL chip shop).

I arrived just about 8.30 at the car park and it was dark. A large team were heading upto the hut (complete with harnesses and slings for the bridge) and I chatted to a late-comer. I Packed my last bits into sac and set off into the dark by torchlight. A lovely wander up Glen Nevis, not too cold and easy underfoot. Soon past Steal ruins I sort of lost the path (it gets vague!) but I knew roughly where I was heading, to find a campsite close to the river quite a way up the Glen. Suffice to say it took longer than expected (as I misread the trip report) and I put my tent up about 11. I'd chosen my site well though.


A glorious morning was just the start and the walk, although a bit harsh at the start was generally easier than I had expected, the views were of course stunning. Soft snow (I had no axe or cramps, deciding to leave them in the tent) was easy to walk on and disappearing from the southern aspects quickly. At the end of the ridge (three ~1100m Munros down) I dropped down to Stob Ban (4th Munro mere 977) and then headed back along its ridge, taking a heathery route down to a river crossing, nice for the feet, and back along he Glen to my tent. I made a brew, set a timer for 25 mins and crashed out. Disappointed not to have taken any evening food with me, I packed up and headed down, staying close to the river (the split path a little easier to follow down here) and back to the car.

The Climbers Club has a hut in Roybridge, 13 miles north of Fort WIlliam and I headed there. A brilliant warm comfy 4 bedroom bungalow, empty! The other 4 guests arrived back shortly, 2 from the pub having just climbed Point 5 (not at all jealous) after a 3am start and 2 more been to Knoydart (1 hour drive) and 11 hours on the hills.

Next day I had a few blister issues (bit surprising) and slept in and chilled with another member (Colin) before setting off 12ish to get some suntan lotion and bag the Stob Coire Easain pair of Munros just along the road (Fersit). Another cracking day, saw a few people (and an eagle) but all of them coming home, not surprising when you don't set off till 1.30 BST! Kicking steps down a north facing slope for 10m provided a little bit of a distraction and a lovely walk out along the glen and an old tramway. Back at car for 7.30 was about right for the day.

My heels were a bit destroyed which was a shame as the weather was once more majestic for the drive home via Dalwhinnie. Scotland in spring, with some snow and sunshine really is one of the most beautiful places to be

Simon and I decided to get out for a walk on Sunday. Given the rather grim forecast I was surprised that 2 other members were willing to join us (Gordon & Peri). Our walk started from Barden Bridge near Bolton Abbey. We set off with no sign of snow and only slightly drizzly conditions – hopes of a wintry walk were low. However, I was enjoying the bird life – saw a number of red kites on the drive over and 1 shortly after leaving the car. We went through Strid woods and along the valley of desolation. It was not until we got much higher on Simon’s seat then we came across snow underfoot – and was definitely wintry at the summit. It was rather cloudy and with a chilly wind as we approached the summit –so the visit to the summit cairn was short lived. We managed to find slightly more sheltered conditions below a crag so stopped for refreshments. It then started snowing and continued for the rest of the walk. We extended the walk by going up Troller’s Gill – with a stop for lunch under the dripping overhangs and then back across moorland (where Gordon and Peri rescued a sheep with its horns caught on the feeder) to finish the walk by heading back along the river Wharfe with a number of bird stops – plenty of ducks and dippers in action. Good day out considering the forecast.

After a dump of snow on Thursday night and some excellent-looking conditions on Friday, we were due a cold and clear day on Saturday before the warm and wet conditions returned a day later. So Carmen and I concocted a last minute plan and headed for the Dales.

Things didn't look promising as we passed Harrogate and all the snow had disappeared; even at Bolton Abbey there was very little left. But by the time we got to Arncliffe, the hills and valleys were all at least vaguely white – not what you'd hope for at this time of year, but enough to look pretty!

We walked along the valley to Litton, then a rising traverse to the road between Pen-y-Ghent and Fountains Fell. A left turn led steeply uphill, preferring the wall to the path as this leads direct to the summit. The views from the top were dominated by Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent to the west, and Great Whernside and Buckden Pike to the east, the clear air unfortunately ending at a big blank of clouds over the Irish Sea preventing us seeing further.

We descended via the south top of Fountains Fell (with a small stack of stones acting as a summit cairn) to pick up the Pennine Way. From the road we'd intended following the PW down to Malham Tarn, but the sun was getting low so we decided to stay high as long as possible to make the most of it. So we headed up east over Back Pasture – somewhere I've not been before, but well worth a visit for its unpolished limestone pavements. We then picked up the bridleway which we followed back north to Arncliffe just as the last light started to fade.

Unfortunately we didn't have time to pop in to the Falcon, but by all accounts it hasn't changed a lot since its recent change of landlord and still serves beer from a jug (though these days has a couple of pumps in an attempt to enter the 20th century)!

Good to be out, and despite the fantastic weather we only saw 3 other people all day.

Some more photos here