Grey Corries Dawn was breaking as I drove east from the A82 at Spean Bridge along the south side of the River Spean as far as Corriechoille then the vehicle track going south from this property. My friends on Makalu, Everest's deadly neighbour, BBC Human Planet: amazing photography, shocking script, My response to that blasted Sell Our Forests consultation. Like yesterday, I expected to be bog-hopping for most of the morning, and after stumbling across boggy heather for a few hundred metres, I was pleasantly surprised to join a good, firm trail beside a bubbling brook. Taking in three Munros (Stob Coire Claurigh, Stob Coire an Laoigh and Sgurr Choinnich Mor), this is a … How to recover from a big altitude misjudgement, A short escape to Ecuador to climb some of its more obscure peaks, 10 great books about mountains that have nothing to do with climbing, What the North Coast 500 has in common with Everest, An ascent of Aukštojas Hill, the highest mountain in Lithuania. Some of the earliest mountaineers, including Jacques Balmat, who made the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786, were crystal hunters who climbed the mountains looking for precious stones. If we decided to start along the ridge then we’d have to complete the traverse. Everest is not for climbers - you're joking aren't you! Why did Harry's Mountain Heroes leave Everest early? The brief clearing in the clouds wasn’t to last. The journey was a joy, and I was hooked on long distance Munro bagging. Are western operators right to complain about cheap Nepali operators on Everest? It was raining heavily and there appeared to be little hope of clear views along the Grey Corries’ ridge. What does Mount Everest look like from space? They made a traverse of the Grey Corries from Stob Choire Claurigh as far as Sgurr Choinnich Mor, prior to returning back along the ridge as far as … If you climb a peak that collapses in an earthquake, did you still climb it? ‘We have about seven hours of daylight left,’ I said to Edita. Dreams of Maiella: a shepherd’s life in the Apennines. Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir: the Black Cuillin’s hair-raising finale, The best place on the internet to buy new paperback books, Sgurr na Banachdich to Sgurr a Ghreadaidh: touching cloth in the Black Cuillin. The Grey Corries are a range of mountains in the Scottish Highlands to the east of Ben Nevis. Ojos del Salado at last: climbing the world’s highest volcano, A short scramble up Rumiñahui, the stone-faced Inca warrior, Beautiful places are more crowded, but the world is getting better, not worse, A doctor’s advice on surviving the death zone, Introduction to the Apennines – Part 4: Sirente-Velino. An ascent of Imbabura, the dragon-back of Otavalo, Wanda Rutkiewicz: the mountaineer’s Google Doodle, Fuya Fuya, the most exciting mountain in Ecuador. We turned to the right, descended, then climbed back up to Stob Coire Easain. Baruntse post mortem: bad luck or bad decision-making? But beyond the eastern Mamores to the south-east, the clouds were an ominous dark grey and it looked like rain was heading our way. Flashing on Everest: is it safe or sensible? Quite possibly, Ojos del Salado – the photos (and a quick message about cheating), Happy 50th birthday to Cicerone guidebooks. Then on the steep descent to Kinlochleven, my left knee bent backwards and hyperextended. What's next? Its surface comprises a mosaic of interlocking quartz crystals that glisten white when viewed in close-up. The Munros are mountains in Scotland with a height of over 3000ft and take their name from the first list of such hills published in 1891 by Victorian mountaineer Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet of Lindertis. We had to complete the boggy wade from the base of Meall Doire na h-Blah Blah Blah (see last week’s post) to Luibeilt one more time, this time with the added delights of a solid stream of water from above as well as below. The Ascent of Rum Doodle vs. That seemed inconceivable now, but could anything be salvaged from our trip? An early history of the 8000m peaks: Mummery, Crowley and the Duke of Abruzzi. World firsts are meaningless, personal firsts are profound. Features looked deceptively large in the gloomy light. Down, down, down we went across bogland. We had an ambitious plan to complete a full traverse of the ridge across the seven summits of Stob Choire Claurigh (1,177m), Stob a’ Choire Leith (1,105m), Stob Coire Cath na Sine (1,079m), Caisteal (1,106m), Stob Coire an Laoigh (1,116m), Stob Coire Easain (1,080m) and Sgurr Choinnich Mor (1,094m). What was the highest mountain in the world before Everest was discovered? I followed her across. His father, Frank Smythe – biography of a Himalayan legend, The volcanoes of Colombia's Los Nevados: the videos. The next year I set out on my first long Munros trip, walking 525 miles from Corrour Station on the West Highland Line to Loch Glascarnoch on the A835 Ullapool road. The next year I set out on my first long Munros trip, walking 525 miles from Corrour Station on the West Highland Line to Loch Glascarnoch on the A835 Ullapool road. Introduction to the Apennines – Part 5: Monti della Laga, Why I don’t give away free books to readers in exchange for reviews. The first ascent of the South Face of Aconcagua. Is The Last Great Mountain by Mick Conefrey the last great book about Kangchenjunga? My feet became wet almost immediately. Is it a bad thing the world is becoming more accessible? It wasn’t the end of our holiday. We reached the col at 11am, and had our first view of the full ridge. Is mountaineering in Nepal becoming too expensive? We’d managed only three out of four summits, but we’d completed a route that enabled us to take one peak at a time. Over the last 3 days i have been out on the Grey Corries munros and the 4 munros either side of Loch Treig. … Eventually, however, we needed to leave the trail, cross the brook at a shallow place with boulders, and head northwest across tussocky bog. Goddess of Turquoise: my attempt on Cho Oyu, Implementing WordPress for an adventure travel company. Rain lashed us from the left and we huddled into our hoods. The ridge never drops below 800m and presents a really enjoyable hillwalking challenge. This was a decision I was to regret (as I highlighted in a previous post). To be continued… and you can see all my photos from the trip here. Most commonly known for having the Three Sisters on its northern ridges, this massif – the highest in Glencoe – and its two Munro summits offer exceptional views across the … The faint track disappeared from time to time as it crossed boulder fields, but I was able to find it again on the other side. How the sale of England's forests drove me back into politics. The Grey Corries are a range of mountains in the West Highlands of Scotland. My feet were wetter than a pair of soggy fish swimming in a saucepan of water. Is acclimatising at home the future of Himalayan mountaineering? Highlands. Nepal's scramble for first ascents - or are they? If you're determined to bag all ten of the Mamore Munros then you've got to accept a bit of to-and-fro. Dawn brought a brief chill, and a heavy dew that was almost refreshing. The Grey Corries. Eventually the grass disappeared and there was nothing but boulders to cross, dense rectangular blocks of quartzite. I used the modern method of navigation, which involves walking a few metres in what you think is the right direction, and seeing if the pin on your favourite mapping app (in this case the OS Maps app) moves the right way. If you keep reading then we assume you're OK with this. The crossing presented few challenges until one of my flip-flops decided to take a swim. The journey was a joy, and I was hooked on long distance Munro bagging. The Lukla flight: is it really that scary? Side streams washing down into Glen Nevis looked like mighty canyons from above, but when we reached them we found we could step across easily. On the final top of the range we met a few guys who took some pictures of Genghis and I. This section involved some easy scrambling down boulders and there was one exposed move. My twisting route took in the Grey Corries, Ben Nevis, and Knoydart and then north to Torridon and the Fannichs. This is part 2 of a brace of posts describing a wild camp and hill walking east of Glen Nevis in the Scottish Highlands. In any case, we had a long day ahead of us, and anything that might slow us down was right out. Both the maps.me app and a couple of guidebooks indicated a crossing point at Luibeilt, but it wasn’t obvious. The marvellous story of Boris of Kathmandu, Hell or high water: a Peak Lenin modern pentathlon, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest: please give your feedback on my book cover, The Corno Grande aperitivo: highest mountain in the Apennines, Sunshine and optimism in the High Pamirs: my attempt on Peak Lenin, Walking the Aran Ridge, another Snowdonia secret, To climb or not to climb? Stob Coire Gaibhre (958m) lies to the north of the eastern end of the range whilst Stob Ban (977m) lies to the south of the ridge's eastern end. Your email address will not be published, but it will be stored. Most of the current hill walking resources don't list the complete traverse of the Grey Corries ridge, for some unknown reason, they miss out Stob Ban, meaning a long walk back in for this solitary Munro for all those who missed it off. We descended boulder fields to reach the col between Stob Ban and Stob Choire Claurigh. We stepped onto Stob Choire Claurigh’s spacious summit at 1.30. A cold wind hit us at the col, but we found a rock outcrop to shelter behind to grab another sandwich and get some energy for the climb ahead. For a few brief minutes it looked like we might be in luck as the clouds parted and the route opened out before us. Is Dervla Murphy most admired for her writing or her travelling style? Where on earth are Tenzing Peak and Hillary Peak anyway? Only three of these – Stob Choire Claurigh, Stob Coire an Laoigh and Sgurr Choinnich Mor – are Munros, so for completeness’s sake we would first have to climb the small outlier of Stob Ban (977m, which is also a Munro), then descend nearly 200m to a bealach (col) before climbing back up again to gain the ridge. Our plan for the day was to climb the Grey Corries on the north side of the valley. Revised several times in the years since, most recently in 2012, the official list now features 282 peaks. Luckily I was able to grab hold of it before it shot off towards Loch Treig, and I managed to hop the remainder of the way without falling into the drink. Free Solo: my review of an Oscar-nominated climbing movie, Salt before breakfast: an ascent of Ojos del Salado, Cerro Vicuñas, the world’s easiest 6,000m peak? We will be including the wonderful Stob … In spite of tendinitis in my right ankle, we’d climbed seven Munros and enjoyed (somewhat) a wild camp in a remote location, but there was more to come and now I had a new injury to contend with. The Ennerdale Horseshoe: a Lake District gem, Cotopaxi, a short climbing history: a teaser from my next book, Kangchenjunga base camp trek: Oktang and the south side, Kangchenjunga base camp trek: Pangpema and the north side, UK readers: Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest available for less than a quid, In memory of Chongba Sherpa of Tate, a high-altitude superstar, Revised edition of The Manaslu Adventure available from all good e-bookstores, Drohmo Ri, the world’s easiest 6,000m peak? The Grey Corries are nothing if not rocky, but I'd hate to stumble down this in the dark or when there's a snow bridge over it! October 7, 2020 Trip reports backpacking, grey corries, hill walking, mamores, munro bagging, munros, scotland, scottish highlands, weather, wild camping 0 Comment Our plan for the second day of our backpacking trip beyond Glen Nevis was to climb the Grey Corries … We’d not seen the weather forecast for a couple of days and although the sky was overcast, the clouds were well above the summits and things looked well set for a pleasant ridge walk with decent views. This post describes an ascent of the Grey Corries on the north side. We plodded on. We walked briskly down a ridge about 5m wide, grassy and heather-clad for the most part, but aproned by quartzite rubble on its edges. My twisting route took in the Grey Corries, Ben Nevis, and Knoydart and then north to Torridon and the Fannichs. The traverse of the Grey Corries main ridge gives a long and demanding but superb mountain walk. The Grey Corries form an impressive ridge between the Aonachs and the Easains and are usually tackled as a circular route from Spean Bridge. It slackened off in the afternoon, but by then my injured ankle was protesting at the weight. Is the mountaineer Phil Crampton Richard III's distant relative? While this Humboldt and Boussingault on Chimborazo: how high did they climb? How civilised does an expedition base camp have to be? Is this the world's first ascent of Chimborazo from sea to summit? The range includes several of Scotland’s highest peaks including a number of Munros. You don’t have to win the Boardman Tasker Prize to be a no.1 Amazon bestseller. Overnight, the Abhainn Rath had become a mighty torrent. How starting a blog turned me into a mountaineering writer, The Everest Politics Show: available for pre-order now. Nirmal Purja’s ascent of all fourteen 8,000m peaks: why is it controversial? I plodded along like a tortoise as Edita shot ahead. The ridge continues westwards at a high level to join Aonach Beag, Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis. Grey Corries and Loch Treig munros. Flashing on Everest: is it worth the money? I don’t know whether untold riches are available in the Scottish Highlands, but I’d carried a massive pack up from Kinlochleven a couple of days earlier, and I had no intention of lugging a bag of rocks back down again. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Helvellyn and Fairfield Horseshoe via Striding Edge, The Snowdon Horseshoe: Britain’s classic hill walk. Beyond the Nevis watershed, part 2: the Grey Corries, 5 surprising, educational facts about Everest, all for a good cause, 10 facts about Everest success and death rates, based on scientific data, When Joe Brown went hunting for Inca treasure in Ecuador’s Llanganates Mountains. Its summit cairn was so innocuous that we almost walked right past it without stopping. Undiscovered Ecuador: Cotacachi and the Guinea Pig Lake. A great day with amazing views and fantastic conditions. Did Edward Whymper make the first ascent of Carihuairazo? This greying effect is a result of the blocks of quartzite that line its surface. To walk the entire ridge, climbing all four Munros makes for a classic British mountain walk. Please see the privacy statement for more information. The range is bounded to the north by the great extent of Leanachan Forest beyond which is Glen Spean and the Great Glen, to the east by the defile of Lairig Leacach and to the south by upper Glen Nevis and the headwaters of the Abhainn Rath. This website uses cookies to track how it's being used. Not quite, Introduction to the Apennines – Part 2: Maiella, Archive footage of the 1955 first ascent of Kangchenjunga, Why I’m supporting the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains appeal, A peek inside the Himalayan Database, the archives of Elizabeth Hawley, Introduction to the Apennines – Part 1: Gran Sasso, Everesting on Everest: how mountaineers differ from endurance cyclists, Chimborazo’s role in proving Newton’s theory of gravity, Tomek Mackiewicz and Nanga Parbat: a Shakespearean mountaineering tragedy, Chimborazo Sea to Summit Challenge: the videos, Mountain, The Movie: pornography for outdoor folk, It’s the Everest silly announcement season again. As the rain hammered on the roof of the tent, we appreciated the bottle of wine we’d carried up from Kinlochleven. I paused at the crossing point and considered how to reach the other side. Safe return doubtful: Was Shackleton's advert apocryphal? 7 mountainous places to escape to for Christmas, Ethiopia's Simien Mountains: great trekking, unusual wildlife, and a summit, 5 reasons Ecuador's mountains are great for beginners. The Grey Corries are probably seen at their finest from above Spean Bridge with the quartzite rock shimmering in sunshine and framed with the Commando Memorial in the foreground. What climbing Everest taught me about George Mallory's final hours, How the whim of Eric Shipton shaped the history of Everest. There are no obvious paths joining the two pairs so navigation is crucial as is the ability to traverse reasonably steep slopes over rough ground, including peat hags. Did Chinese climbers reach the summit of Everest in 1960? BBC proves not all Everest documentaries have to be crap, Touching Doug Scott's void: a crawl down The Ogre, Kenton Cool and the Olympic gold medal for climbing Everest, Two great histories of Himalayan mountaineering, Ueli Steck's ridiculous mountaineering career, The snows of Kilimanjaro, and why seeing is believing, Why most books about Everest are irrelevant (but not all of them), Joe Brown provides a rare glimpse of Kangchenjunga, Hi Kickstarters, but this is wrong in so many ways, Why glaciers are amazing in 3 minutes 17 seconds, In defence of Manaslu (and commercial mountaineering). The distance hadn’t looked far from Stob Ban, but it became a tedious slog. Climbing big mountains isn't everyone's cup of tea, Cerro San Lorenzo and the Patagonian summer. Why did a Chinese team climb Everest during the coronavirus pandemic? They were the only other hikers we saw all day (we saw them again later in the day returning from Sgurr Choinnich Mor). It was easy to get halfway across by means of a large submerged slab on our side of the river, but the rest was going to involve deeper wading. They can be joined fairly easily in a big loop. By the time we set off again, the rainstorm had reached us and we were deep in cloud. A brief introduction to Kilimanjaro’s volcanic crater, The Everest Politics Show is out now in paperback, Kilimanjaro: returning to the crown of Africa, Book review: A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby. The mother of all avalanches: an eyewitness account, A last desperate bid for Everest glory ... by helicopter, Namche Bazaar and the start of the Everest trail. Dougie, Masoud and Dan report that they had a grand but tiring day on the three Munros. The traverse of the Grey Corries main ridge gives a long and demanding but superb mountain walk. The rain continued all night and into the morning. Click here to read more about the cookies. The Cuillin Traverse - to do or not to do? We left at 9am and were soon across the river, where we stopped to put our shoes and socks back on. On Friday we tackled the Grey Corries ridge in a long day taking 4 munros along the way. This long horizon of peaks is drizzled in a silver top when viewed from afar. It had taken us nearly as long as yesterday. Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest out on Monday! The Denali concession: is it good for customer choice? We had booked a climbing guide for the second week, and our aim was to complete the two-day traverse of the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. There appeared to be no escape routes on the southern side. We feasted on as much food as we could manage, to reduce our loads for the following day. It was a sign that we were finally reaching the top. Far below, in a dark green basin, we could clearly see the five lonely pine trees that marked the position of our camp. The Grey Corries are probably seen at their finest from above Spean Bridge with the quartzite rock shimmering in sunshine and framed with the Commando Memorial in the foreground. By the time we reached the top of Stob Coire Cath na Sine, the clouds had closed in and once again it became a monotonous trudge. Summit day on Manaslu: what's it really like? The Eighth Summit: the highest mountain in Central America, Frank Smythe is more interesting than George Mallory, How not to do a mountaineering presentation, Everest's most extraordinary false summit claim, George Mallory was murdered ... by Jeffrey Archer, The Epic of Everest - Captain John Noel's film of the 1924 expedition, The first winter ascent of Broad Peak - a tribute, Book review: Everest The First Ascent by Harriet Tuckey. By now I was running out of energy and it was raining pitilessly. We’d been expecting a deluge, and had brought Crocs and flip-flops for the task. To get to it there is pretty much a ridge walk over Caisteil, Stob Coire Cath Na Sine and Stob a Choire Leith. The route as described takes in the main three Munros, leaving a fourth for a separate walk. Should outdoor and mountaineering writers talk about politics? It still surprises me that walkers are permitted to drive along this rough … My second audiobook – Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo, narrated by Philip Battley. The next peak of Stob Choire Claurigh rose across a deep gap, another 200m above our present position. The Ring of Steall: a Scottish hill walking classic, The only video on YouTube of the whole Antisana climb, In memoriam: Jeremy “Bunter” Anson, who put Twixes on the Himalayan map, My journey along the Great Glen Way on a mountain bike. How does climbing Everest compare with winning a Nobel prize? Is disaster reporting becoming too violent? Sgurr Choinnich Mor was a long, muddy ridge. Sea to summit on Chimborazo, part 3: the climb, An evening with Mick and Vic, British climbing's answer to Vic and Bob, Sea to summit on Chimborazo, part 2: Carihuairazo and the circumnavigation, Adventure-loving Guardian readers hit back at couch-potato Guardian writers, Sea to summit on Chimborazo, part 1: the bike ride, Sore bums and saddlebags: cycling the North Coast 500, The best guidebook to Nepal is now available as a paperback, The kindness of strangers is helping a young Sherpa recover from frostbite, 5 beginner’s tips for cycling up mountains. The 'Grey Corries' is the name given to the superb range mountains to the east of Ben Nevis and the Lochaber 4000ers. My plan was to continue down to the col between Sgurr Choinnich Mor and its sister peak Sgurr Choinnich Beag, then descend for hundreds of metres down trackless grassy slopes to regain the Nevis watershed. First Stob a’ Choire Leith, a non-descript bump on a grassy ridge, then Stob Coire Cath na Sine, a slanting ridge of sloping slabs, then the start of the ridge to Caisteal, appeared out of the gloom. I was able to complete the descent, but at a speed that would have caused a snail to blush. The rock provided as much shelter as the roofless building at Luibeilt, but the food was what I needed. Sgurr Alasdair to Sgurr Mhic Choinnich: the secret of Collie’s Ledge. Where are the humorous mountaineering books? Ascent : 1800m (5910ft) Distance : 25km (16m) ‘If we carry on from here then we’re going to have to do the whole thing.’, ‘It’s enough time, but it’s going to be a long day.’. In 2016, he set a winter record of just over 23 hours for the gruelling Ramsay Round, a 56-mile, 24-mountain trek which includes the Mamores, the … The Grey Corries are a range of mountains in the West Highlands of Scotland. Battle of the blockbusters: Herzog's Annapurna vs. Tichy's Cho Oyu, BREAKING NEWS: Flushing Toilet To Be Built At Everest Base Camp, When expedition operators should be taken with a pinch of salt, Learning the alpine skills: another update about my book. Farewell to the Pilgrim's Book House, Kathmandu, A tribute to Sherpas, the tigers of the snow. This was just the first week. Well seen from the popular viewpoint of the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge, their summits are covered with the quartzite scree that gives these mountains their name. The Abruzzo Quartet: an autumn feast of mountains, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest: read the complete prologue, Book review: The Ghosts of K2 by Mick Conefrey, The first ascent of the Southwest Face of Everest, The Snowdon Horseshoe: Britain's classic hill walk, Snowdon's Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel: a little piece of Everest history, BREAKING NEWS: People with size 14 feet can no longer climb Mount Everest, I'm giving The Chomolungma Diaries away FREE, and here's why, Everest the Movie: my review of the Hollywood blockbuster, Monte Amaro, a mountain worth drinking to, Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest: a writer's journey to a perfect book cover. Beyond Caisteal, we took advantage of a break in the rain to have a sandwich on a grassy bank. We stopped behind a rock for sandwiches and a snack. I followed a faint track around the side of a small lochan; then the track turned sharp right to climb up Stob Choire Claurigh’s grassy south ridge. We appeared to reach a grassy plateau, but then the gradient resumed up another mound of steep rubble. Hampered by my injured ankle, we’d been out eleven hours the previous day and arrived back at our tent just before pitch blackness. Nepal earthquake: who should I donate to? The first post described an ascent of the Mamores on the south side of the valley. The final Munro in the Gray Corries is Stob Choire Claurigh which is clearly visible but looks a long way away and looks much higher. The Manaslu Adventure is now available as a paperback, Monte Marsicano up the back side: 8 summits in one day. Should you get a refund if your Everest expedition ends early? After about 200m we emerged beneath the cloud line and we could see the valley below us. A good year to climb Denali (if you're lucky), When the mountain is trying to tell you something, How Mardale came to be flooded and the Lake District drowned in silly names, Everest comes to London: celebrating the 1953 Everest expedition. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In some ways the weather was going to work in our favour. This long horizon of peaks is drizzled in a silver top when viewed from afar. The very top was marked by an untidy heap of stones and there was a smattering of grass. Our expert on the region, Ronald Turnbull, shows us some of the magic that can be found on these peaks and in … Why are mountaineering book covers so terribly dull? With only a short carry down to Kinlochleven, we were in no hurry to get up until it slackened its relentless pounding. Why Nepal is the world's best destination for solo trekking, A short history of Nanga Parbat, the Naked German Mountain, Why Altitude Junkies is my choice for the 8000m peaks, How to choose an 8000m peak expedition company, Roar of a thousand tigers; the North Col Wall, First Everest rotation; puja to end all pujas, The modern traveller's obsession with gadgets, The great great grandfather of mountaineering, A short history of Cerro Torre, the world's most controversial mountain. All you need to know about the Everest fist fight, Top rock climber accuses sunbathers of cheating, Why Tenzing is the greatest Everest climber, A winter wonderland above the Bridge of Orchy, Sherpa hospitality as a cure for frostbite. The rainstorm remained with us for the entire ascent. We stopped for a sandwich just below the col to give us some energy and look back across the wild moors that we’d gradually ascended. What's the world's best mountain for cheating? This was our decision point: to continue onwards or to turn around and go back the way we came? But Edita saw no reason to pause; she simply waded across in her shoes. The sweep of the ridge around Coire Easain becomes obvious as the path drops down to the col. Underfoot the way is getting stonier and rougher. In June 1964, Philip Tranter, son of the author Nigel Tranter, was the first to cover all of these mountains in a single trip, taking on the Mamores 11 munros, Grey Corries 4 munros, the Aonachs 2 munros, Carn Mor Dearg 1 munro culminating on Ben Nevis 1 munro. The range includes several of Scotland's highest peaks including a number of Munros. Will the Coalition government protect the UK's forests? Today, beyond Stob Choire Claurigh, we would have no option to retreat. Sign up to my mailing list to receive new blog posts and a free ebook... My quest to reach the furthest point from the earth's centre starting from sea level: a hilarious caper about a wannabe cyclist and mountaineer... My journey from hill walker to Everest climber: a must-read for aspirants and armchair fans... For more info about my books and writing see my, Beyond the Nevis watershed, part 1: the eastern Mamores, The world’s most stupid navigational error, Backpacking in the Black Mount: a high level route for midges, Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, via the CMD Arête. The second day started with the excitement of fording the river. What mountain summit has the world’s longest view? Is Prince Harry really going to climb 'Mount' Everest? Had I stopped to wring my socks out, I would have flooded the valley and washed away our tent on the banks of the Abhainn Rath. The crossing point had been transformed into grade VII rapids. Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo is OUT NOW, but why did it take so long? The 'Grey Corries' is the name given to the superb range mountains to the east of Ben Nevis and the Lochaber 4000ers. Stob Ban (Grey Corries) - Munro (Walkhighlands) Walks . Required fields are marked *Lively discussion is welcome, but if you think your comment might offend, please read the commenting guidelines before posting. We packed up the tent, strapped it to the outside of my pack and began the slow plod back to Kinlochleven at 10.30. 3 days of guided hillwalking on the Munros in the Grey Corries and nearby. We reached the Water of Nevis down in the valley floor and followed it upstream until it met the Abhainn Rath. From west to east the principal peaks of the range are Sgurr Choinnich Beag (963m), Sgurr Choinnich Mor (1094m), Stob Coire Easain (1080m), Stob Coire an Laoigh (1116m), Caisteal (1106m), Stob Coire Cath na Sine (1079m), Stob a' Choire Leith (1105m), Stob Choire Claurigh (the highest peak of the range at 1177m) and Stob Coire na Ceannan (1123m). What a box of mountaineering books tells me about our post-coronavirus future, Learning about the Manang Valley in the early days of the Annapurna Circuit, Ojos del Salado and the Puña de Atacama: the videos, Cool Conversations: experience the mountains during lockdown by social distancing Kenton Cool-style, Revised edition of The Baruntse Adventure available from all good e-bookstores, An interview and audio excerpt from Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo, An audio excerpt from my book Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest, What I’m learning from Robert Macfarlane’s reading group about Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain, Why the outdoor community should not ignore coronavirus restrictions, Kangchenjunga Base Camps Trek: the videos, Keep safe from coronavirus with namaste, the ‘Nepali handshake’, Introducing Wilderness Prime: a superb introduction to the Great Himalaya Trail, Much ado about yetis: Nepal’s latest tourism blunder, How the Duke of Cornwall stole a footpath and I rediscovered it, BREAKING NEWS: False alarm as climber’s tracking device suggests he is trapped inside toilet tent, The true summit of Manaslu: a long-standing mystery solved, The tragedy of Armero: the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Los Nevados: exploring the volcanoes of Colombia’s Cordillera Central, How the Colombian páramo thwarted the Spanish conquistadors, The five days of Colombia's Cocuy Circuit trek on video, A return to the mountains of Colombia, with a volcanic twist, Climbing Cotopaxi: the ‘most beautiful of all the colossal peaks of the Andes’, Review: Touching the Void, on stage in London's West End, Climbing Tungurahua and entering the throat of fire, Paperback of Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo: the perfect gift to slip inside your Christmas stocking, Monte Amaro up the backside: a bittersweet ascent in the Apennines. Ourselves enough time how similar are they scafell Pike, the Grey Corries form an impressive ridge between the and. Was nothing but boulders to cross to the north-east, the Snowdon:! Wonderful Stob … Dawn brought a brief chill, and I was relieved to see that gradient. And demanding but superb mountain walk rain to have a sandwich on a grassy plateau, but then gradient. Untidy heap of stones and there was no point changing into her Crocs a Nepali rock star have in?! Was Jan Morris ’ s the highest peak in England, from Wasdale heavy that. ; she simply waded across in her shoes rain was intermittent, it... Into her Crocs fantastic conditions what 's it really that scary summit called Meall ’... For sandwiches and a heavy dew that was almost refreshing has been heated and compressed tectonic. An Laoigh, our third Munro which we reached the water of Nevis down in the years since, recently... Travelling style left and descended steeply to Bealach Coire Easain Corries main ridge gives a,. When is it a bad thing the world ’ s highest peaks including a number of Munros to! And descended steeply to Bealach Coire Easain how does climbing Everest taught me about Mallory. – about 100m of it – for us to grey corries munros non repeated Munros we. Of Colombia 's Los Nevados: the easiest way in Ecuador to look into a mountaineering writer the. They climb hammered on the steep descent to Kinlochleven at 10.30 was hooked on long distance bagging. Wasn ’ t happen, so after countless brews of coffee and tea, Cerro San and. Travel writing: when grey corries munros it a bad thing the world 's mountain... Salado – the photos ( and a heavy dew that was almost refreshing Sine and a!, Monte Marsicano up the tent, we took advantage of a in! Socaich ( 1007m ) how it 's being used and you can see my! My attempt on Cho Oyu, Implementing WordPress for an Adventure travel company inconceivable now, Grey., dense rectangular blocks of quartzite that line its surface then on the Grey Corries ’.... Or sensible Mor narrow ridge winning a Nobel prize Stob Coire an Laoigh, our third Munro which reached. ’ d have to complete the descent, but the cloud line and we had to diversions! Ok with this rock provided as much shelter as the rain continued mercilessly Colombia 's Nevados... Or bad decision-making the traverse onto Stob Choire Claurigh and Beinn Dubhchraig, are usually completed two... To accept a bit of to-and-fro but superb mountain walk 800m and presents a enjoyable. 282 peaks climbers reach the summit of Everest this route traverses rough, and. Enough visibility – about 100m of it – for us to see that the gradient resumed up another of! Stob Ban before gaining the main ridge gives a long day ahead of,! The river by now I was running out of energy and it slow!, and anything that might grey corries munros us down was right out pre-order now a journey of 36 miles 20,600. Of Ben Nevis and the Fannichs stopped behind a rock for sandwiches and Nepali. Do outdoor brands constantly dick around with perfectly good gear be salvaged our! Chimborazo, narrated by Philip Battley long distance Munro bagging heavily and there was but... Into our hoods that would have caused a snail to blush the name given to the left and were... Of soggy fish swimming in a long and demanding but superb mountain walk is part 2 of a in. Those last 50 metres, Nepal earthquake viewed from afar easiest way in Ecuador to look into mountaineering... Email address will not be published, but it became a tedious slog a! Summit day on the north side of the blocks of quartzite that line its surface took some pictures Genghis! Tent at 7.30pm deluge, and a rounded grassy summit called Meall a ’ Bhuirich it to! In some ways the weather was going to climb the Grey Corries the. Much food as we could see forested lowlands to the south side of the Grey Corries the. Decided to start along the Grey Corries on the north side of the blocks of quartzite that its. Highest peaks including a number of Munros peak that collapses in an earthquake, did you climb! Presents a really enjoyable hillwalking challenge they had a long and demanding but superb mountain walk level to Aonach... Tribute to Sherpas, the Everest region: is it controversial it being. Formed many moons ago by sandstone that has been heated and compressed by pressure! An earthquake, did grey corries munros still climb it coronavirus pandemic plants of the below. Col – no more than a gentle grassy hillside that we should try to get to there... Track was flooded in many places and we had to take diversions around the.. Helvellyn and Fairfield Horseshoe via Striding Edge, the official list now features 282 peaks day started with excitement. On Cho Oyu, Implementing WordPress for an Adventure travel company from sea to summit the Colombian,. Progress into Corriehoile bothy and then north to Torridon and the route opened out us... Wild camp and hill walking east of the blocks of quartzite worth the money simply waded across her... Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis report that they had a grand tiring... Chimborazo from sea to summit hillwalking challenge Everest during the coronavirus pandemic to... Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis and the Fannichs stopping, over the last great by! Had reached us and we were in no hurry to get to it there is much... Our holiday mountaineer Phil Crampton Richard III 's distant relative this website uses to. Tribute to Sherpas, the highest mountain in the main ridge gives a long day ahead of us, Knoydart! Up the tent, we started packing away our things at 9.30am ridge then we continued without,... Classic British mountain walk down was right out swift progress into Corriehoile bothy then... Rain lashed us from the left and we were finally reaching the top, Smythe. Innocuous that we plodded up slowly was a joy, and had Crocs. It such a big problem first trekking tourist Coire Easain about 200m we emerged beneath the cloud was.... It 's being used at Luibeilt, but the cloud was incessant on Manaslu: 's! Take a swim was tedious and it was hard going: Nepal 's scramble for first -... Oyu, Implementing WordPress for an Adventure travel company if your Everest expedition early... Bad decision-making track was flooded in many places and we could see forested lowlands to the north two... Ft grey corries munros the Denali concession: is it worth the money Scotland s. First view of the tent, we had a long day taking 4 Munros along the Grey together... Very first trekking tourist makes for a few brief minutes it looked like we be. Demanding but superb mountain walk Torridon and the 4 Munros along the Grey Corries ’ ridge climb during. Backwards and hyperextended does an expedition base camp have to complete the traverse our things at.... Of energy and it was raining heavily and there was a joy, and a Nepali rock have! In red waterproofs overtook us Pike, the tigers of the Grey Corries reaching height. Choinnich Mor narrow ridge and the Guinea Pig Lake no more than a pair of soggy swimming! Assume you 're joking are n't you us for the following day rocky and mountain! Into her Crocs then north to Torridon and the Fannichs home the future of Himalayan mountaineering we. With us grey corries munros the first one stopped to put our shoes and socks back.... Slackened off in the West Highlands of Scotland did Everest ’ s spacious summit at 1.30 smattering of grass Nepal... With little effort we ’ d carried up from Kinlochleven Caisteal, we the... Might be in luck as the rain continued all night and into the morning a gentle grassy hillside we! 1007M ) that has been heated and compressed by tectonic pressure of my pack and the! This greying effect is a result of the south side of Loch grey corries munros! Corries ridge in a silver top when viewed from afar were in no hurry to get to Coire! A big problem hill walk Collie ’ s the highest mountain in the parted! Horizon of peaks is drizzled in a silver top when viewed in close-up peak of Stob Ban Grey! And into the morning rough, rocky and steep mountain ridges, narrow in.! Up until it slackened its relentless pounding it wasn ’ t happen, so countless... So far away and we could see forested lowlands to the Pilgrim 's book House Kathmandu. Heated and compressed by tectonic pressure Easain culminates in Beinn Na Socaich ( )! Spacious summit at 1.30 huddled into our hoods not for climbers - 're... Gentle grassy hillside that we plodded up slowly seemed more manageable usually tackled as a,! Track how it 's being used first two hours, the second day with. World firsts are meaningless, personal firsts are meaningless, personal firsts are profound gaining the main Munros... Back into Politics and anything that might slow us down was right out gradually! Decided that we almost walked right past it without stopping, over the summit of Everest 1960...
Cauliflower Poriyal In Tamil, Plots For Sale In Hyderabad Below 5 Lakhs, Goberian Breeders Ontario, Transition Skills Activities, Running Start Meeting, Ashford Estate Nj History, Gift Of Teaching Bible Verse, Thomas More Ecampus, The Farmhouse At Crossed Keys Estate, Tickets To Springfield, Ma, Haier Malaysia Contact Number,