Get Lost Mountaineering

Creag Meagaidh from Aberarder on A86 by Loch Laggan

Start/Finish

The Scottish National Heritage car park (plenty of spaces) at Aberarder on the A86 by Loch Laggan. The A86 runs between Spean Bridge and Newtonmore. Aberarder is about 18 miles west of Newtonmore.

Distance/Time

19 km      About 6 - 7 hours

Peaks

Sron a' Ghoire, 1001 m, NN 448 878.

Puist Coire Ardair, 1071 m, NN 437 872.

Meall Coire Choille-rais, 1028 m, NN 432 862.

An Cearcallach, 993, NN 422 853.

Creag Meagaidh, 1128, NN 418 875.        OS sheet 34 or 42 (only one needed).

Introduction

Creag Meagaidh is a huge mountain which throws out ridges in all directions. The route described has an almost pathless ascent until the crest is reached after which the walking is easy whether on or off a path. Some of the tops look difficult from a distance but there are no difficulties as almost all of the ridge walking is on short cropped grass. Care is needed when leaving the main summit in mist as the path is not always obvious. On a clear day, the views are magnificent and include Beinn a' Chlachair, Binnein Shuas, Carn Liath, Beinn a' Chaorainn and many more. Coire Adair contains some of the steepest cliffs in Scotland but seems more popular with winter climbers as it has many steep gullies. There are public toilets by the farm at Aberarder. Once the initial ascent is over, the walking is very pleasant on easy ground.

Route

(1) From the car park, walk up the path to Coire Ardair. At the first path junction go left and follow the path to the bridge over the Allt Coire Ardair. Cross over then walk up the W bank on the ATV track before leaving it to pick a way up steep pathless, but not difficult, slopes to the shallow dip above the source of the Allt Bealach a' Ghoire. Alternatively, ignore the left turn and continue up the Coire Ardair path until the next junction where there is a noticeboard. Go left here but as soon as the path starts to double back, drop down and cross the Allt Coire Ardair which is not normally a problem. Go through about 40 m of birch tress and ferns to pick up the ATV track as above. From the shallow dip, ascend roughly SW on a choice of ridges, to reach a flat plateau where there are two cairns: small and medium. The medium cairn is nearer the edge of Coire Ardair and marks the summit of Sron a' Ghoire, 1001 m.

(2) Continue SW, with hardly any descent, then climb the well defined ridge which leads to a top with a small cairn then a top with another small cairn which marks the summit of Puist Coire Ardair, 1071 m. From here there is a good view of the cliffs of Coire Ardair.

(3) Descend W down easy grassy slopes and follow the rim of the Moy Corrie around to the S then ascend easy slopes to the medium cairn which marks the summit of Meall Coire Choille-rais, 1028 m. On this section there is a fine view across the Moy Corrie and its lochan to Puist Coire Ardair.

(4) Retrace down the ridge then bear left, SW, around the rim of another corrie and ascend the easy ridge, crossing a minor top, to reach the medium cairn which marks the summit of An Cearcallach, 993. There are small slabs either side of the cairn. All 3 slabs are higher than the cairn.

(5) Retrace down the ridge and follow the E side of the gully containing the Moy Burn. Follow this up until the gully runs out and the stream can easily be stepped over. Ascend NW up easy grassy slopes to reach the crest then go W along the top. Cross a minor top then ascend easily to the large cairn which marks the summit of Creag Meagaidh, 1128 m.

(6) Retrace to the dip to the E of the summit then pass the lower top which is a small cairn on a mound of earth. Continue with the path near the N edge but it is not always obvious so be careful in mist. Soon you will be on a well defined ridge going N then NW where there is quite a distinctive path but it can be difficult to locate. The path leads down to the bealach known as The Window. Do not follow the fence posts as they go over a steep drop! From The Window, go right, E, on a path (the higher one is better). The path picks a way down the scree and boulder fields but the going will be slow. Lower down, it has a burn on its left then goes along the N side of Lochan a' Choire. Soon it becomes a recently engineered path which is very easy to walk and leads all the way back to the car park, about 6 km.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 24^th August, 2007, and 1^st October, 2013.

(b) It does not require much more effort to add in the Stob Poite Ardair and Carn Liath range. Stob Poite Ardair is easily ascended from The Window and the rest of the range is easy ridge walking with the descent being down the south ridge of Carn Liath. This route was walked on 27^th July, 1994 in about 9 hours. As the descent from The Window is quite slow, one would be well along the ridge towards Carn Liath in the time it takes to descend to Lochan a' Choire.