Get Lost Mountaineering

Buachaille Etive Mor from near Lagangarbh

Start/Finish

Layby on road near Lagangarbh and start of the Devil’s Staircase path on the West Highland Way. There is also limited parking down the track towards Lagangarbh.

Distance/Time

13 km     Approx 7 hours

Peaks

Stob Dearg/Buachaille Etive Mor, 1022 m, NN 222 542.

Stob na Doire, 1011 m, NN 207 532.

Stob Coire Altruim, 939 m, NN 197 530.

Stob na Broige, 955 m, NN 190 525. OS Sheet 41.

Introduction

Buachaille Etive Mor is one of the iconic mountains of Scotland. Its north face is one of the most popular views and is usually photographed in the morning (when the sun illuminates the main features) from the east of Blackrock cottage which often features in the picture. There are many rock climbs on the north face but the only route on this side for walkers goes up Coire na Tulaich. Curved Ridge is a popular route for experienced scramblers but the start can be difficult to locate. The mountain has four distinct tops with each end being a Munro. The highest point, Stob Dearg, is at the NE end of the summit ridge. The views from the ridge are as good as they get and can include Ben Nevis, Grey Corries, Easains, Mamores, Bidean nam Bian and the other Glencoe peaks, Glen Etive peaks, Creise and even distant peaks such as Ben Cruachan, Ben Alder and Schiehallion plus many more. This is a straight forward route in summer but Coire na Tulaich is very prone to avalanches when holding snow and should be avoided in such conditions as there have been many fatalities in winter conditions.

Route

(1) Follow the track down towards Lagangarbh. Cross the bridge and walk past the cottage on the obvious footpath heading for the large and very wide gully, Coire na Tulaich, straight ahead. The path is quite well engineered but hands will be needed on occasion although to call it scrambling is probably an overstatement. Higher up, the path goes to the right and above the gully floor on grey rock which avoids the red scree sections in the centre. Almost at the top, the path goes back left, on to red rock, and picks its way to the crest where there is a cairn. Turn left, E, and follow a path on easy stony slopes to the large summit cairn and shelter cairn of Stob Dearg/Buachaille Etive Mor, 1022 m, which is at the end of the summit ridge.

(2) Retrace to the cairn at the top of Coire na Tulaich then traverse, on a faint path, to the left, S, of Pt 903. Follow a good path SW along the crest then up to Stob na Doire, 1011 m.

(3) Descend steeply WSW on a stony path to reach a deep bealach where there is a cairn marking the start of a descent route to the Lairig Gartain for those who have had enough for one day. Ascend the other side of the bealach to a shoulder, with a cairn, where the path turns more to the W. Just beyond here is another cairn marking a different start to the same descent path to the Lairig Gartain. This is the descent path which will be used later. Continue on to the flat summit of Stob Coire Altruim, 939 m, where there are two cairns about 100 m apart.

(4) Continue, descending slightly to a shallow bealach, then ascending a well defined ridge to the large cairn and shelter cairn on Stob na Broige, 955 m. It is worth going a little further to enjoy better views towards Loch Etive.

(5) Retrace over Stob Coire Altruim to the aforementioned cairn where there is a path leading down towards the Lairig Gartain. Initially go left on the path through the grey rock rather than straight down the red scree. The path is well engineered in places but there is a section lower down, near a waterfall, which is quite rocky and slabby and needs care especially when wet. The path soon reaches the bottom of the glen where the river is crossed by stepping stones which might be difficult in spate conditions. The path soon joins the main path through the glen and is followed NE along the Lairig Gartain back to the road.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 30^th May, 1995 and 16^th October, 2010.