[Trip Index] [Munro Index] [Home] 20th March 2005   Stob Coir an Albannaich Meall nan Eun Map Another fine, summery day. I drove down Glen Etive and parked the car at the very same spot as I had done when I climbed Ben Starav in August 2003. I got ready and set off at 9.10 accompanied by a Scot from Crieff (stocky, about 40-ish ) who was heading for Beinn nan Aighenan to make it his 104th Munro. He'd already done Stob Coir an Albannaich and advised turning right at the junction in the cart-track in order to climb the preliminary hill, Beinn Chaorach, further over to the south where it was slightly less steep. I followed his advice but after leaving him behind and turning off up the hill I soon came to a deer fence. I walked up and down a short way but there was no way round this barrier and I didn't want to have to walk all the way back again to try the other direction. Instead I climbed over it, unfortunately breaking a strand - sorry. There followed a dire slog up a very steep, squelchy hillside with long grass wrapping round my ankles and dragging at my feet. Very tiring. I also came across the other side of the deer-proof enclosure and had to scale it again but this time I managed to do it without damage. The horribly steep slopes of Beinn Chaorach Taking a rest at the 2093 ft level Finally the slope started to ease off, the grass got shorter and more boulders appeared, strewn around the landscape and mixed with broad slabs of rock as I approached the summit of Beinn Chaorach. I bypassed the final short stretch to the top as I could now see the summit of Stob Coir an Albannaich rising up above the horizon. I headed directly towards it, over slopes covered with more boulders and short grass, keeping the steep drops of the northern edge to my left. It seemed like a bit of a slog but it shouldn't have been really as the incline wasn't very great - maybe I was just a bit spent from a combination of the previous day's efforts, the Bananas' dastardly assault on my sleep patterns and the hard grind of getting up Beinn Chaorach. First sight of Stob Coir an Albannaich Approaching the summit I reached the top at 12.50 and put a shirt on shortly after as, although it was still a fine day, a fresh breeze was making it feel a bit cold. (I even added Berghaus and gloves briefly a short while later) There was a party of 3 men, a woman and a dog at the top and a few minutes later a spritely, white-haired bloke wearing a kilt turned up. I heard him saying something to the 4 about the route to Meall nan Eun - 'a nice gully...' - but rather than asking him to repeat his sage advice I just mentioned to the gang that I'd no doubt be able to see them ahead of me and I'd find the route that way. The summit of Stob Coir an Albannaich They left and I spent the next 10 minutes eating and writing. Then I set off - and there was no sign of them! Although I could see a good way along the eastern ridge and also down its flank and up the next hills they had simply vanished from the mountain. I descended some way along the eastern ridge and came to a gully with snow in it - could this be the 'nice gully'? No footprints led into it but it seemed to offer the best way down to the bealach between Stob Coir an Albannaich and Meall Tarsuinn, the latter being my stepping stone to Meall nan Eun. Of course gullies can be dodgy things, enticing you down towards craggy drops and places it's hard to reverse out of, but fortunately this one wasn't too bad. A little awkward in places but nothing serious - just a shuffle along on my bum occasionally and all was well. I reached the bealach with still no sign of the Gang of 4 and assumed I must have got ahead of them somewhere. I trudged on up the gentle slopes of Meall Tarsuinn and, as I was rounding the shoulder near the top, Meall nan Eun appeared in the distance - complete with the Gang of 4 standing on the top! They must have carried on along the eastern ridge and descended further down, dropping lower than the bealach but being able to skip Meall Tarsuinn completely. They were certainly a long way in front now (gits). I had to descend Meall Tarsuinn and then, totally knackered, slog on and on up the rounded, grassy slopes till at last I reached the summit of Meall nan Eun (2.40) On the way up I caught sight of the Gang sneaking past me over on the left, on their way down. Meall nan Eun (in the middle) Summit pic The top was a broad, rounded affair (personally I thought the cairn was misplaced by about 40 paces to the N.E.) with some great views but I was feeling pretty tired. The way back down was over the N.W. ridge where it was then a case of finding your own way down past the crags - no problem but it seemed to go on forever and I was having to have regular rests even though I was going downhill. The ground was grassy, bouldery and lumpy and I made sure I kept to the right, crossing the streams early, as I knew that there should be a path along the river on that side when I got low enough. Sure enough there was, eventually, but it was intermittent at first and boggy all the way. The route of descent into Glen Ceitlein There were hundreds of frogs jumping about in every pool and great clumps of frogspawn quivering all over the place. Near the end of the river (the Allt Ceitlein) there's a bridge which takes you across to the south bank and a cart-track which leads you back to the start point. I got back to the car at 5.40 - a slow time according to the guide book. I felt footsore and drained. I drove back to Crianlarich where I got B&B at Glen Bruar House in the main street (£25). Then after a shower and a phone call to Trisha, I hobbled along to the Rod and Reel pub and got a satisfyingly filling platefull of macaroni, chips and salad (£5.95) washed down with a couple of pints of Guinness. *      *       *      *      * Excellent breakfast at the B&B the next morning. I was hoping to do Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean next but the cloud was back again, low on the hills, and as soon as I booted up it started raining. For the third time in my life I found myself sitting in the car at the starting point on the A82, contemplating those two hills through a windscreen of colliding raindrops. Today I just wasn't in the mood to set out knowing full well I'd get drenched, knackered and see absolutely nothing for my pains, so I decided to head for home. First though, I thought I'd drive round and check out the start point of the Ben Vorlich/Stuc a Chroin climb for future reference. I got a couple of miles along the unclassified road south of Loch Earn before coming to a 'road closed' sign where I had no choice but to turn back. So I turned south and drove back home - got home 8.00 pm.