Stob Coire nan Lochan

Memories of our first year at Bridge of Orchy when we climbed Stob Coire nan Lochan via the col between it and Bidean nam Bian will live long. Slow progress was made in soft snow up the Lost Valley until we eventually espied what looked like an interesting but not too difficult line of ascent via the saddle between Bidean and Stob Coire nan Lochan. The angle of ascent steepened as we approached the top of the col but the anticipation that all of our problems would be over once we had surmounted that obstacle spurred us on. Little regard was paid to a party ahead of us who the moment that they had gained the ridge were seeking to abseil off on an initially horizontal rope.

We were expecting some safe plateau to welcome us as we arrived at the top of the col but this was not to be. It came as a complete shock to find the land falling away just as steeply on the other side of the ridge as on the side we were ascending. So in the face of an exceptionally fierce wind which had no doubt caused this phenomenon you had to initially straddle the icy crest one cramponed foot either side pivoting on an inadequately buried ice axe while waiting for a lull so that you could try to make progress towards more level ground to our right. One by one we all went through the same routine of first the disbelief then a crab like fast scuttle to safety. A remark half blown away in the wind of 'See you in the car park' from one of the party initially contemplating a quick retreat when first putting his head over the crest still brings a chuckle when reminiscing.

I took one not particularly good photograph looking back towards that infamous col but it doesn't really do the situation the justice that it deserves.

We were given the sad news that evening that the mountain we had climbed was not a Munro as it was insufficiently separated in distance from Bidean nam Bian. Somehow we coped with the disappointment very well.