Haute Route De Ben Nevis

The Grey Corries

It had to come to an end at some point and Tuesday proved to be a fitting climax. With mild westerlies predicted to set in on Wednesday, it looked like the last day to enjoy the awesome spring skiing conditions on the hills. Last week I’d wanted to take advantage of the ski-lifts on Aonach Mor to gain height initially before traversing the Aonachs and then the high ridge of Grey Corries. However, only the Gondola was running due to high winds and I couldn’t be bothered to skin up the piste, so instead I went and skied the two mountains just north of the A86 near Fersit, Beinn Teallach (917m) and Beinn Chaorainn (1049m), a very pleasant afternoon in the sun but kind of ducking the main challenge.


Nearing the top of the Ben


On the summit on skis - strange

So on Tuesday morning I found myself leaving the car park at Achintee at the ungodly hour of 3.45am about to set on the ‘Haute Route de Ben Nevis’. Rather than risk the capricious nature of the lifts at the ski centre I’d decided to extended the traverse, starting by ascending the Ben, down and then along the arête to the summit of Carn Mor Dearg, across to Aonach Beag before finishing along the high level ridge of the Grey Corries and the final slog down to the road. It looked like it was going to be a fairly long day of around 32kms and 3000m of ascent. Hence the early start.


The way ahead

I’d never walked up the tourist track on the Ben before so didn’t have much of a clue how long the 1300m climb would take especially lugging skis and boots for most of it. It was actually pretty painless, well-graded track, head down, ipod on but no need for a headtorch in the pre-dawn light. I put skis on at about 800m and then skinned up the Red Burn and along the summit plateau with familiar cliffs of the mighty Nordwand dropping away to my left, before reaching the summit at about six thirty. The weather wasn’t as sparkling as previous days, a very strong wind (that was only to get worse) battered the summit shelter and although clear, the sky was a depressing shade of uniform grey, not a place to linger.


Dawn over the Mamores

A steep descent down to the head of Coire Leis on grippy, re-frozen snow augured well for the rest of the day, before I shouldered skis and scrambled along the airy knife edged arête to the summit of Carn Mor Dearg (1223m). The 450m descent from here to the col below Aonach Beag (1234m) was probably the best of the day, a small cornice drop and then a perfect steep bowl coated in delicious spring corn (a slightly worrying sign that temperature was already rapidly rising at 7am). It’s moments like that that make long climbs worth it. No one else around for miles, no evidence of other skiers and a wide expanse of whiteness to rip up.


Looking back to the Ben and Carn Mor Dearg, descended bowl on right of peak just right of centre


I made a slightly poor decision on the ascent to Aonach Mor – Aonach Beag Col, starting the ascent a bit early and having to scramble along some exposed ledges in order to regain more secure ground, the rest of the climb was too steep for skins and I slogged up to the summit of Aonach Beag in the constant wind. At this point I had a decision to make, the wind was a concern (I’ve rarely been out in such a strong, constant wind, I guess around 35-40mph with no gusting). In the end I decided to press on, the ski down to the pass was another goody with a steep and narrow couloir off Stob Coire Bealach, I also passed a Spanish walker who’d bivvied on the ridge the night before, the only person I saw all day.


The low point of the traverse


Looking back along the ridge, the Ben is the big one in the background

The col at 750m was the lowest point of the day and I had to take off my skis to walk a few hundred metres to begin the climb to Sgurr Choinnich Beag (963m)and then up to Sgurr Choinnich Mor (1094m). There was a fairly decent descent off this Munro to Bealach Coire Easain where the Grey Corries proper started. From here the ridge never drops below about 950m so I kept skins on throughout as none of the ski descents are massive and the terrain fairly undulating. I was still making good progress despite being pummelled by the brutal wind and by the time I reached the final Munro of Stob Coire Claurigh (1077m) the sun had even come out. From here a big bowl of snow led steeply and invitingly downwards into Coire na Ceannain and the Lairig Leacach. The snow at the top was excellent but towards the bottom it had turned very heavy despite being north facing and was hard going with heavy legs. It eventually ran out at about 600m and I shouldered skis for the last bit of the descent. When I reached the path I still had a good 5kms down to the road but the it was a good landrover track and Coirriechoille farm soon appeared.


Nearly there


Looking back at the final descent

The plan was for Gaz to maybe pick me up here so I could collect my car round at Achintee. I’d been much quicker than I expected, only taking about 12hrs for the whole trip and he’d gone up to Tunnel Wall for the afternoon so wouldn’t be able to pick me up for a while. So I dumped my bag in the woods and ambled the three miles down to Spean Bridge to try and get the bus back to the Fort. Unfortunately I’d realised I’d left my car keys in my bag when I got to Spean Bridge and I couldn’t be bothered with the six mile round trip to get them so I sampled the delights of Little Chef and then the Commando Inn for 4 hours until Gaz could pick me up and I could start the trip back to Edinburgh.


The walk out

A great way to end the winter, starting at the highest point in the country and then traversing some magnificent and remote mountain scenery with the added bonus of a few excellent descents. Let’s hope that summer 2008 lasts as long as winter did.



I've also stuck on a few photos of the tour of Beinn Teallach (915m) and Beinn a'Chaorainn (1049m) that I did the week before.


The Aonachs


Taking my skis for a walk


Summit of Beinn Teallach


Creag Meagaidh looking snowy


Pick a hill, any hill


Looking North


Top of Beinn a'Chaorainn




On the way out, descent in the background


Alaska?