17-18/01/25 Weekend Meet: Blackrock Cottage, Glencoe Mountain Resort!

The club returned to a favourite location in January, Blackrock Cottage run by the Ladies Scottish Mountaineering Club, https://www.ladiesscottishclimbingclub.org/huts/blackrock-cottage/...a time of year when we would expect lots of snow and ice – had it not all melted in the previous week!

Our digs for the weekend, Blackrock Cottage, on the road leading to Glencoe Mountain Resort.

First up, on Friday 17/02/25, ARob, GM & BR visited Gorton Bothy, NN 37487 48153, as pictured, starting from the parking place just off the A82, NN 31311 43809, 1km SW of Achallader Farm. For route see; https://consumerplatform.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/24899564/250117--gorton-bothy--fae-achallader-farm?lat=56.577753&lon=-4.718539&zoom=12.8313&style=Leisure&type=2d&params=24899564&params=250117--gorton-bothy--fae-achallader-farm

BR & GM inside Gorton Bothy, having their customary tea and pieces. On their return to the carpark they decided to keep take an optional northern track at the bridge to avoid the boggy ground on the outward journey. In total 16.9km and 208m of ascent.

On Saturday, 18/02/25, ARob & BR decided a walk over Ben Inverviegh and Fiona Meall Taibh from Inveroran Hotel would fit the bill, see https://consumerplatform.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/24899719/250117--ben-inverveigh-and-meall-tairbh--fae-inveroran-hotel?lat=56.516154&lon=-4.833945&zoom=13.0289&style=Leisure&type=2d&params=24899719&params=250117--ben-inverveigh-and-meall-tairbh--fae-inveroran-hotel. It was forecast to be windy and driech…but it could change – and it did, mostly. Here is a pic of Ben Inverviegh, NN 27128 38201, taken looking ENE from lonely Lochan Coir’ Orain, NN 25855 37530.

There was more dreich than visibility that day. Pic shows ARob with BR at the top of Meall Tairbh, NN 25098 37587. After this there was a straightforward walk NNE down the spine of Meal Tairbh, then through some sparse woodland to the carpark at the hotel.

Pic taken about 1km from the hotel looking NW with the Starav group of hills centre left, Stob Gabhar centre pic and Beinn Toaig centre right. A walk of 11.8km and 647m of ascent.

Also on Saturday there was a good day out for AS, GM & MM when they climbed the two Munros of Buachaille Etive Beag, Stob Dubh, NN 17914 53540 and Stob Coire Raineach, NN 19143 54795. Pic shows GM on the ascent path from Lairig Eilde with Am Bodach, top centre, at the eastern end of the Aonach Eagach Ridge. Not a flake of snow to be seen.

For GB & MMcE, Saturday’s trip saw them heading to do one of the Ballachulish Fionas, Sgorr a' Choise, NN 08451 55160. They followed the River Laroch in Gleann an Fhiodh from Ballachulish, retracing their footsteps from when they did the Corbett Fraochaidh, NN 02904 51701 the previous March. Pic shows Sgorr a' Choise ahead to the south.

Higher up the from the river.

Eventually they reached the ridge with the prospect of some tea. Pic shows their previous climb in March, View back SW to Corbett Fraochaidh, way in the distance.

Devil's matchsticks.

Their distant summit.

An impressive view of Ballachulish to the north.

The approach to the summit cairn was summit less impressive!

At the summit. A good day out and a quick descent by the same route.

For SP on Saturday, he had a plan…see pic! As high winds were forecast he changed mind from doing a Munro in Glen Etive to a walk from the hut explore the scramble called The Pink Rib, NN 23877 56027, on the southern side of Corbett Beinn a’ Chrulaiste, NN 24617 56681. He then intended to walk to the top of the Corbett. Later, if there was time, he intended to explore The Great Gully Buttress, NN 22579 54782, at base of the Buachaille with the view to do some future scrambles, after which a walk back to Blackrock would complete the day.

The view from bridge on the ski centre road, looking west. The photographers, dotted along the bank of the stream, were also out.

The Pink Rib scramble. It’s very easy to locate!

Nice view of The Buachaille to the SW.

The Pink Rib starts! After reaching the top he headed to the summit of the Corbett then descended west off the hill.

Blackrock Cottage’s living room where everybody had a good meal and blether on both Friday and Saturday evenings.

On Sunday SP returned to the southern flank of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste to do Summit Buttress, less than a km west of The Pink Rib and the immediate right of the gully, as pictured.

Looking down the steeper section near the start.

More relaxed angle now, about half-way to the top. On reaching the top it completed a great weekend for SP.

On Sunday MMcE decided to attempt the Fiona Creag Mhor, NN 51047 18521, from Ballinmore near Balquidder.  Disappointingly it got cloudier the further south she drove from Blackrock, rendering the hill less attractive than anticipated. Reasonably good views to start, but they quickly disappeared. Pic shows the east end of Loch Voil.

Creag Mhor clagged in.

It got rockier further up.

After not too hard a climb the terrain eased off, and a very faint track was found. It led MMcE to a rise, but no sign of a summit, despite extensive searching. Rather than get lost MMcE back tracked to reach the parked car.

Back at the car, looking NW pic shows whole hill now free of cloud! You can't win them all, but still a great weekend

Finally for the Sunday, Arob and BR had planned to do the Fiona Fiarach, NN 34464 26152, WNW of Crianlarich…however on account that BR had banged his heid on a doorframe at Blackrock that morning and not wanting the embarrassing prospect of chasing a wound dressing in the wind, they decided to head home - it was for everyone a great, and eventful weekend.