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Up in Scotland for a couple of weeks soon with Mrs R - taking boots and bike and rather fancy having a pop at a Munro on foot. (Done the Ben x 3 on 3 Peaks challenge via the dull tourist path years ago). Will be around west coast area so Glencoe and Skye are up for grabs, as is Torridon. Nothing TOO big and not too techy so excludes pretty much all of Skye.
Ones I've always admired (right word?) are Buachille Etive Mor, Bidean nam Bian (Glencoe), Blaven on Skye looks great and doable with great views of the Cuillin ridge, love Liathach but committing and not without dangers (will be on my own in unfamiliar territory), Ben Lui near Crainlarich. An Teallach is up there too but some as it looks a bit too sphincter-worrying. Blaven is a gnat's knacker over 3000' whereas BnB is closer to 3800. Ben Lui looks remote. Unsure what to do - don't want a dull trudge, bit of scrambling would be good but no more than Grade 1, views would be high on the list too.
What have you done...what do you recommend...and what shall I do? TIA
Pretty much all the hills you have mentioned are excellent walks / scrambles in summer. I recomend all of them!
If you are in the north west then Liathach and An Teallach are hard to beat. If you find yourself on Skye some of the easier Munros in the Cuillin are easier than both of those ridges.
Other climbing classics which stick in the mind are: Curved Ridge on the Buchaille, Ledge Route or the CMD Arete on Nevis, AE Ridge in the Glencoe, Central Gully on Lui, Summit Gully on SCNB then up onto the summit of Biddean.
I'm unsure how experienced you are but there will be lots of snow about still; make sure to take your axes and crampons and check the avalanche forecast; even for the walking routes. Lots of the harder ridges you mention will be grade II winter climbs at the moment, likely to require a rope unless your really experienced.
If it's just a winter walk your after then a round of Bidean and the surrounding peaks is an excellent and not too techincal:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/bideannambian.shtml
Snow level may dictate some of your choice.
Where are you staying? Some of your suggestions are a good couple of hours drive away from each other. I would not think 'munro', think 'nice mountain'...
Beinn Alligin in Torridon is a good one, no real scrambling but the ridge is quite narrow in places and the hill is fairly isolated so you get good views.
One I did last summer was Seana Braigh, one of the remotest Munros so well worth using a bike to get within striking distance. The ridge up to Creag an Duine is pretty full on, much harder than I was expecting, if the summit of the ridge itself was a Munro then it would be up there with the Skye tops as one of the hardest.
The Aonach Eagach is worth doing, just a short down climb that's awkward between the two Munros (going E-W)
Can't advise on Munros but judging by the amount of snow we have on the hills around Innerleithen, it could still be very snowy further North.
Make sure to check MWIS forecasts. I've found them to be pretty spot on before. The last time I went out it had words like "appalling conditions... very difficult... feels like -18C" and boy were they right.
http://www.mwis.org.uk/scottish-forecast
Also check the Scottish Avalanche Information Service:
I would not think ‘munro’, think ‘nice mountain’…
This.
My favourite wee hill is Goatfell on Arran, not far off being a Munro at 874m, but a great walk and all done from sea level, lots of Munros won't have as much altitude difference from start to summit.
I dont recall An teallach being very commiting, as all the technical bits could be walked past from what I vaguely recall, it is a pretty big yomp in tho. Pretty sure I've done lui in a day. Liathach is a step up IMO. stob Coire nan lochan to Bidean-n-B is a good walk. The very southern section of cuillin is not technical from my memory and views fantastic but another biggish walk in from campsite at brittle(?). Also consider beinn alligin(sp?).
Some useful blogs that also show snow levels, almost daily with some of these chaps and ladies....
e.g.
http://adventuresinthe57thparallel.blogspot.co.uk
I will have a wee look from Fife, you can see down past Dunbar cement works towards St Abbs then up to Ben More and Stob Binnein and they are white, then up towards Schiehallion its white, Ben Lawers white up to the Cairngorms Glas Maol its white and there is a claim you also see Ben Macdui and guess what it will be white so im sure you will see lots of snow anywhere above 2500 ft as it was only 5 degrees today
Cheers all.
Blimey - ice axe and crampons in early June?
Blimey – ice axe and crampons in early June?
In fairness to them, your opening sentence suggested early April, 'a couple' means about 2 in most people's vocab.
Yep - I was a bit vague - end of May/early June...I imagine there's still a few with snow on then though.
Seeing as you have been up Ben Nevis then a walk up Carn Mor Dearg from the North car park will burn a few calories and the views are amazing of Ben Nevis and every chance early June still plenty snow patches
Narrowing your location down would help a bit.
Bruach na. Frithe on Skye is considered the easy one and gives you a good flavour of the island.
Shame you are going West Coast as I was going to recommend Lochnagar. It has some great views, some easy scrambles, can vary the length of walk and do more munros if you like, in fact it tick all your boxes really except it being in the wrong area 😉
All the above are good hills. Decide where you're wanting to stay, then ask again, its more than 2 hours from Glencoe to Torridon.
Personally, I love the NW Highlands more than any other area, and would highly recommend the Strathcarron/Coulin/Torridon/Fisherfield areas as being some of the wildest and most beautiful in Scotland/Britain/Europe/TheWorld.
The Torridon area, and the Coulin Forest hills just to the south, have the advantage of some excellent stalkers' tracks into them, so the approach is still easy, but you have less crowds than in accessible Glencoe. They are also stupendous on the bike, I'm told, one of the UK's top challenging mountain biking areas. I've never yet been up with the bike, and some bits look like I'd be walking for long periods but if you're a good rider, they'd be some of the best rides you'll ever have.
For a flavour of the area, I've just added a couple of trips on the lower hills of the area to my own blog site; Beinn Damh ( https://www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk/beinn-damh) and Fuar Tholl ( https://www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk/fuar-tholl), neither of which are quite Munros, both of which are superb hills with views to die for.
In late spring, there will only be the odd snow patch left, shouldn't cause you any trouble, and that is one of the best times of year to visit as its before the midges get truly vicious, and the weather can be good. Or not, of course, its Scotland!
Big differences in difficulty in some of the routes suggested, unfortunately easier grades of scrambling can be very dependent upon experience. Scottish grade 1's in dry conditions tend to be harder than Welsh or English, just getting to the start of the scramble is often much more time-consuming and committing, throw in more changeable weather and you have all the ingredients for an epic.
Glen Shiel has some nice routes, Blaven is fine, Aonach Eagach is no way grade 1.
Knowing what you've done before scrambling-wise would help.
hairybiker - I’ve done the usual suspects - Striding, Sharp Edge, Halls Fell, Crib Goch, Tryfan north ridge, Jack’s Rake, Bristly Ridge - technically nor hard but a few exposed bits. I was surprised when Aonach Eagach was mentioned as always thought one of that was above that level. Prob wouldn’t want to go beyond Crib Goch in terms of exposure.
malgrey - we’ll be on Skye for a while and will be in Torridon for a few days and could make Glencoe a few days if the right walk was there....basically we’ll be at all locations are some point.
Aonach Eagach is a funny one, it isn't technically difficult, even to the point of disappointment given it's reputation. However, adjective grade, it's obviously pretty serious. It's one of those, in the days of map and compass, that I would only have done in guaranteed good weather.
Whittled in down to Buachaille Etive Mor via Coire na Tulaich and then do full ridge from front to back; Bidean nam Biam via the zigzags up one of the 3 Sister ridges to the summit then back down another Sister; Blaven and full traverse of Beinn Alligin. Any scrambling and exposure on a par with what I’ve done previously so hopefully no ruined underwear. BNB biggest but BA and BEM possibly more iconic mountains...tough choice...
The Buchaille via Coire na Tulaich is probably the least interesting of those options.
The regular route on Blaven is nice enough but not really the main event.
Bidean via the Zig zags has plenty of interest and you'd see a lot of the mountain.
The traverse of Alligin is by far and away the most aesthetically pleasing being a proper horseshoe.
Anyone done Curved Ridge on BEM? Looks similar to Tryfan's north ridge - would that be a fair assumption as done that twice....therefore if same I should be able to do CR....
Bruach na. Frithe on Skye is considered the easy one and gives you a good flavour of the island.
That was my first Monro. Well, my first of two, the other being Sgorr Dhonuill near Ballachulish. Both doable by an enthusiastic Monro beginner, as proven by me.
Munrobiker ,hit him hard and low.
He's not that big so should go down no bother 😉
Or PostieRich.
CR a bit of a step up from AE in my opinion. Beautiful route. One for confident scramblers though and wee bit of a faff getting to start of route if never done before. Massive step up from crib goch.
>Aonach Eagach is a funny one, it isn’t technically difficult, even to the point of disappointment given it’s reputation. However, adjective grade, it’s obviously pretty serious.
yep, technically easier than N Ridge of Tryfan IMO, but a lot bigger drops in many places, so more 'serious'.
Another one like that was Tower Ridge (in winter), we were crapping ourselves first time we did it, given it's reputation; but it was technically straightforward, just long and with some truly epic exposure on the Eastern Traverse (esp with the overhanging wall pushing you towards the edge).
Anyone done Curved Ridge on BEM? Looks similar to Tryfan’s north ridge – would that be a fair assumption as done that twice….therefore if same I should be able to do CR….
I've done CR in winter conditions, but can relate it to summer scrambling. Would reiterate what oblongbob says. It's relatively low grade, but a proper committing scramble from bottom to top, where as Tryfan NR is a walk with a few easy scrambly bits.
I did Aonach Eagach at night, at the age of 15, with the Scouts. Risk Assessment was a bit different in 1970!
Sgurr dearg (jer-rag?) Straight up the ridge from glen brittle would be a good one although you wouldn't strictly finish on the summit, but a small price to pay for the atmosphere and views. I'm fairly certain that ridge approach was straightforward. Coire Lagan is amazing and you can see the cioch of highlander fame.
Anyone done Curved Ridge on BEM? Looks similar to Tryfan’s north ridge
Yes I've done both. CR is steeper and more committing, with more difficult route finding. Has a definite 'climbing' atmosphere to it where TNR is more of a steep walk with bits of scrambling. Aonach Eagach is no more technical than Crib Goch, just 10 times longer so more committing as a result, especially if the weather forecast is less than perfect. If doing Bidean, be aware that even in late May the drop into the hidden valley is still likely to have snow at the top, requiring a sketchy descent down snow steps from the ridge.
If a good walk with exposure and scrambly bits is what you're after, have a look at the Ring of Steall out of glen nevis. It's bloody knackering but one of the best walks in the highlands I've done.
photo below of a mate of mine looking down CR from near the top.
