Pete Thomasson: Mountain Leading: HF Leading: The rest of 2016

My last update was written while I was in Zakopane. After that I led at Mayrhofen for two weeks. Then I led another Munrobagging week from Glencoe and finally a week leading in Montelupo.

I was scheduled to go to Norcia but sadly, there were earthquakes and this was called off.

Mayrhofen - Below the Ziller Dam

Before I led the Munrobagging week, I spent a week checking out routes for this year's Munrobagging 2 Holiday. Here's the itinerary from the HF website.

Stob Dubh & Stob Coire Raineach
Buachille Etive Bearg or The Little Buachille as its affectionatly known is a lovely ridge with two munros. It gives great views of its larger neighbours but is certainly not intimidated by them. Our walk traverses both munros before passing the famous Largangarbh climbing hut and ends with an easy walk on The West Highland Way to The Kingshouse Hotel.
9 miles (15km) with 3,150ft (970m) of ascent
Ben Lui
Ben Lui, seen from Tyndrum, is a classic shape of two ridges enclosing a deep corrie that holds snow well into spring. We will walk in from Tyndrum and ascend Ben Lui via a horseshoe shaped route taking in both ridges, returning to a pub Tyndrum. We even pass a working gold mine!
12 miles (19km) with 3,650ft (1,220m) of ascent
Meall a Bhuirdh & Creise
Meall a Bhuirdh is one of Scotlands premier sking mountains. We start at the ski centre and traverse the hills to tackle Criese by a rocky nose that looks intimidating but actually has a good but steep path up. From Criese we drop to a col and onto Meall a Bhuirdh where there are good views of the two previous days hills. The finish is a straightforward decent to the cafe and tea.
8 miles (12.5km) with 3,700ft (1,140m) of ascent
Stob a Choire Mheadhoin & Stob Coire Easain
The Easiens, as these hills are better known, stretch south from Fersit along the west shore of the isolated Loch Treig. After a walk along a track there is a pull up onto the ridge with an excellent traverse over both munros. We have to traverse Stob a Choire Mheadhoin twice as this is the safest return route but unfortunately we can’t count the second occasion as a third Munro!
9.5 miles (15.5km) with 4,100ft (1,280m) of ascent
Binnean Beag & Sgurr Eilde Mor
Starting in Glen Nevis we follow the north bank of The River Nevis passing the famous Steall waterfall. After 10km we turn south west to head onto the first of the two most easterly munros of the Mamore range. Both give excellent views of the rest of the Mamore range as well as Ben Nevis. We finish at a pub in Kinlochleven for a well earned pint to celebrate our 9^th Munro of the holiday.
13 miles (20.5km) with 4,400ft (1,350m) of ascent

Binean Beag and The Grey Corries from below Sgurr Eilde Mor

We had remarkably good weather for Munrobagging 1. Although it did get a bit cold and misty on Creag Meagaidh and Aonach Beag.

Here's the itinerary for Munrobagging 1:

Sunday: Beinn Sgulaird
Beinn Sgulaird provides a good start to the holiday with fine coastal views of Appin. We start at Elleric following a good track until we join the ridge and continue to Stob Gaibhre. We follow the ridge with rocky outcrops to Beinn Sgulaird. We then head over Meall Garbh and top 863m before decending to a col and continuing down to Druimvuic. 7.5 miles (12 km) with 3,740 ft (1,150m) of ascent.
Monday: Stob Ghabhar & Stob Coire Odhair
Stob Ghabhar and Stob a Choire Odhair provide a fine walk across stony peaks and desolate corries with great views in all directions. We start at Victoria Bridge having passed the Inveroran Hotel (hopefully our finish point for a beer). We climb a path alongside the Allt Toaig eventually heading onto Stob Ghabhar. From there we go up to top 976m, then follow the ridge Sron Giubhas until a gap in the cliffs allows us to descend into Coiren Lochan. From there we continue to Stob a Choire Odhair before rejoining our outward path and heading to the pub for a well earned pint. 12 miles (19.5km) with 4,100 ft (1,250m) of ascent.
Tuesday: Binean Mor and Na Gruagaichean
These two Munros are at the higher, eastern end of the Mamores and offer excellent views of the rest of the Mamore Ridge, the mountains around Glencoe and the Ben Nevis range. We start and finish in Kinlochleven. We follow stalkers' paths that rise steadily to just below Sgurr Eilde Beag. After a steep section, it is ridge walking to Binean Mor and Na Gruagaichean. We then descend via another stalkers path to Kinlochleven. 9.5 miles (15km) with 4,600 ft (1,400m) of ascent.
Thursday: Carn Liath, Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh
Creag Meagaidh provides straightforward walking along the rim of a deep mountain cirque, traversing three Munros and six other tops. We start at Aberarder car park and walk into the coire on a good path. Soon we ascend along a narrow path at first then onto open hillside to reach Carn Liath. Heading west we go over a number of tops to Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Along the walk there are great views to the famous winter climbing cliffs. We go down to the Window then ascend to our final Munro Creag Meagaidh. We cross three more tops before heading back to the start. 13.5 miles (21.5 km) with 4,000ft (1,200m) of ascent.
Friday: Traverse of Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor
These two mountains are the 7th and 8th highest in Scotland respectively. They form a long ridge that separates Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg from the Grey Corries ridge so they offer excellent views of both. We start at the head of Glen Nevis and walk through breathtaking scenery to Steall. From there it is a long steady climb to the summit of Sgurr a Bhuic, which should offer good views of upper and lower Glen Nevis. We continue to Aonach Beag and on to Aonach Mor. From here it is a steady descent to the top station of the Gondola, at which point we can decide whether or not to walk down or catch a ride to the valley below. 10 miles (16km) with 5,000 ft (1,500m) of ascent.