Читать книгу Ben Nevis and Glen Coe - Ronald Turnbull - Страница 27

3 GREY CORRIES AND SPEAN BRIDGE

East along the Grey Corries ridge to Stob Coire Claurigh

Quartzite is quite different. It’s not the usual rocky grey, but a pale yellowish-white that under sunlight shows an evil gleam. It’s not lumpy but flat and smooth, and when it breaks it breaks in sharp edges and cubes. The three grey corries are flat-bottomed and green, but rise to bleak fields of blocks and boulders. The tops of the corries are fringed with crags, and the hill range that takes its name from them is a long wiggly ridge. The rock underfoot is sometimes smooth as a pavement, but the sharp edges will slash your gaiters.

Rising between a wide, dreary spruce wood in the north and the remote top end of Glen Nevis to the south, the Grey Corries are slightly awkward to get at. This adds a certain solitude to their other excellent qualities. To make things even more strenuous, you really want all of this ridge, from Sgurr Choinnich Beag in the west right along to Stob Coire na Ceannain. So make an expedition of them, using handy bothies to the east and south. Make it more than an expedition by adding Ben Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg, and both of the Aonachs – a big hill day that even so is just the first half of the ultimate in such things: Tranter’s Walk around the Nevis Watershed.

Summit summary: Grey Corries

Though overshadowed by its big neighbours to the west, the ridge’s main mountain, Stob Coire Claurigh, is actually Scotland’s 15th-highest mountain (1177m/3862ft). Route 15 follows the entire main ridge westwards; Routes 16–18 join that ridgeline from the north. The routes are described, and measured, to the summit of Stob Coire Claurigh and timings are up only.

GREY CORRIES ROUTES

Route 15 Grey Corries Ridge

Route 16 Coire an Eoin

Route 17 Stob Coire Easain North Ridge

Route 18 Stob Coire Claurigh North Ridge

Route 19 Cul Coirean

Route 20 Lairig Leacach and Lochan Rath

Route 21 Lairig Leacach to Stob Ban

Route 22 Meanach Bothy to Stob Ban

Quartzite walking on the north ridge of Stob Coire Easain in the Grey Corries (Route 15)