Laggan-2002-Trip-Report

Most recent trip report New Year, 3rd - 7th January 2002

Friday 4th January

After arriving on the evening of the 3rd January we decided to make for the relatively easy walking from the summit of the Drummochter pass. Starting at 460m of the road we made good time through the heather and melting snow onto the east ridge of the first munro, Sgairneach Mhor.

From the ridge there were fantastic views to the south, from Bhein a' Ghlo, Ben Vrakie, Schiehallion, Ben Lawers and the Tarmachan Ridge. Arriving at the trig point, the views opened up to the west and worried us somewhat with big black clouds looming.

The bealach between Sgairneach Mhor and Beinn Udlamain was reached very quickly but we soon slowed again on the re-ascent. The view to the north now opened up and proved to be as extensive as that to the south. Loch Ericht and Ben Alder being perticularly prominent. From the summit the cairngorm massif could be seen, but this western aspect is not their best.

After lunch we continued along the ridge to quickly reach the long top of A'Mharconaich. At the point the group split up. Some people wanted to continue and complete the fourth munro, Geal Charn. A couple of people decended the north east spur of A'Mharconaich, and the remainder of us returned to the minibus at Drummochter summit.

Saturday 5th January Many people went off and did their own thing. The only group to go out went and climbed one of the other Geal Charns from the road end at Garvamore.

Sunday 6th January The majority of the group set off to climb Creag Meagidh from the car park at Aberarder on the shores of Loch Laggan. We walked quickly on the good track in the valley up into Coire Ardair under well broken but low cloud. From here we ascended into the window, a high pass dividing Creag Meagaidh from Stob Poite Coire Ardair. The last pull up onto the summit plateau was easy having put the climb to the window behind us, but the cloud was down. For the first time since the first day in Cannich, the views were restricted. What we could see however was spectacular, the Nevis range backlit by the low sun.

We returned to the window for a late lunch stop out of the wind and from where a couple of us made the short ascent onto Stob Poite Coire Ardair with out our rucksacks weighing us down. We returned the way we had ascended, again finishing in darkness.

The first half of this trip went to Cannich.