The Aonachs

Thursday 27th July 2006

After my excesses of the day before I wanted to take it easy for this walk so I decided to go up the seventh and eighth highest mountains in Britain (!). Catching a bus again I went to the Nevis Range, but instead of going up in the cable car I set off east walking through the wood to the burn, Allt Choille-rais and going steeply up a side track beside it I arrived at a small dam that collects water from the stream for the hydro-electric plant near Fort William. After crossing the dam I walked through young trees beside the fast-moving burn climbing up to a forest fence. These high fences are supposed to stop deer entering the forest, but they often confound walkers as well!

Once over the fence my problems were only just beginning as I now had a big grassy hill ahead of me to walk up, in hot, still weather with insects annoying my every step. Eventually, after an application of insect repellent, I arrived at the summit of Tom na Sroine and after lunch I continued along the ridge passing over Stob an Cul Choire as I slowly headed towards Aonach Mor. At the col I developed a blister on my right foot, probably the fault of my new inner soles, which had solved my ankle strains, but seemed to have caused problems of their own. Maybe I shouldn't have bought the cheapest?

One compeed later I resumed my course climbing up the eastern slopes of Aonach Mor following a faint path around the large crags. With a final push along a short ridge I finally arrived on the summit plateau almost directly opposite the summit cairn. Striding across the grassy plain I bagged the summit and turning left I set off for Aonach Mor's smaller, yet higher neighbour, Aonach Beag. The descent to the bealach across a grass plateau was dull, but the ascent had that all important ingredient that had been lacking before: rocks. After a great rocky climb I arrived at the summit of Aonach Beag, the seventh highest mountain in Britain, which is over 4000 feet high and provided me with tremendous views of the Grey Corries. Descending back to the bealach I climbed up the grassy plain back onto the top of the, I must say it, rather dull Aonach Mor. The eastern corries do little to enliven this hulking monster whose worst feature was about to reveal itself as I passed over the summit plateau and down the northern slopes. The Nevis Range ski resort has totally taken over the slopes north of the mountain, but they haven't destroyed a beautiful landscape as without the ski lifts and snow fences the hillside would be the dullest of grassy slopes. Rock is all that matters on a mountain and Aonach Mor's lack of rock, even at the summit makes this mountain seem very unmountainous. I was more than happy to leave it for the skiers as I felt it didn't deserve anything better.

Passing the Mountain Restaurant (but only half way up the mountain) I descended the slopes using the mountain bike run. Walkers weren't permitted on it between 10.30 and 3.30, but since it was past five I was safe and I had great fun hopping, skipping and almost running, down the path that was so rough you couldn't really walk down it, let alone surely cycle down it. After entering the forest signs starting warning walkers off the run so at the earliest opportunity I turned off onto a forest track and descended to the car park (and the bus stop) at a slower pace. Overall this was not a great walk, but Aonach Mor isn't a great mountain compared with the other awesome mountains in the area, but they can't all be as good as the Grey Corries.