BIDEAN NAM BIAN SOUTH
from Beinn Fhionnlaidh - a view Alwyn never saw. Photo Colin Matheson
10 miles 1833 metres
Start Thursday 22.08
Beinn Fhionnlaidh 23.14
Sgor na h-Ulaidh Friday 00.41
Biden nam Bian 02.41
Finish 03.41
Squares: yellow - changeovers, red - finish of a leter leg. Circles Summits: green - this leg, purple - to do, blue - now a Munro but not in 1990. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 4.00 Actual 5.33
Alwyn writes:
This turned out to be extremely tough as a night leg – hard going over some horrendous rocky, broken terrain with complicated route finding. Halfway along the drive to the start I realised that I had no torch – but it was too late to turn back. Fortunately the night was clear.
An hour's walk up a steep sided valley followed by half an hour's wait being demented by midges, and I am away at 10.10 pm. A section of undulating, tussocky terrain leads to the foot of Beinn Fhionnlaidh, followed by a steep, “interesting”, direct line up the south flank to the summit. By now it was dark and the going very slow over rocky ridges.
In the dark I lost the right line down the steep nose of Beinn Fhionnlaidh to Bealach Caol Creran. More by luck than good management I found a way down through the centre of the crags to the bealach – rather hairy stuff!
A long, bouldery drag up to the summit of Sgor na h-Ulaidh, reached at 0.42 am with the lights of Glencoe Village far below and the massive bulk of Bidean nam Bian looming away to the north-east.
Another long rocky ridge to Bealach Fhionnghail followed by a rising boulder/scree traverse. I feel light headed and sleepy, and have to force myself to concentrate. Thoughts of “I must be insane doing this” and of a nice warm bed at home drift through my head.
The final boulder fields of Bidean steepen into crags forcing me left to find a viable line. My arrival at the summit at 3.42 am is rewarded by a cauldron of white cloud silently boiling up out of Coire Gabhail.
A last rocky traverse along the ridge to Stob Coire Sgreamhach followed by a descent down the rock tower to the Beinn Fhada ridge and a bouldery drop round the head of Lairig Eilde to Tony in his bivy at 3.40 am. Hard going!
Peaks done 118 time taken 6 days 1 hour peaks to go 159
The mothership and van had taken the rest of us via a lucrative fund raising session in the Clachaig Inn to the edge of Rannoch Moor where the standard picture postcard view of Buachaille Etive Mor, meaning the big shepherd of Etive, lives up to its name for both Glens Etive and Coe.
John had set Tony off from the van, and awaited Alwyn's arrival.
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