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Route:
With a long walk in (4 miles each way), it's always worth trying to combine Stob Ban
with other hills on the same day. The natural partner of the Grey Corries makes
it into rather too long a walk if the whole ridge is to be attempted.
However, most of that ridge can be climbed with Stob Ban as here.
On this page it is combined with Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Stob Coire Easain.
Although they are usually done more easily
on their own from Fersit, they work well with Stob Ban, especially if you are only climbing Munros.
Alternatively, Stob Ban might be combined with the two Corbetts Cruach Innse 857m and Sgurr Innse 809m.
Another natural combination is of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin and Stob Coire Easain with these Corbetts.
That last choice leaves Stob Ban to be done on its own, but in very poor weather that may be a wise decision!
The NW slopes of Stob Coire Easain are a bit of a pain to cross if you try to minimise the
distance or the amount of ascent. After trying a few different possibilities,
I think the best choice is to return from Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin to Lairig Leachach
via the outward route, i.e. back over Stob Coire Easain.
Note that the rivers can be difficult to cross after heavy rainfall or thaw, including
the Allt Chuil Choirean at the upper crossing ⅔rds mile west of Lairig Leachach Bothy.
This may necessitate doing both the ascent and descent of Stob Ban
via its east ridge as there is a (now rickety) footbridge
over the Allt Chuil Choirean just upstream from the bothy at NN28247354.
The east ridge of Stob Ban is a pleasant, grassy ascent whereas its north ridge
down to the bealach is loose scree. This means ascending by the east ridge and
descending via the north ridge probably works best for most walkers.
Weather: Continuous rain & 100% cloud cover at 600-700m for most of day but cleared for the two hours 16:10–18:10. 16°C at car. Very windy, especially in pm. Allt Chuil Choirean & Allt na Lairige in spate, and impossible to cross near Lairig Leachach Bothy.
Mobile: Orange reception on Stob Coire Easain, Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin, and Stob Ban.
Access: No bike used as the track is too steep & rough to be worth the effort for me,
but others with better gear ratios may have different opinions.
From the west edge of Spean Bridge Hotel, take C road east along south bank of R. Spean to
0.4 miles after Cour Bridge, then right (south) through Coire Choille Farm
to parking just more than 1 mile after the farm. There are two parking areas:
one at the end of the tramway NN25567886, the other at the end of the forest track NN25297937.
| 0910 | Park by forest edge (or lower down the hill at NN25287935 if necessary.) |
195 | 0 | 0.0 miles | NN25607883 |
| 0935 | Track SSE to southern edge of forest. | 350 | 155 | 1.0 miles | NN26167765 |
| 1020 | Track SSE to Lairig Leachach watershed, where track crosses to other side of valley |
505 | 310 | 2.85 miles | NN27847535 |
| 1040 -1050 |
S to Lairig Leachach Bothy | 461 | 315 | 4.0 miles | NN28257366 |
| 1120 |
Ascend path WSW on N bank of Allt Chuil Choirean to crossing. (The river may be difficult to cross here when in spate.) (Alternatively, use the bridge at NN28247354 and ascent the E ridge.) |
585 | 435 | 4.65 miles | NN27277322 |
| 1200 | SW to S end of bealach. (An excellent path zig-zags SW up to the left from the base of the head wall in Coire Claurigh.) |
840 | 685 | 5.33 miles | NN26547259 |
| 1215 | SE up obvious path over loose quartz scree to M Stob Ban (No Orange reception.) |
977 | 825 | 5.5 miles | NN26667236 |
| 1225 | Either return NW to Bealach NN265725 | 835 | 5.66 miles | ||
| 1300 | Return NE into Coire Claurigh and down to crossing of Allt Chuil Choirean. |
580 | 6.35 miles | NN27277322 | |
| 1320 | ENE back to Lairig Leachach Bothy. | 461 | 825 | 7.0 miles | NN28257366 |
| 1320 | Or E/NE down ridge to Lairig Leachach Bothy | 461 | 840 | 7.0 miles | NN28257366 |
| 1330 | Then cross Allt na Lairige, further upstream from ford if necessary |
460 | 7.1 miles | NN28357382 | |
| 1400 | Ascend ESE to ridge S of Bealach an Sgurr (Try to avoid the tops lower on the ridge.) |
625 | 1005 | 7.5 miles | NN29017366 |
| 1525 | Cross plateau SSE then E up to N ridge & scramble SSE up steep loose quartz on ridge to M Stob Coire Easain |
1115 | 1500 | 8.85 miles | NN30787302 |
| 1540 | E/ENE to col | 965 | 9.15 miles | NN31257317 | |
| 1555 | NE to M Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin | 1105 | 1640 | 9.5 miles | NN31667361 |
|
Either Return by outward route to Lairig Leacach Or Descend ridge N on slippery loose granite scree, then turn W to centre of Coire Easain Beag. (Magnificent view of strata on NE face of Stob Coire Easain) |
700 | 10.2 miles | NN30807385 | ||
| 1725 | Contour W round Coire na Cabaig taking a low line to Bealach an Sgurr. |
555 | 1725 | 12.8 miles | NN28727408 |
| 1730 | Descend W to track in Lairig Leacach | 480 | 12.0 miles | NN28267427 | |
| 1750 | Track N to Lairig Leachach watershed. where track crosses to other side of valley |
505 | 1755 | 12.7 miles | NN27847535 |
| 1830 | N to gate at forest edge. | 350 | 14.5 miles | NN26167765 | |
| 1850 | N through forest back to car. | 195 | 1755 | 15.5 miles | NN25607883 |
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