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Creise & Meall a'Bhuiridh; Map 384; 1st February 2006 & 1st December 2006

Route: 1070m = 3500' ascent; 7½ miles; 6 hrs

Clach Leathad from Meall a'Bhuiridh. Creise from Meall a'Bhuiridh. Creise from Meall a'Bhuiridh. Looking north to the summit of Creise. Meall a'Bhuiridh from Creise. Meall a'Bhuiridh from Creise. Meall a'Bhuiridh from Creise. Buachaille Etive Mor from Creise. Buachaille Etive Mor from Creise. Stob Dearg from Creise.

(Photos above from 1st Dec 2006)

Rating: 5* views throughout.
Route: This is a delightful round, especially in winter conditions, though one may have to avoid skiers. It is not too strenuous, and mostly over easy terrain. The first 1½ miles round the foot of the north ridge of Meall a'Bhuiridh is a bit unsatisfactory although quite straight-forward, but to include the Munro top Stob a'Ghlais Choire it is shorter than climbing Creise via Meall a'Bhuiridh and returning by the same route.
The route can be done in either direction. However, if going clockwise take the alternative described next down into Glas Choire to avoid descending any cliffs. The only potential difficulty is with the cliffs to the north of Stob a'Ghlais Choire. The safest plan by far is to access or retreat from the summit ridge of Creise via Glas Choire to the south east of Stob a'Ghlais Choire, and use only the top 400 yards of its NW ridge. This is probably also the only reasonable escape from the Creise ridge if one is caught out by extreme weather. The few other exits take one into valleys many miles from civilisation.
Weather 1/02/06: Light, cold breeze on ridge. Overcast day at valley level, all tops clear with totally blue sky; cloud layer from 500m up to 750m, giving frost on ground below 750m. –1°C at car. Noticeable sudden change in temperature just above cloud. (Temp inversion.) Perhaps 5-6 degrees warmer.
Weather 1/12/06: 8°C at car, light cool breeze, sunny in morning, sunny intervals in afternoon. Minor snow above 3000'; crampons unnecessary.
Terrain 1/02/06: Ground frozen underfoot. Very boggy but frozen path as far as waterfall. Crampons useful on ski slopes. (Surprise, surprise!)
Time 1/02/06: Time includes ½hr watching winter skills group practising on Meall a'Bhuiridh.
Mobile: Virtually no reception on 1/02/06 but good on 1/12/06.

1/02/06 1/12/06 Description HeightAsc.DistanceGrid Ref.
0910 1400 Park at the White Corries Ski Centre off A82. (Orange) 350   00.0 milesNN26645255
    Use a horizontal path round the NE flank of Creag Dubh.
This starts along the bottom of the forestry.
There's a bridge at the top of the upper car park if needed. 		    
0950 1310 W then S to the Allt Cam Ghleann at waterfall (Orange) 375  251.5 milesNN24835264
    Cross river and ascend NE ridge of Stob a'Ghlais Choire.
The ridge crest can be a dangerous scramble, at least in
cloud. Difficulties can be avoided by going further to the
left (south). Instead, walkers could continue up path on E
bank to the main stream from Glas Choire at 540m, then
ascend this stream to the corrie's lower lip at about 750m.
Then either 1) sharp right (NNW) to the ridge at about
900m and then sharp left (WSW) up the final 400yds of
less steep part of ridge, or 2) continue up the corrie to
the col south of the top. (Snow patterns indicated a path
possible for this, but the final few feet are steep.) 		    
1050   Emerged from cloud to view at 750m after exposed,
difficult rock climb. Wow! (Almost vertical, glacially
polished, holdless rock, unavoidable in cloud; worse
than anything I've done in Skye, such as Clach Glas.) 		7504002.0 milesNN24415191
1125
-1130		 1215 SW to T Stob a'Ghlais Choire (Orange) 9966452.35 milesNN24015162
    220yds S to col 965 2.45 milesNN23885146
1200 1145,
1150		 S to M Creise (Orange)
There are two cairns, the first at the ridge N end is
300yds before the second which is at the true summit.		 11007803.0 milesNN23845063
1212 1130 S along almost horizontal ridge to Mam Coire Easain
where a ridge connects to Meall a'Bhuiridh (Orange)		 10687903.43 miles NN23855000
1220   S to col 1033 3.7 milesNN23914958
1230
-1235		 1110 S to T Clach Leathad (No Orange) 10998603.87 milesNN24044932
1245   Return N to col 1033 4.05 milesNN23914958
1250
-1255		 1050 Continue N for 460yds to Mam Coire Easain (Orange)
There is a cairn 15m W of the highest point,
none at the highest point, then another cairn 5yds NE
of the highest point where path descends to the col. 		1068
(1070)		8804.3 milesNN23855000
1315 1035 E for 550yds down ridge to col (v. easy – 500' descent) 932 4.63 milesNN24335008
1340 1000
-1010		 ENE to M Meall a'Bhuiridh 110810705.1 milesNN25075035
1355   Cross E to mast at top of ski tows. 1090 5.2 milesNN25195033
  0925 Descend NE beside ski tows to Upper ski station.
(Watched winter skills party for ½hr near here.) 		850 5.65 milesNN25545097
1510 0910 Follow ski lifts/tows NE down to Middle
ski station. (Entered cloud.)		 710 5.9 milesNN25695134
  0900 Track down to next ski station 680 6.2 milesNN26085160
1545 0825 Follow path NNE under chair lift down to
parking at White Corries Ski Centre (Orange)		 35010707.0 milesNN26645255

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