Ali and Lay’s Mountaineering Blog

Objective: Practice crampon and ice axe techniques on the gentle snow slopes above Glen Coe.

We parked Clive’s 1978 Landrover in the layby on the A82 (GR 168 569) from where Stob Coire Nan Lochan dominates the view to the south west between Aonach Dubh and Gearr Aonach.

We start with a short descent to the river Coe following a series of steep wooden steps, which required care in rigid new four season boots, down to a footbridge (GR 174 564). From here it’s a long steady ascent up a well defined path on the left bank of the frozen Allt Coire Gabhail.

After about an hour the path levels into a massive flat valley which was hidden from view below. We have entered the “lost valley” (GR 164 554) - a hanging valley formed by the weight of ice unable to escape as the last ice cap flowed down to the sea through the pass of Glen Coe from off Rannoch Moor.

The valley is known locally as Coire Gabhail or “Coire of the Capture” as reputedly it was where the MacDonald’s hid cattle that they had rustled from neighbouring, more wealthy, clans.  In summer the valley is transformed into a grassy meadow - a Highlander’s Shangri La perhaps - but now, in winter, it’s a barren and windy place.  We shelter behind a large boulder and share a sandwich and a flask of hot chocolate.

We cross the flat valley floor moving quickly over the glacial moraine. The head of the valley is truncated by a buttress of Bidean Nam Bian but we turn westward before reaching it and continue our ascent until finally reaching the snowline and another flat area enclosing a series of lochan (small lakes) at 875m (GR 148 544) some two hours after leaving the car park.

It is a relief to see so much snow up here! It feels firm and compacted underfoot. Later we will learn that this type is called Neve or melt freeze snow and is usually forms a very stable layer.

Clive instructs us on how to strap on our crampons.  Ali has borrowed a pair of winter boots from the Adventure Peaks storeroom at the hotel and I have just bought a pair of Millet Alpinist 4 season boots - I am feeling a bit self conscious as they are bright red and show no scuff marks yet!

On a gentle 30 degree slope we practice walking with spikes on our feet for the first time - using a wide gait to avoid snagging our waterproof over trousers - John Wayne impressions fill the air.

We practice “French Technique” or flat footing - ensuring that all our points enter the snow at the same time regardless of the angle of slope, “German Technique” or front pointing and a hybrid called “American Technique” where the uphill foot front points and the downhill foot flat foots - a seemingly efficient way to directly ascend moderate slopes.

For stability we plunge the spike of our ice axe vertically into the snow on the uphill side with the adze pointing forward and changing hands each time we change direction.

Without crampons we practice cutting steps with the edges of our boots and basic self arrest techniques using the ice axe.

With practice over we rope up as a four to tackle steeper ground leading to the col between Bidean Nam Bian and Stob Coire Nan Lochan (GR 146 544).

At the col we unrope, turn north east and plod up the gentle snow ridge to reach our objective - the summit of Stob Coire Nan Lochan pausing briefly to remove crampons on the mixed ground before the top.

A quick summit photo and we need to descend before the light fades - down the north ridge, past some more lochans (GR 153 552) and gaining a path down through Coire Nan Lochan.  A long descent with the car park visible from over 3km away!