Stob Ban, Stob Choire Claurigh, Stob Coire an Laoigh, Sgurr Choinnich Mor (Grey Corries) 
Nevis Hills - July 2006

Grey Corries Information

Coming soon

Grey Corries Route

My route for the Grey Corries ridge walk starts at Coirrechoille on a minor road that you take from Spean Bridge.  Just before the actual Coirrechoille farm there is a bridge with a few parking spaces next to it.  Continue along the road and walk up into Coirrechoille farm.  The road continues right through and the views of the Aonachs starts t open out in front of you.  Today’s summits are hidden at this point.  Continue up the land driver track for around 30-45 mins.  You now enter the forest plantations although at the rate they are going this may well be gone by the time you go!  (Slight exaggeration but yeh there going at some pace)  Continue up through the winding road through the felled trees until you come to the next bridge.  This road then Continues up through the Lairig Leacach with the start of the grey corries starting up on your right.  Continue right up this road until you get to the bothy where you can take a breather and suck up some energy for the sharp pull up Stob Ban.  It’s a tough pull up but its only just over 3000ft so not the most challenging.  We didn’t bother with the path and just made our way up best we could, was this a good idea? Who knows? But we made it.  From the summit the Grey Corries still are not seen you’re just not high enough.  Continue down the north ridge of Stob Ban heading for n obvious Stob Choire Claurigh.  The scree and sharp descent makes it tough on the tootsies but your down in know time and pass a funky little lochan.  Again it’s a tough pull up onto Claurigh I fully recommend heading up the north eastern ridge rather than straight up as you will run into difficulties with scree near the top.  Ah now we get the views of the ridge and for that matter The Aonachs, “The Ben” and pretty much every other hill around! Stob Choire Claurigh is a big git!  No time to wait around this is one mother of a walk, head along the now obvious ridge and to get lost would be impossible (since it’s a ridge walk duh!) if you get lost you probably walk of the edge and that will be the least of your worries! Anyway drop down to the first col on the ridge.  Next comes “the wall” its an awesome looking site from the ridge itself and also seen from Stob Ban.  Nice wee scramble up here if you are looking for it otherwise there’s a chicken’s path that runs underneath.  Continue along the ridge with Stob Coire an Laoigh firmly in your sites.  Pass “the stack” where if you’re brave you can walk across to it…brilliant fun! You will reach Coire an Laoigh before you know it.  Look back at what you have just conquered…a lot!  You are not done yet though one more to go, continue along the ridge some more and summit Stob Coire Easain (not a Munro) and continue down the other side into the last of the grey corries.  A tough final pull will take you to the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor, with some wee hairy bits near the summit.  Come back down the way you came up back to the col between Easain.  You’re done! Well sort of… we now just have the mother of all walkouts to go!  Drop down form the col to the valley with The Aonachs on the other side.   Catch up with the river and follow this for about an hour until you reach the end of the shoulder of Stob Coire Easain, now cut up northeast heading towards the forest.  Follow the outline of the forest and you will find a well mental wee dam over the Coire Choimhlidh stream.  About 50 ft back from the dam the river is crossable. On the other side of the stream take the water companies path out through the forest.  After around another hour of forest walking you will meet back up at the start of the forestry plantations when you came in.  Follow the Land River track all the way back out through Coirrechoille Farm and back to the car…Phew that’s the longest write up ever!

Weather today was fantastic, I got burnt to sinders but really you want a great day for a ridge walk as I’ve said many times before, this is one of the classics in Scottish Mountaineering, go on enjoy it!

Grey Corries Images / Photos / Pictures

   First view of Stob Choire Claurigh, looking good already!                  Descent from Stob Ban, how steep is that !

     "The Wall" (as i call it) excellent bit on the ridge                   Looking back to "the wall" and Stob Choire Claurigh

   Looking back along the whole Grey Corries from Laoigh             Stob Coire Laoigh from Sgurr Choinnich Mor (LEG !)

    Finally last Munro Sgurr Choinnich Mor...knackered !                  Stob Ban from the col with its funky little lochan

     Arty Farty one sitting on the ridge...i love this one !             We started at 10am, we are walking out at 11pm...floored !

Couldn't resist another arty one on the way out...Coirrechoille forrest looking across to Fort William(ish)