Saturday 27 June 09: The Aonach Eagach Ridge

The Aonach Eagach Ridge: a daunting sight! For as long as I can remember I have been in awe of this linear ridge running along the north side of Glen Coe from Am Bodach to Sgurr nam Fiannaidh. On our regular trips to Drumsallie, mum dad and I would always look up from the car to see if we could spot climbers on the ridge. And here I was with some Lilidot friends about to walk along it for myself.
From Allt-na-reigh as we walked up the grass slopes leading to Am Bodach we enjoyed watching the stones on the path drying: easier more secure footing, as it’s the descent from Am Bodach and the traverse of the Chancellor which is the first challenge. It’s short and sharp and steady nerves are a strict requirement.
The Aonach Eagach: the notched ridge where fortunately with the atmospheric mist I didn’t notice the big steep drops on both sides! Concentrate: scramble up a narrow gully with solid rock on either side – emerging on a ridge, quick breather, and then down climb a chimney on the other side. Bum shuffle across a very short knife-edge section then a bit of a breather. Phew. Over The Pinnacles between Meall Dearg and o Stob Coire Leith is the most challenging part of the walk – Hard and scary. On to slightly more reassuring ground...for a minute. Not for the faint hearted. Lots of crampon marks on the rocks – can only imagine what it must be like to attempt this route in the snow…
The ridge is narrow some of the time, very narrow at other times and there are respite times! Keep focused on the path, keep your head when you are the best part of 3000ft to the Glen floor either side and the rewards are huge: once the mist lifted the views to Ben Nevis (looking a mere stone’s throw way) and Bidean and the Three Sisters are stunning.
What an adrenaline rush: demanding, scary, thrilling. And I did it!