The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Great Britain, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. Went back after a look online to find the route and completed it, happy days. Were you there for that amazing cloud sea? The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Scotland, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. Couldn't agree more, stands up to anything on the main ridge or anywhere else. > BTW. Naming a person is bullying. I would suggest that An Teallach is a more difficult and more serious day out than the Aonach Eagach, or Lliathach, especially in winter. This is an extremely popular ridge to do and rightly so! One of our most popular trips is a four day trip to scramble the three great UK mainland ridges – An Teallach (Day 1), Liathach (Day 2) and the Aonach Eagach (Day 4). You can show your support in one of two ways; both come with rewards, and one includes discounted products from Rockfax. The Aonach Eagach. Free Member. What I remember so vividly about it (I'm sure I've mentioned it on UKC at LEAST once before!) The Gillaval Dubh routes are on excellent gneiss, clean but with more grassy bits than RH Slabs (around 80% of its 250m is rock). Aonach Eagach is a mountain summit in the Loch Etive to the Black Mount region in the county of Argyll and Bute/Highland, Scotland. I would suggest finding somewhere a little less exposed than Liathach to get used to winter conditions with axe and crampons. When I mentioned having gone down Sharp Edge in the wet he just pulled a face and said something like: Hmm. Approach. (The bit above the edge itself). Tops. Also did some nice slabby scramble over on Foinaven which was excellent. North Buttress I've never done, despite having done most of the other scrambles. Cobbler south and centre peaks? Apr 23, 2018 - Famed as the narrowest ridge on the British mainland (though Liathach and An Teallach must run it close), the Aonach Eagach gives a thrilling and spectacular traverse for keen scramblers, linking the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. Liathach. A ten-strong all-Nepali team has achieved the coveted first winter ascent of K2 (8611m), the last of the fourteen eight-thousand-metre peaks to be summitted in the winter season. How could I have forgotten that! The crazy pinnacles Aonach eagach csa_adventure. At that stage I hadn't been either up or down it. RH slabs are solid gneiss, some grass on the ledges but the slabs themselves are clean. The Aonach Eagach is mostly an exposed walk as well, but has a couple of 'easy' rock climbing sections that are not optional. Jan 30, 2018 - Famed as the narrowest ridge on the British mainland (though Liathach and An Teallach must run it close), the Aonach Eagach gives a thrilling and spectacular traverse for keen scramblers, linking the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. > Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn is the best grade 3 I've ever done. Or is it...? If I could add one route though it would be an obscurity, C Buttress on Gillaval Dubh in Harris, another that would be famous if it were somewhere more frequented - 250m of rough gneiss that looks ridiculous from below but turns out to be lovely rough slabs, sustained but never hard. It has a very short section of mod that's often downclimbed but I'd say 3 is a reasonable assessment of the ridge. In length the full ridge continues for 10 km from the Pap of Glencoe at the west to the eastern end at the Devil's Staircase. > aonach eagach , Bastow buttress , curved ridge ,an tellach . The good thing about the Cneifion Arete is that it can easily be linked with other things, e.g. Have a look at the other thread, that’s crass. Guided groups often go for the first option. Aonach Eagach Ridge Just completed the Aonach Eagach Ridge with Gillian, our West Coast Guide for the day. ), > Yes, on a 3-star system it's about *****. Turen over ryggen vert rekna som ein av dei vanskelegaste i Skottland, i lag med Liathach og An Teallach på vinterstid. Small friends would be useful for pockets on the main pitch. The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Scotland, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. It was my first ever decent scramble, solo and I had no idea what I was letting myself in for, the mod downclimb is not obvious of you're in clag and don't know it's there, it's also right near the end of the ridge if you're going south to north. if you’re in the mood to stick up for people, not that I think CA needs it, there are some posters over on the other thread who you might be better taking to task. Scrambling Aonach Eagach is one of the ‘big ticks‘ that any mountain walker, Munroist, or scrambler wants to do. Please help UKClimbing continue to provide varied and free content by becoming an official UKC Supporter. Fiacaill Ridge. Loading... Unsubscribe from csa_adventure? But, big but ... thinking about it again harder, I'm fairly certain that we kept the rope on and moved Alpine style, precisely because I wanted to move around into interesting camera positions. Liathach grade 2, CR grade 3, BB v diff, an teallach grade 3, tower ridge diff, table direct v diff, the Cuillin ridge an ultra long v diff (but you probably want to have a number of grades in hand), hornli ridge alpine grade AD. Below shows the route outline for Aonach Eagach. As you say, CYP Arete is also a beauty with the Parson’s Nose start and always feels more serious to me than Cneifion Arete. I think only very accurate, meaningful grades become possible at VS and above. Kilometres of absorbing scrambling, stunning views and traversing two Munro's. Following the crack leads to an interesting position for a Grade 3 scramble! Tryfan North Ridge. (crawling along until a massive drop appears underneath you!? If it had been to mock, yes. The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal 'scrambling' ridge in mainland Scotland, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. Ghreadaidh to Banachdich? AEITB is a person, think how they may feel.You are a bully, you should be ashamed. Guess I'd better do it then! Grade 1: Crib Goch, Tryfan N Ridge, Bristly Ridge, Ledge Route (easier version), Horns of Alligin. 1 – (NN 17333 56746) Follow the path out of the car park up the hillside keeping up a good pace to escape the bite of wee beasties. You’ve obviously missed a lot. Please help UKClimbing continue to provide varied and free content by becoming an official UKC Supporter. The Aonach Eagach is a spectacular narrow ridge running high above the pass of Glencoe. Both great days out, enjoying Ogwen's pecuilar concentration of great rock. ... Liathach from the air by drone, Torridon, Scotland - Duration: 2:59. Often called the most difficult scramble ridge in mainland Britain however I personally think Liathach gives it a good run for its money. anyway An teallach and Liathach, Skye, Castle ridge on the Ben,  angels ridge, and after thought Arete all obviously need a mention. any serious candidates I’ve missed at each grade? Famed as the narrowest ridge on the British mainland (though Liathach and An Teallach must run it close), the Aonach Eagach gives a thrilling and spectacular traverse for keen scramblers, linking the Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. Then there's going down things that are normally ascended. It is also often prone to Inversions in … The scrambling is much more intermittent or limited on Liathach, An Teallach, Forcan ridge, Arran, and most of the other Lakes/Snowdonia scrambles. if that’s included, I’m definitely suggesting North Buttress on the Buachaille. Outside of the Cuillin, it is hard to beat the north ridge of Tryfan or the Aonach Eagach for sheer duration of quality scrambling at invariant grade. Too much trust on Aonach Eagach My tale is one highlighting the fact that you should do your own research rather than putting all your faith and trust in someone else. Pete Short. The Five Sisters ridge in Glen Shiel, or the South Shiel Ridge would make a better intro to winter ridges. scrambling grades are meant to give an overall sense of the difficulty of the route as well as its hardest moves. With our guided traverse of the Aonach Eagach any hill goer with a good level of fitness and a head for heights can complete a traverse of this spectacular ridge line. There are plenty of places that are simple uphill walks on rock that force you to scratch away almost on hands and knees in the wet. Buachaille Etive Mor. i think it was my first Grade 3 in my youth and memorable for sense of exposure/death. North Buttress is very exposed, with a steep chimney crux. The pitch up for the table gap is definitely harder than either pitch of table direct, but it's escapable to the left and also on much more solid rock. Photo: Getty. I'm not a great scrambler but I've certainly done harder things than that (eg Ghreadaidh to Banachdich as mentioned upthread). The Aonach Eagach is normally tackled from the Glen Coe (south) side. There's a theory that this is harder than Jack's Rake (there was a discussion on here years ago about it possibly being "the hardest thing in Wainwright") - it's mainly just messy scree but with an awkward reachy chockstone move near the top - we arrived at this to find that someone prior to us had felt it serious enough to have tied on, as there was some tat in a crack. Some guides say it's amazing, others that it's a 1 star job. I think there’s something about the purity of the line on the ‘classics’ that make them classic- following a skyline ridge connecting major summits, or an obvious major ridge leading to a summit has a simplicity that a subsidiary ridge can’t match. Weather and Hill Conditions: mwis: Northwest Highlands – … (The ridge in Glencoe, that is, not the prolific contributor to the forums). The Aonach Eagach is usually regarded as the most difficult horizontal ‘scrambling’ ridge in mainland Scotland, though it vies with Liathach (and, in winter, An Teallach) for this title. The full ridge runs from the Pap of Glencoe at the western end to the Devil's Staircase at the eastern end.. Similar with people I've spoken to. The scrambling is much more intermittent or limited on Liathach, An Teallach, Forcan ridge, Arran, and most of the other Lakes/Snowdonia scrambles. Mit seinen 1234 Metern Höhe ist der Aonach Beag der siebthöchste Berg Schottlands und zählt zu den höchsten Erhebungen Großbritanniens. I’ve offered an apology to him, if it is needed. You can avoid the final chimney section to the right, or step to the right higher in the chimney to bypass the direct finish. Edit: I see you’re adding some interesting grade 3 scrambles- I think you missed the South col route on Everest. The chimney on P2 isn’t straightforward and I’ve always been glad to be roped up when climbing it, which I would never say or do on a Grade 1 route. I’d also disagree, Gordon- it’s a juggy romp above the initial section, but way too steep and sustained for grade 1. In his book “Scrambles in Lochaber”, local climber Noel Williams warns that there are … I'm hoping to do the liathach traverse in a few weeks with someone who will be new to Scotland in winter (never used axe / crampons etc). I agree that Wales has the best Grade 1's and Scotland the best Grade 2's (hadn't occurred to me before). Mod is a little generous IMO - classic scrambling terrain. If it was more than 120m it would be easily the best Mod in Britain. I also believe both Liathach and An'teallach to be much more committing ridge routes. Dan Bailey - Feb 10, 2004 10:40 am - Hasn't voted Untitled Comment. Cneifion Arete is a benchmark Grade 3 scramble. Perhaps it was just the fact that I was on my own and the eerie silence up there compared to the hordes on MacDui. UKC logbooks gives it low/mid Grade 3 but mid/high Mod.. yes, about 4 times. It is an exhilarating and heart stopping traverse with many scrambles, ascending and descending, linking the two Munro’s, Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. However, I felt that the crux of the whole route was the climb out of the gap on Cyfrwy Arete, which felt tougher than anything on Table Direct. Probably covered in lichens, moss and grass with rock poking out. This just left Liathach. You are a welcome addition to the forums, and your attitude reminds me of another young man whose early posting style got a few backs up, but who went on to climb E10... Narnia Arete is on immaculate peridotite, no vegetation at all (has a bird ban in Spring). Route Map. Has AEITB listened to people’s advice and changed his username to Cneifion Arete? Aonach Eagach is 1000 metres high with a prominence of 9 metres. Email Address: (you will also be emailed a Cc: [carbon copy] of this message). I have to agree. The safest descent from the west end of the ridge is not easy to find, particularly in the dark, under deep snow, or in poor visibility. Come scrambling mainland GB's big three ridges might in just four days - An Teallach, Liathach and the famous Aonach Eagach Below shows the route outline for Aonach Eagach. Start from the car park on the A82 at NN 17333 56746 . Mind you, I had changed into big boots by then! Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn is the best grade 3 I've ever done. I got there, couldn't see a way down and had to reverse the entire ridge back to take the path down into the valley. Questioning stuff on a climbing forum is cool. Undoubtedly serious, but the final rib is covered with huge friendly jugs and spikes. I went up last year when it was clear at the bottom but low cloud, and the rock was just sopping and like ice. I grabbed a lift up the road with Andy, with a wee stop at the Clachaig for dinner on the way. You just invented a new grading system- there are no plus or minus signs in scrambling grades. . I'm assuming you're talking about the North Buttress on the Bookle? Otherwise, as spectacular as it looks, it wouldn't be particularly worthwhile. This thread was started in the ROCKTALK forum and has now been moved. The SMC Scottish rock climbs book grades it diff, as does Dan Bailey of this parish in his guidebooks. 1 – (NN 17333 56746) Follow the path out of the car park up the hillside keeping up a good pace to escape the bite of wee beasties. A major grade II winter mountaineering traverse, comparable in scale and challenge to Aonach Eagach or An Teallach, the other big two Mainland ridges. What’s are the belays/gear on it like? Having now completed the Liathach ridge, I feel Liathach makes the Aonach Eagach feel like a wee stroll along the beach. The Llech Ddu Spur. Not done it yet, but have had my eye on it for a while now! Ben Nevis via the CMD Arete. I expected to find Afterthought Arete initmidating solo so it didn't really surprise me that it was. I had a surprisingly good day on the Fiacaill Ridge (and Afterthought Arete, but that's already been mentioned) last weekend. My partner slipped descending a small gully and took a real fall that could have been a lot worse than the few bruises she got. Most popular are the Corbetts – summits between 2500 and 3000 feet – which provide every bit as much challenge, if not more, than the Munros themselves. If someone thought, I’ve done cneifon arête, it’s grade 3, so I’ll be ok to do the Cuillin traverse or the hornli, they’re probably not going to have a great experience. It was an October day 35 years ago and memories are fuzzy, but yes it was the steeper Foule Crag section that felt quite airy as a wet descent (and in cloud). They're not particularly into climbing, more hill walking, but is a confident summer scrambler. I wouldn't do that! Great route and I was surprised how insecure some bits felt - rounded slightly damp granite! an observation- Wales seems to have the best grade 1s, Scotland the best grade 2s, grade 3s more spread out. Ranger & Photographer — pcishort@gmail.com. If he’s not- as I said, perhaps you’ve misjudged situation. Famed as the narrowest ridge on the British mainland (though Liathach and An Teallach must run it close), the Aonach Eagach gives a thrilling and spectacular traverse for keen scramblers, linking the … This is right at the start, and if you manage this, then the rest of the ridge shouldn't cause any problems. Mountain in the Torridon Hills. Thanks Dan- will look forward to that article when it appears! The situation, views and how wild they feel cannot compare to anything in North Wales, and even give the best scrambles in the West Midlands a run for their money. It is located in Glencoe, not far from Fort William and is the most accessible of the ‘big three’ ridges. In reply to Myr: > Outside of the Cuillin, it is hard to beat the north ridge of Tryfan or the Aonach Eagach for sheer duration of quality scrambling at invariant grade. The one just before or after the Inpin (depending on which way you're going) on  the Cuillin. We got down without any mishaps but I can remember it feeling a bit nervy for a while. I would add Cyfrwy Arete (Grade 3S) to the list for a full-on mountaineering adventure, especially with the Table Direct start, although this being a V Diff falls outside scrambling grades. East Buttress of Mealaisval (think Etive Slabs for scramblers) and the Tahaval routes are especially good. You are a bully, naming a person in an OP is no go. An Astoundingly beautiful part of Scotland and Glencoe. How do these 2 compare for technical difficulty and exposure crack followed by much easier that... To that article when it appears belays/gear on it quite happily unroped, draped with Hasselblad and cameras... Together at the start, and one includes discounted products from Rockfax and perhaps stay there, ’... Your support in one of two ways ; both come with rewards, and I included.. On actually climbing all of these 'm assuming you 're in West Flank route, so it did align! 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