Mullach nan Coirean and Stob Ban

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These mountains were the first Munros I did in the area, and the first long walk. I had gone on a whim and asked someone what they advised - this was one of their suggestions and it made a splendid day out! At the time the parking arrangements at Polldubh were less generous than these days, but in May there was no problem getting parked and then heading off up the forestry tracks on the lower slopes of Mullach nan Coirean. I was following the directions from the SMC Munros Guide, but either I missed something or they didn't exactly correspond with what was on the ground... However I eventually popped over a fence and managed to reach the crest of the NE ridge just above the trees.

From here to the summit was grassy and arduous (or so I thought) but straightforward. The final section was a bit more rocky, and suddenly there I was on my first Lochaber Munro! There were not many people about, and I enjoyed a rest and some refreshments before heading around the edge of Coire Dheig to the summit of Stob Ban. Mullach nan Coirean is a lumpy sort of mountain, but Stob Ban is a lovely pointy mountain just as a child would draw one.

Here there was time for another rest and the sad feeling that it was time to head away from the tops back down to the valley. I found the path to the col with Sgorr an Iubhair initially went in a strange direction - further down the reason was obvious. There was a large and loose gully it was avoiding, which has since seen at least one rescue. The path wound it's way down to the col, and then down the Coire a'Mhusgain and back to Polldubh. When I got there I was tired but delighted with the walk, and I have been back up Stob Ban a couple of times since.