Scrambles in Lochaber

A guidebook to scrambling in the Lochaber area around Glen Coe and Ben Nevis and throughout the Western Highlands. Includes Loch Laggan hills, Ben Alder, Mamores, Etive Hills, Blackmount, Cruachan, Appin hills, Ardgour, Loch Lochy area, Knoydart and South Glen Shiel. Well-known and hidden routes.

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31: Pink Rib of Beinn a'Chrulaiste (Grade 1)

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This route follows a prominent pink dyke which runs up the hillside immediately to the right of a small stream in the centre of the south face of Beinn a’ Chrulaiste. It is a delightfully easy scramble on good rock.

Approach: Park at the Jacksonville car park (as for the Buachaille) by a bend in the main A82 road at GR 236 553. Cross the main road and then a fence, and walk over boggy ground to reach the West Highland Way. Cross this and then a broad bouldery stream bed. Head up a shallow depression to steeper heathery ground. Take any line up the centre of the first small outcrop of pink rock. Continue up heather and scree to the start of the rib proper.

The Route: Slant rightwards on good rock beneath a small overhanging wall. Ascend a section of quartzite rib and then break back left onto more broken ground. Ascend rock and heather trending left to reach the best section of rib with good view of the stream on the left.

Continue up the rib on very good holds. The rock becomes slightly more shattered towards the top. The angle gradually eases and the rib peters out into grassy hillside. The outing can be completed by bagging the summit Beinn a’ Chrulaiste (857m), a Corbett which lies 750m to the north-east.

Descent: The quickest descent from the top of the scramble is to head hard left (west) and cross four streams, then descend a broad rib to the west of a gully.