Stob Ban - the giant's staircase

Step 3 of 3
This is the last of the giant quartzite steps that take you up from Coire Claurigh, the valley behind Lairig Leachach bothy up on to the beallach between Stob Ban (977m) and Stob Choire Claurigh (1177m). The first two are steeply sloping slabs full of holes and cracks that you can scramble up quite easily, but the last one has an abrupt cut-off that you have to scale. I led up the right-hand corner of this 50' section and then belayed E off the top. Nice easy climbing on dry rock. We walked the line of the Grey Corries last year, but had left Stob Ban off the list, so we continued on up this and down the easy track on the far side. Then it was the 5km trek back down the track to the car.

Horsefiles today in the boggy section were the most numerous we have ever experienced, although I seemed to have escaped with only one minor bite.


o^o
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