Issue 29 December 2005
FEATURESCreiseAn alternative winter playground, or summer circuit through broken crags and coire edgesBy John Allen Some scrambling, a coincidence and a rescue A simple enough name, Creise (1100m), but as a mountain in its own right it is often by-passed by the climber in his car and becomes just another Munro in the middle of a group for the enthusiastic walker. But look at it from near the King's House Hotel. To me its bold silhouette resembles a crown, worthy of attention in its own right, with a precipitous north face, steep flanks and some interesting ridges. I can find a wildness there, too, by avoiding the skiers' fleshpots of the adjacent Meall a'Bhuiridh on ski days, or the ski paraphernalia that uglify the latter's corries permanently. A short winter's day can be ideal, or a half day anytime from Spring to Autumn. Perhaps the map-makers are responsible for its obscurity, since the O.S. didn't name it on either the one inch or the 1:50,000 (modern) versions. The O.S. also split their maps 41 and 50 on which the range of Clachlet and Meall a'Bhuiridh are drawn and include Creise. Butterfield identifies it clearly in 'The High Mountains', and a photo in the SMC's district guide 'The Central Highlands' sets it up with a caption 'Sron na Creise'. With no height marked on the O.S. map and no trig point marked on the map or on the ground, it can prove an interesting challenge actually to find the exact summit. Go for it, misty or clear! But where to begin? The view from the Kingshouse kickstarted my imagination to be up there. One winter's day, the flank facing north offered a mountain different and apart from all the other routine and desirable excursions on the Buachaille and Glencoe peaks, so that was it for the day. It was January about 1969, without a guide book; with just an eye for a line, we made the most obvious way up the straight white chimney roughly in the centre of the face. There was nothing difficult or complicated, and probably only merits the grade 1 level in modern terminology. On the other hand the satisfaction level at the time was at the top of the scale. No instruction manual, no prior knowledge, no footsteps to follow; pioneering perhaps, certainly a first on that day. It was one of those occasions that lay the foundations for wanting more of the same. And I have been back there more recently – good névé, short pitches, belays – straightforward route finding. The first challenge in an ascent of Creise is always 'Where shall I start?' In fact there are probably only a few people, whose objective is limited to Creise, since it can be so obviously part of a longer excursion, including Meall a'Bhuiridh or Clachlet or Beinn Mhic Chasgaig, and even Stob Ghabhar. The shortest way involves wading the River Etive immediately after leaving the car on the Glen Etive road. If you want dry feet for the rest of the day, wade in a second pair of boots (minus socks) and leave them on the riverbank for the return. Otherwise the start is somewhere near to Blackrock Cottage on the ski road. This involves a heathery and boggy plod round Creag Dhubh, but always with the icon of Glencoe in view ahead, Buachaille Etive Mor. An interesting circuit starts with Beinn Mhic Chasgaig's north east ridge, followed by Creise and descent by the Sron na Creise which is steep and stony but is direct from and back to the river crossing – better perhaps to do this round in the other direction, which can make a very worthwhile scramble up the good rock of Sron na Creise (see 'Scrambles in Lochaber' route 52, by Noel Williams). Pick a sunny day; an obvious comment, but not easy to do. The point to make here is that on a sunny day the other iconic hills hereabouts will be popular, and this one might offer a better feeling of solitude, if that's what you want. The views throughout are splendid. The last 500ft of the scramble up the north ridge of Sron na Creise are on sound rock, high above both Glen Etive and Rannoch Moor. In July the sun might even warm the handholds, whereas in winter the steep scree and gully sections will probably hold snow well enough to provide straightforward sport with views towards southern and eastern horizons. To experience the contrasts of vertical and horizontal worlds, you see from here the crags of the Buachaille, the plunging depths to Glen Etive, the flatness of Rannoch Moor and its watery meanders, and unusually for this region, the high level sauntering available across the top of Creise, even as far as Clachlet and Stob Ghabhar. Though obviously close to the road at the start, the more you proceed the more you enjoy a sense of isolation and the wholesome feel of simple travel on foot over distant heights. Unfortunately not so for two unlucky men, who suffered separate accidents on this mountain. I was close by on both occasions. The first occurred in January after Ian Marshall and I had ascended a version of the Sron na Creise north ridge when snow lay in the gully. The level summit section sparkled with diamonds of frosted snow when three others plodded behind us and made a satisfactory foreground for a photo of the scene – the Buachaille and all. The two of us then branched off to Beinn Mhic Chasgaig and waded back across the river to the car and home. The same three bumped into us going the other way on the Carn Mor Dearg Arête in August the same year. Apparently not five minutes after we had parted on Creise, a bloke flying a parapant had lost control, plunged earthwards and collided with one of the three, breaking his femur. Disaster looming; mountain rescue, hospital, convalescence; and now, the guy whose femur had been broken was back again on the hill for the first time since the accident. Nothing fatal. What a coincidence to meet three guys just before the accident and next time on their first day back on the hill! The other accident was nearly fatal. It was certainly going that way. On the north, steep side of Creise the guy, fully kitted out and experienced, somehow lost his footing on ice. On hearing a sound my companion Jim Hall and I looked up to see him bouncing and flying, firstly above us, then past us, then below us and onward over rocks, down a steep snow slope, coming to rest out of sight. No further sound, just an empty mountainside, silent. He had fallen about 400ft. Gravity had funnelled him into the gulch where snowmelt drained water over a short waterfall. When I reached him he was upside down and moaning or passing out of consciousness. Right by his shoulder his mobile phone had fallen out of his rucksack. There was no network contact till Jim rushed down the hill until he got just enough contact and limited battery power to summon the rescue boys and a helicopter was promised. His helmet had saved his head, but otherwise he was a very broken man. The watching over him and the waiting had me worried that hidden injuries or hypothermia might get him before the hospital. What should I do each time he passed out, or worse? The helicopter hover twenty feet overhead created a maelstrom on us below, hurling stones, water and ice everywhere (don't leave anything loose on the ground under the rotors!). Stretchered securely, he was winched and in the Belford at Fort William minutes later. Beginning of a long-term recovery for him. The guy is back on his feet, but not climbing. Thought-provoking for us, deeply so – the benefits of helmets, mobile phones, helicopters, first aid; the effects of soloing, hypothermia, and more. All this happened in good weather and with plenty of daylight. What might have been, hardly bears thinking about. One of the best trips up Creise was one of the most recent, by way of the north east ridge of Stob a'Ghlais Choire. It was just before Christmas, when you are hoping for some snow to start the winter, and perhaps for it to lie on lower levels as well as summits. Rannoch Moor was completely white, and the walk-in from Blackrock Cottage was hard work, clumsily through deep heather and sometimes boggy holes until rounding the corner of Creag Dhubh. The Buachaille had flamed red and gold with sunrise and featherlight cloud-drifts. I rounded the corner and Creise came full frontal. The glen of Allt cam Ghlinne had snow in deeper drifts till after I crossed the main burn and rose up out of the bowl where the north westerly had settled all the powder. Higher up surfaces were scoured and rock was dry. Perhaps the north east ridge of the Stob a'Ghlais Coire would go today. I would give it a closer look, or chicken out and follow the long snow diagonal to the right – being alone I had the freedom to vary the day with no burning ambition, no pressure to achieve. I stopped and stared. At a leftward terrace I felt confident that turfy holds for the axe pick would get me started and I could test the exposed but dry rock above. Powder snow lay in hollows, drifted there on wind, unconsolidated, but so as long as I tiptoed warily up the gently angled rock and probed with the axe, I would make progress. Thus absorbed, on sound rock with good edges, I searched out a route on the right edge and mounted a steep groove to complete about 700ft of scrambling. Pause again; snack; hot drink; then easily up mixed ground to the top; and no sign of anyone broke the spell, no voices, no prints, just a cold, low-angled sun blurred through the mist, and ground very frozen with toffee ice. Walking like a geriatric with a stick, I still didn't put on the crampons, but tottered from black ice to snowdrift to snowdrift, Scotland all white in all directions, until I reached the simple cairn of Creise summit. Too cold to stop, I made my way to the cairn that marks the top of the ridge to Meall a'Bhuiridh, and dropped off the summit plateau to seek a windless rock shelter, and eat. The ridge onward to Meall a'Bhuiridh provided a fitting conclusion and summit. I could drift and stumble down the snow covered north side in the evening gloom of December and be home by six. When summer beckons, try for Sron na Creise by its rocky scramble as described in 'Scrambles in Lochaber', as an alternative to Curved Ridge on the Buachaille. By following the route description in the book to link the best bits, you will discover sound rock, enjoying a sense of adventure onto seldom visited ground. A warm spell of weather might be all the encouragement needed. Essentially the rock is dry, and the situations and outlook enable you to look back at Curved Ridge, for the views to the Buachaille are rather special. The complete circuit to Meall a Bhuiridh will take you over the high levels of Creise and its tops, and an eventual refreshment stop at the King's House Hotel. From the terrace of the pub at the end of your day, you can look across at your peak and trace the line that you took just a few hours earlier. Further information: A good map for exploring Creise and its complicated ridges and gullies would be Harvey 1:25,000 scale Superwalker Map to Glen Coe, Price £8.95. Detailed maps of other popular walking and climbing areas are published by HARVEY in their Superwalker series. See www.harveymaps.co.uk |
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