Clach Glas–Blabheinn Traverse

NG561215 From the car park, return to the road and gain the main Blabheinn footpath on the north side of the Allt na Dunaiche. The path ascends through a wooded area above the gorge, then passes onto open ground. Soon after the main path crosses the burn, leave it to head north-west across the boggy floor of Choire a’ Caise. Follow the main north-west branch of the burn steeply uphill, climbing rough ground and scree beneath the east face of Clach Glas to reach the saddle between it and Sgurr nan Each.

NG532225 Note that a retreat back down Choire a’Caise is the

last safe descent option until you’ve reached the other side of Clach Glas. The climbing commences straight away on the north ridge of Clach Glas. The awesome summit tower looks an unlikely destination, and though a devious line does exist you’ll have to pay close attention to route finding. Climb directly out of the bealach, and take slabby ground leftwards. Cross a tight gap, then stay just right of the toothed crest, past a couple of little rock windows. Reach the top of a scree gully on the west flank. Make a tricky move right beneath an impending rock mass, and then keep traversing below and right of the crest on rubbly ledges. It is easy to be forced downhill here. Soon reach a deep scree gully bounding the summit tower. Reach a point about 20m below the top of the gully. If you haven’t yet felt the need, here might be a good place to get out the rope. Ascend a deep V-groove on the right, bridging strenuously past a couple of smooth ‘chockstones’. Take a crack in the right wall, onto a brief section of level arête leading back left to the top of the v-groove. Turn left to climb sound, slabby rock in a magnificently tenuous position. The moves are easy, but there is one hell of a fall potential. Make directly for the crest, passing a big perched boulder at about 40m (possible belay). The crest soon broadens onto the summit platform.

NG534221 In the descent of the south ridge, route finding is a concern. Scramble south along a blocky crest. Descend a short cracked slab on the left in a giddying position. This is The Imposter, so-called for its misleading resemblance from below to a keen knife blade. Downclimb a short steep overlap at the bottom of the slab to gain a level arête. This terminates at a vertical nose, similar in structure to The Imposter. Descend slabs to the left, onto a scree-strewn ledge. Follow a worn path to an easy angled rightwards descent down rubbly steps. Head left again below this section, taking a little nick leading to a gap in the crest with gullies dropping off to either side. Clamber out of the gap, soon entering a second gap. Climbing out of this is steep and juggy for a few moves. Head diagonally left towards a blunt pinnacle (Bealach Tower); just before the top of this, cut diagonally left up a short groove, then descend a little slab on the east side. Follow a ledge back right below the tower to a gap spanned by a jammed block. Go up easily on the right to the small grassy shoulder known as the Putting Green. Here it’s possible to escape east, though this is steep and loose.

NG533219 The north-east face of Blabheinn looms above, offering a number of possible climbing lines – none easy. The route described is technically harder than others, but also less scary. Head left out of the Putting Green, then right to a gap at the top of a gully. Climb out of the gap via a short steep wall on big flat holds. Seepage can be a problem here, and it may be worth roping up. Then ascend scree to the foot of a glowering face. Ignore a prominent right-left diagonal shelf. Better to head right along the foot of the cliff to gain an obvious scree chute cutting up left into a recess in the cliff. Directly above the alcove is a chimney – identified by a couple of jammed ‘chockstones’. Known as the 18m Chimney, this gives a tremendous route that is best tackled as a roped climbing pitch. Start in the chimney, then transfer to its airy right wall, which is climbed on great holds. Above, safe ground is reached quite suddenly on Blabheinn’s easy East Flank. Turn right, trudging up the scree and outcrops of the main Munro path to reach the summit trig point.

NG529217 The East Flank path is the most direct way home. Descend back past the top of your scramble, continuing down steep scree patches and gravel-strewn slabs onto the grassy floor of Coire Uaigneich. Follow a good path down the north bank of the burn, crossing the water when you reach level ground in Choire a’Caise. Now just reverse Stage 1 back downstream above a series of wooded waterfalls to regain the road beside Loch Slapin.