The Scottish Highlands

Clach Leathad & Creise

Photographs of a traverse of the Clach Leathad - Creise Ridge

above the West Highland Way in Glencoe

Creise is the high point and Munro on the long ridge.

Clach Leathad, a more shapely prominence,

was formerly the main summit and the Munro

Creise

from the King's House Inn

on the West Highland Way

Creise

from Meall a'Bhuiridh

Creise ridge

on ascent of Meall a' Bhuiridh

Clach Leathad

from Meall a' Bhuiridh

Stob a'Choire Odhair and Clach Leathad ridge from Meall a Bhuiridh

Stob a'Choire Odhair and Clach Leathad ridge

in winter from Meall a Bhuiridh

View from the saddle

between Meall a Bhuiridh

and the Clach Leathad - Creise Ridge

Clach Leathad - Creise Ridge

from the saddle from Meall a Bhuiridh

Meall a Bhuiridh

from the Clach Leathad - Creise Ridge

Black Mount from Lochan na h Achlaise on Rannoch Moor

Bidean nam Bian

from Creise

               Buachaille Etive Mor

                                                       from Creise

Buachaille Etive Mor

from Sron na Creise

Buachaille Etive Mor

and Sron na Creise from Creise

Meall a Bhuiridh

from Clach Leathad

Meall a Bhuiridh

from Clach Leathad

Meall a Bhuiridh

from Clach Leathad

The saddle between Creise

and Meall a Bhuiridh

Meall a Bhuiridh

and Rannoch Moor

from Clach Leathad

Beinn an Dothaidh, Ben Dorain and Beinn Odhar

above Loch Tulla from Clach Leathad

Stob a'Choire Odhair and Stob Ghabhar

from Clach Leathad

Rock routes on Creise

Rock route on Creise

Clach Leathad ridge from Meall a Bhuiridh

Clach Leathad ridge

in winter

from Meall a Bhuiridh

Route Map of Meall a Bhuiridh

and Sron na Creise

MEALL BHUIRIDH & SRON na CREISE - ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Gazing across at Creise and Meall a‘ Bhuiridh from the Black Corries on the edge of Rannoch Moor, you’ll see one of the ﬁnest mountain panoramas in Scotland, together with the deep deﬁle of Glen Etive and the familiar shape of Buachaille Etive Mor. Creise itself, at 3609ft/1100m, is a steep-sided hill that offers superlative scrambling up the steep north nose of Sron na Creise. The rocky ribs that spill down eastwards into the Cam Gleann provide an easier way to the top, although there is good scrambling here too.
This is the route to the summit ridge starting at Blackrock Cottage, the Scottish Ladies Climbing Club hut on the road that leads to the White Corries ski area. Cross the boggy heather moorland around the north slopes of Creag Dhubh to the mouth of the Cam Ghleann to reach the rocky slopes of Sron na Creise. Contour west to avoid the rocky difﬁculties to enjoy easy scrambling up the steep, rocky ribs that spill down from Stob a’ Ghlais Choire, the start of a long and scenic ridge that eventually terminates at Stob Ghabhar in the south.
Less than a kilometre from Stob a‘ Ghlais Choire lies the summit of Creise, beyond which the ﬂat top of Mam Coire Easain gives way to a stony rib which descends to a high bealach which, in turn, leads to Meall a’ Bhuiridh. lt’s then an easy climb to the summit of Meall a’ Bhuiridh and a straightforward descent to Blackrock Cottage by way of the ski grounds.

Route:
Start and finish at Blackrock Cottage off the A82 (GR: NN268531).
Cross heather moorland to the mouth of the Cam Ghleann to gain the rocky slopes of Sron na Creise.
Contour west to avoid rocky difficulties and ascend steep slabs to Slob a‘ Ghlais Choire, the start of the main ridge.
Follow the corrie rim round to a curved crest that rises to Creise.
Follow the ridge towards the flat top of Mam Coire Easain.
A stony rib offers a way of escape from the ridge towards a bealach at the foot of Meall a‘ Bhuiridh.
Climb to the summit of Meall a‘ Bhuiridh, then descend back to Blackrock Cottage by way of the ski area

Map of Meall a Bhuiridh,

Clach Leathad and Sron na Creise

MEALL BHUIRIDH & SRON na CREISE - ROUTE DESCRIPTION 2:

Location: Glen Coe
Map: OS Landranger 41 & 50 (GR266526)
Distance: 7.5 miles ( 12km )
Time: 6 hours
Tenain: hill paths

The north-east face of Creise captures the eye as it towers above the A82 at the entrance to Glen Etive, where it sits opposite the pyramidal mass of Bnachaille Etive Mor, one of Scotland’s iconic mountains. As you'd expect, the two-Munro circuit of Creise and Meall a’ Bhuiridh provides a splendid walk amid impressive scenery.
At ﬁrst sight, Creise’s craggy north-east face can be a somewhat intimidating prospect for the hillwalker, (but looks can be deceptive and the left-hand ridge closest to the burn draining the Cam Ghleann actually provides a pretty straightforward route. Start from the car park of the Glencoe Mountain Ski Centre and walk westwards across the moor towards the impressive Buachaille Etive Mor. A rough path passes beneath a small forestry plantation then rises up the hill a little before contouring the hillside beneath some minor crags and swinging up and around the shoulder of Creag Dhubh into the Cam Ghleann.
Follow the path into the glen on the left side of the burn and make for the left-hand ridgeline.
The right—hand skyline ridge is Sron na Creise, a more difﬁcult prospect. After crossing the burn, the path ﬁnds a straightforward way up the ridge
on to the satellite peak of Stob a’ Ghlais Choire ( 996m / 3268ft ), then onto Creise ( 1100m / 3609ft ), whose summit lies a kilometre further south.
Continue south from the summit, descending gently for 800m ( 2625ft ) to a cairn on a promontory. Head south for another 800m to ascend Clach Leathad ( 1099m / 3606ft ), whichwas at one point thought to be the high point of this mountain. Back at the cairn, a path drops steeply through rocky but straightforward ground to the neck that links with Meall a’ Bhuiridh ( 1108m / 3635ft ), whose summit is gained by an enjoyable ascent up the rocky West ridge. Descend the north shoulder of the mountain keeping well left of the ski-tows, beneath which there is steep and unpleasant ground. Towards the ﬂat ground at the middle station, cut across and descend a steep path beneath the chairlift to the car park.