Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin
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| Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin | |
|---|---|
 Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin seen across Loch Treig from Stob Coire Sgriodain, four km to the east. The crags of Coire Meadhon are in view. The summit of Stob Coire Easain can be seen to the left |
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| Elevation | 1105 m (3625 ft) |
| Location | Lochaber, Highland  Scotland |
| Range | Grampians |
| Prominence | c. 140 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 41, OS Explorer 392 |
| OS grid reference | NN316736 |
| Listing | Munro |
| Translation | Peak of the Middle Corrie (Gaelic) |
| Pronunciation | [Stop Corra Vane[1]] |
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands, it is situated 19 km east of Fort William in the Lochaber area of the Highland council area.
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[edit] Overview
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin reaches a height of 1105 metres (3625 feet) making it the 46th highest Munro[2]. It is closely associated with the adjoining peak of Stob Coire Easain which is just 10 metres higher and stands one km to the SW across a high col with a height of approximately 965 metres. The two are usually climbed together and have the informal nicknames of “The Easains” or “The Stob Coires”.
Some people have made the point that Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin is fortunate to be regarded as a separate mountain and could easily just be a subsidiary “top” of Stob Coire Easain, indeed the hill was not even mentioned on older maps from around 1900, just being shown as unnamed summit. However its dominating presence above Glen Spean has ensured that it has been regarded as a distinct and separate peak ever since the Munro Tables were first formulated in 1891[3]. The best views of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin are from the NE from where it is seen as a separate mountain. The view from the Laggan Dam shows it as a conical peak while from Stob Coire Sgriodain on the opposite side of Loch Treig, the mountain shows the steep slopes which fall into the loch and its impressive craggy Coire Meadhon which gives the mountain its name which translates as “Peak of the Middle Corrie“.[4]
[edit] Geography
Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin has a long NE ridge which descends for over five km to the hamlet of Fersit at the head of Loch Treig. This ridge is the most common route of ascent and though mostly a moderate gradient it does have several steep sections, most notably the rocky climb up to Meall Cian Dearg which requires some mild scrambling. The mountains eastern flank falls steeply to Loch Treig with the slope rising from loch side to summit for 850 metres and an average gradient of over 30 degrees. These slopes are well seen when travelling on the West Highland Railway on the east side of the loch.
A ridge goes SW from the summit to connect to the mountains twin Munro of Stob Coire Easain, this ridge hugs the lip of the impressive Coire Easain Beag which stands between the two mountains. This corrie has patches of red rock on its upper slopes especially on its Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin side, a point on the ridge at the head of the corrie is actually named Carn Dearg (Red Cairn) on the OS map. There are several corries on the eastern side of the mountain, the most impressive of these by far is Coire Meadhon which falls directly from the summit with steep crags on its southern side. The northern slopes of the mountain descend into Coire Laire which is drained by the Allt Laire which goes north to join the River Spean as does all rainfall from the mountain.
[edit] Ascents
The most popular starting point for the ascent of Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin is the small hamlet of Fersit at grid reference NN350784, from there the long NE ridge can be accessed and followed to the summit. An alternative ascent can be made from Corrour railway station utilising the West Highland Railway. This is a long walk of around 30 km and involves a substanial hike in from the station around the head of Loch Treig to reach the foot of Stob Coire Easain which is climbed first before continuing over Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin to reach Tulloch railway station for the evening train.[5]
[edit] References
- The Munros, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, Donald Bennett (Editor) et al, ISBN 0 0907521 13 4
- The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0 906371 30 9
- The Munros, Scotland’s Highest Mountains, Cameron McNeish, ISBN 1 84204 082 9
- Hamish’s Mountain Walk, Hamish Brown, ISBN 1 898573 08 5
- The Magic of the Munros, Irvine Butterfield, ISBN 0 7153 2168 4
Footnotes
- ^ "The Munros, Scotland‘s Highest Mountains" Page 80 Gives Pronunciation.
- ^ www.scottishsport.co.uk. Gives a list of Munros in height order.
- ^ Database of British Hills. Gives details of hill in Munros Tables.
- ^ "The Magic of the Munros" Page 68 Gives details of translation and meaning of name.
- ^ "The Munros" Page 78 Gives details of routes of ascent.
