Coire nan Lochan (variable - depends on how far you go)
[MAP] [PHOTO]
     Another good walk and one which will last as long as you want. It suffers, as do all the walks which lead up into the big corries of Bidean nam Bian, from the fact that unless you go right up on to the high tops, you will need to come back the way you went up. But that's not so bad. Its good both ways. The natural turning point for this one is the lochan after which the corrie is named. It is quite high up under the cliffs. Give yourself at least two hours to get there. It is a steep climb but the scenery is on a grand scale. Start from the right hand (Western) carpark in the diagram above. Go down an obvious path with an inclination to the right to reach a small wooden bridge (which is visible from the car park). Under the bridge, in the river Coe, there are deep blue-green pools and lots of people stop there for a picnic. But you're going on aren't you? No time to waste on such dalliance. Follow the path. You can hardly miss it. It slants to the right up the steep slopes ahead and round into the corrie. A word of warning is required here. If you do this walk on a lovely sunny day (we do get these from time to time) and in the middle of the tourist season, you will find that both the car parks have their resident bagpiper all done up in his "Highland" regalia. He is collecting coins in a hat from the bus tourers who are not normally knowledgeable enough to tell that he can't play for toffee. Sometimes, admittedly, they are quite good pipers (*), but often not. Even bad piping might be almost tolerable if it were not for the fact that there are two of them and that they are playing different tunes (and not always genuine pipe tunes at that). When you are in one of the car parks the volume of sound from one drowns out the other (almost). But when you are climbing up the path I described above, you get the sound from both pipers in equal strength and the result is pure cacophony. Take ear plugs if you want to stay sane. Eventually the path leads you round into the corrie and you get a measure of relief. Here the corrie is narrow and steep and the burn roars down a defile to you right. The path continues horizontally for a bit and, since the burn is rising, eventually the two meet. That's not a bad place to eat you sandwiches. Beyond this the path is less distinct but you can hardly get lost because you are trapped in the narrow corrie and there are only two ways to go, up and down (and you are going up I think). Have a glance up at the big cliffs on you right - The East Face of Aonach Dubh - scene of many a boyhood escapade for the writer. Facing the cliff across the corrie is a smaller cliff, and at its base a neat and tidy little cave which is handy for climbers. Higher still, the corrie opens out. The ground is broken and pocked with small outcrops of rock round which you must pick you way. Bear slightly right (but only slightly). Higher, the outcrops become rounded and scarred by pre-historic ice. Finally you will come over the top of a rounded cliff and find the small lochan in a hollow under the big dark cliffs of Stob Coire nan Lochan. These are much favoured for winter climbing but the rock is not ideal for summer rock climbing. Even so the cliffs, especially those dropping into the deep dark gullies, have an impressive verticality. An ascent of these is not recommended. If you want to get to the summit of the mountain then go right to where the slope is gentler and scree covered and you can gain the ridge without much difficulty. But don't go unless you know what you are doing and are sure you could find your way back down again if the mist closed down on you. The much quoted trick of sitting down until it clears is a joke and definitely not recommended unless you have enough bivouac equipment to sit it out for a week or more. And remember, once you are above these cliffs, the descent route has to be selected with great care or it will be more rapid and dramatic than you planned. Carry a compass and map. If in doubt, build small cairns of stone (at frequent intervals) and use these as guides on the descent.

(*) hereabouts we know our piping. An ex-world champion lives not far away in Benderloch and we have many others in the same league.