Climbed this hill with Neil (son-in-law), starting from Achriabhach in Glen Nevis. The first stage was a simple staircase walk up through the woods meeting again the track we had started on as it curved round. Our first problem was a reverse fork on the track which did not seem to be covered by our directions but which logically seemed the right way, which a glance at the map confirmed. The other route would have taken us round the mountain on the wrong side I suspect. Our book then said follow the track to the end and take the path on the right hand side. Easier said than done as the problem was working out when the path actually did end. The cinder/tarmac track gave way to a wide, grassy track with a nature trail type path on the right - was this it? It didn't look right so we continued. Unfortunately the grassy track eventually became a narrow path with no clearly defined path on the right. It was clear that this path was simply
following the stream up into the corrie which was no good to us but a couple of attempts to head off right foundered as the paths disappeared. Eventually I decided we had to go back a bit to where I had seen one path that seemed a bit more well defined than the others. Neil wasn't that keen but agreed. This path itself kept disappearing but we decided we were going to go this way. We knew we had to make height and were prepared to force our way up through the forest. At first we crossed and then followed streams until these became too steep. All the time I was getting ripped to shreds by the tree branches but eventually we reached a clearing, then another and then we were above the tree line. The ridge we wanted to get onto was clear or so we thought. Have you ever walked through heather? They might write songs about tramping through the heather but I bet they have never actually had to do it. It's awful, a real slow drag and such a relief when we met rocks. Speed doubled when walking up stony ground. We saw deer on the hill but of course they disappeared by the time we reached the ridge.
On the ridge we found a good path alongside an old fence or fence poles and followed this on a fairly simple walk. Even in mist you cannot get lost with the clear path leading up to the barren plateau where a large cairn indicates the summit. Lunch was a miserable affair as it was misty, drizzly and freezing cold. Even the Guinness was not enjoyable.
Every so often patches of mist would clear and we would see what was our general route. This basically was a walk round the top of the corrie but we were not quite sure where Stob Ban was. I kept saying it was that top, then it was another top then another. However, once off the plateau of Mullach nan Coirean our actual destination became clear. For most of the way the going was easy, an undulating, grassy and easy walk but about halfway the ridge became stony and a bit more interesting. No problems or exposure but it was nice to have to thread your way through stony paths, with good views down the corrie, whenever the mist cleared. About here we saw two people following us and it quickly became clear that they were running. Just about the stony bit they caught up with us and one stopped to admire the view. He told us they had run five of the Mamores yesterday and the remaining six today. By the time he got this out his companion was miles away. Excusing himself he tore after him, oblivious to the rocks and soon caught him up. By the time we reached the bottom of the climb to the summit we could
see them at the top - unbelievable. The final climb to Stob Ban looks terribly steep and very bouldery and high but there is a path to thread through the boulders and the summit is reached much quicker than expected. Looking over the top the ridge down looked really interesting, a very sharp, rocky ridge going down to the col between Stob Ban and Sgor an Iubhair. The reality was a wee bit of a disappointment as the pathway down was quite simple. A wee bit scrambling in that you had to use your hands but no real exposure and we soon reached the col at the bottom where we found our path and had a very pleasant, easy walk back to the car, both of us steaming in the good weather.
