A lovely clear summer Saturday in the middle of superb spell of hot (for Scotland!) weather. Got one of the last spaces in the main Glencoe car park.

Start 1020h + Finish 1840h = 8h20, 15km, 1630m ascent

Summits today:
GEARR AONACH - Sim + Graham Top
STOB COIRE NAN LOCHAN - Munro Top
BIDEAN NAM BIAN - Munro
STOB COIRE SGREAMHACH - Munro
BEINN FHADA (STOB COIRE SGREAMHACH EAST TOP) - Munro Top
BEINN FHADA NE TOP (BEINN FHADA) - Munro Top
BEINN FHADA FAR NORTH TOP - Sim + Corbett Top

A brilliant anti-clockwise round of the hidden valley with scrambles up Gearr Aonach”s zigzags (grade I) and down the ‘bad step’ crag on Sgreamhachs narrow NE ridge (briefly grade II as per Dan Bailey’s “Scotland’s Mountain Ridges” Cicerone press).

With the bracken up I failed to find the easy climbers access route I remembered last time gaining the first ledge of the Gearr Aonach zigzags proper. I probably stayed on the main hidden valley path too long. Atop Gearr Aonach I studied the valley side of Beinn Fhada right opposite evaluating descent routes for later.

People everywhere out on Bidean today. No less than ten others plus three nearby sheep (!) with me enjoying lunch in the summit sunshine. Intended to include a Stob Coire Nam Beith sidetrack but after going 300m west from Bidean to ‘have a look’ decided against it when it seemed up to be a little more effort than budgeted for.

On Sgreamhach’s summit I met strong young pair who’d got there via an early start up Curved Ridge, Buachailles Mor + Beag yomping to a Clachaig finish!!!!!!! Made me feel lazy omitting SCNB earlier on. The crowds avoid the rough Beinn Fhada ridge though, so from leaving Sgreamhach’s summit until back on the floor of The Hidden Valley I encountered no-one.

Beinn Fhada’s unmarked 823m summit was featureless, but a few hundred metres NE at point 811m was a tiny cairn atop a rocky outcrop affording nice evening views into Glencoe.

For descent I retraced my steps to a cairn at the col next to Fhada 823m. Descended a scree gully becoming steep grass and heather with faint signs of previous traffic here and there, broadly following the south bank of a stream. Rough and steep but doable with care and regard to conditions, otherwise no major obstacles and it keeps you clear of adjacent crag bands, notably those further north.