Did this in Winter in 1975 with half a dozen mates from Liverpool University mountaineering club. Covered in snow and ice the view on a crisp frozen morning was absolutely awesome. I remember it as fun but I was young and invincible. On the final descent, scree running like idiots, one lad found a long dead sheep by getting his whole leg stuck through the decayed carcass. Those were the days.
We did have the full winter gear for the time. Ropes, crampons ice axes etc. Climbed up to the ridge day one and bivvied in the wind shadow of the ridge then did it next day. Sunrise was tremendous but none of us had cameras. The last and best winter stuff I ever did.
Done it in winter a couple of times back in the 1980s, witnessed an accident the second time, just on that first descent. Extraordinarily the victim's companions were able to flag down a passing SAR helicopter on a training mission. We watched them waving at the chopper, and thought "you'll be lucky" - and they were ! Instant casevac with no radio, no mobile phone in those days either. Would have been an hour + to get down to call out the regular MRT, and at least another 2 hours before they could get to scene, probably more. Definitely one of the oddest things I've seen on the hill.
@@exploringwithmikey I was young, fit and stupid. It was a wonderful run - the pub was in sight all the way. And I did have some technique as it happens. I love that place, hence the memories. Thanks.
Really enjoyed the video,looks different from others in terms of visual impact,Glencoe looked mean, atmospheric.Did climb Meall Dearg from the Kinlochleven side,but settled for a few steps along the ridge before beating a retreat!
Wow 😍 My first time to the highlands was via a highlands tour group and we stopped off at glen coe. It brought me to tears it was that beautiful. Wish i had somebody to do stuff like you with. Too scared to go alone 😔
Hello Michelle, yes the place is magical, & there will always be someone to go with all you have to do is ask, Thankyou for watching make sure you subscribe now haha
I'm coming to Scotland next week actually. Been planning it for weeks now and done nothing but research best munros to tackle, thats how i came across your video. I want to try to Sgor Gaoith. Do you two fancy being my guide 😅. Pretty please 🙏 ❤
Unfortunately we are both busy for the next couple of weeks, next time give us some notice and we will definitely be more than happy to hike alongside you and you can listen to our bullshit stories hahah
Stuc a Chroin almost killed me last year - easy scramble turned evil when I got lost in the cloud with zero visibility and found myself hanging on one hand jam and one tiny foothold. From that moment on, I only go up when visibility is good and I know what I'm doing.
Thanks for posting. Brought back some memories from when I did the ridge in 1995 and then completed the Munros in 2003 (No.3011). Have you done Skye yet? The In Pin will take your breath away.
Have done this twice, both times solo in winter. First time in clag and rain with slushy snow, couldn't see a thing but knew to keep as close to crest as possible. Second time perfect winter conditions, covered in hard snow & ice, really enjoyable. Maybe it's more treacherous in summer?
Did that a very long time ago but came down just before the pap and one of my friends behind me dislodge a rock that hit me on my arc . I could not sit down for a few days
3 souls found broon breed there today. I fear if bad weather comes in it’s treacherous , my wife and I got poor conditions on Helvelyn. Scary. ✌🏻🏴
Definately not a route for the faint of heart or chicken of liver, but very rewarding in the pub afterwards, I did it once in winter ( with a very experienced guide) definately squeaky bum time.
Brilliant vid! The thing I always wonder about these vids is getting back down must be as difficult as going up but no one films that…..good luck and stay safe👍
Thankyou Jeff, The getting down part was really tough on the knees, and I’m only 26 so that’s saying something, luckily enough I had poles to help, Thankyou for watching
Fantastic video, Glencoe is one of our favourite places to go. I must say you don't need to mention / highlight that vile excuse for a human in this beautiful video. The cottage has been there for a couple of hundred years only to be tarnished by him. This is why it keeps getting vandalised, because of his connection to it. The cottage was there way before him. People need to stop publicising that he was ever there. More history to the cottage than just him.
Flashbacks of our mountain training every Nov-December with the Royal Marines [45]. One year the clagg came in and we stayed up on the ridge overnight tethered together. -10c temp ..oh so much fun...NOT! Happy days.
Very stark and imposing scenery, stunningly beautiful. Are these mountains above the tree line, either in terms of altitude or latitude or were logged like most of Britain was?
The tops are above the tree line - mostly due to latitude and harsh Atlantic climate! Above 700 m is usually pretty bleak. The valleys have largely been cleared of trees and would have been much more densely forested back in the day
Anyone can do the Aonach Eagach, its just a scramble in the summer, of course, in the winter, thats a seriouse matter. I did it about 25 years ago, with next to no experience and a pair of army boots, it was a great day and yes, if I had jumped off some of the drop offs, I would have died. Don't jump off any of the steep bits and it will be fine but make sure you do it on a clear day.
Very well, thanks. We had an instructor who was always within eyesight, who watched over the difficulties, and bailed off the ridge at the one exit possible, leaving us to descend at the Pap, where transport was waiting. It was not so well trodden in those days, but overall a memorable experience! As, I must say, was the rest of the course, including Sailing Canoeing, Forestry, and physical effort. My whole life so far has been influenced by what I absorbed over that two weeks. I was an Outward Bound Instructor, and have introduced many bods into climbing and hillwalking.@@exploringwithmikey
At my age I have to make the most of any opportunity I get. Unfortunately, circumstances have strictly curtailed my peregrinations, and I am working to get back seriously walking again.@@exploringwithmikey
Traversed it in 1976 with two mates, one of them tripped on his crampons and narrowly escaped taking a dive from a wider area where we had paused for a break
I am petrified of heights but got over it in the early 80s, was on all fours at one point. The now wife did not bat an eyelid, but ask her to cross a stream by usingstepping stones and she goes haywire
would love to do stuff like this but my brain won't allow me to without getting the fear. It will, however, allow me to do a 150ft bungee jump for some odd reason.
Aonach eagach a great day out, but some don't prepare for it properly. It's exposed with big drops and only East West exits only along the ridge. But saying that it's a great day out. The Chlachaig gully stay away from it's a bit unpleasant and the deer keds at the bottom are awful.
It wasn't known as the death ridge when I did it, don't know why it's called that in this vid. It's long and committing as there's no way off until you get to the end. It's also a long walk off....good training for Alpine Hut walks.
There is a way off the ridge at Meall Dearg before you reach the crazy pinnacles. It's definitely not convenient as your car will be on the other side of the mountain, but this way is known as the "no drama" way to reach the ridge.
@@exploringwithmikey sorry I didn’t mean I didn’t the ridge, I went up through the lost vally and ended up coming down the side because I came if the path lol
@@exploringwithmikey i might do it this year, looking to do the cmd arete next year as well, how did you manage getting back to the car park, did you have 2 cars or did you walk back after
The mist is closing in. I would turn back. If the mist is so thick, the route will become extremely dangerous. Avoid risks. Live to fight another day!.
@@exploringwithmikey Mikey -- The number of people who press on in adverse weather conditions is surprising. In the contest human versus nature, nature always wins. I'm ever so glad you brave people have made it back safely!
I have heard they were all attached by a guide with rope, but you can’t always believe what people tell you, regardless RIP TO THOSE WHO LOST THERE LIVES
Lol, that's not a ridge!! That's a bloody highway!! Places like the Matterhorn summit ridge is what a real ridge looks like. This looks more like an interesting mountainbike route!!
@@exploringwithmikey Have you ever seen the Matterhorn summit ridge? There are even higher and sharper ridges than that!! Some ridges you can't even walk on, because it's literally like a knife's edge!! People walk on the side of it, holding on to the ridge!! Can you give me a timestamp of your video where you think the sharpest part of the ridge is? Just curious, because I did not see any really dodgy part. Maybe you didn't film the really sharpest part, because you had to focus on climbing? That's a possibility of course, but you should have filmed that part with the drone then, before or after you transversed it?
@@circomnia9984 to be honest I never even filmed the pinnacle ( scary bit) it’s bang on In the middle of the ridge, I’ll have to go back and put my GoPro on a head strap
@@exploringwithmikey Ah well see, that makes more sense. Please do that next time you go out there. That would make for a much more interesting video, plus prove idiots like me wrong!! 😁
Its not really comparing like for like. The Matterhorn summit is a mountaineering route usually attempted by experienced climbers. The Aonach Eagach is a scramble that doesn't require ropes in the summer and is doable for hillwalkers with a good head for heights. But the risk of a slip in the wrong place is very real, people die either on the ridge or the descent most years. You can bike bits of it, a couple of my mates did a few years ago but again you need to be well within your comfort zone to attempt the exposed sections carrying a mountain bike!
@@exploringwithmikey I was fine. I recall one very precarious section which for me I went down and up the other side in a matter of minutes, but my climbing buddy got into trouble, and I went back and had to find an alternate route by descending and traversing around and back up. That took us a good hour or so. It was nerve wracking in places for sure.
