Creag Meagaidh traverse

Peaks: Meall an t'Snaim (969m), Sron Coire a'Chriochairean (991m), Stob Poite Coire Ardair (1053m), Creag Meagaidh (1130m), Puist Coire Ardair (1070m), Sron a'Choire (1001m) 
Area: Creag Meagaidh, Central Highlands
The path into the spectacular Coire Ardair is so well-defined and runnable that I inadvertently missed the route up Carn Liath, the first peak on the large horseshoe encompassing this valley. It was so manicured and perfect, through wonderful native woodland in places, that I was enjoying myself and carried on for a couple of miles before finally having to strike directly up the steep hillside to the north-east. I emerged at Meall an t'Snaim, which is more or less at the same level of Carn Liath, just a continuation of the very broad ridge that then, happily, narrows: meaning I hadn't missed any of the good bits. Even better, the weather was improving by the minute. It had been a clagged-in morning with a touch of drizzle for our family walks in the valley but now, as forecast, it was improving dramatically. As usual, this was perforce a short outing, grabbed mid-afternoon at the start of our 7th consecutive Highland holiday, but prospects were superb as I crested the ridge and followed it across the better defined little summit of Chriochairean. Big views opening out to the north, rather disorientating initially as Creag Meagaidh occupies such a central position in the Highlands - and I'd never really visited the immediate area before. Still, the Mamores, Knoydart and Ben Nevis were all obvious. Great running along the edge of Coire Ardair goes via a couple of subsidiary summits to the Munro of Stob Poite Coire Ardair. A steep descent leads down to the pronounced col of The Window, visible and obvious from the Spean Bridge road way below. A wild prospect further west over Lochan Uaine and steep running over a few large snow patches eventually leads to the detached summit of Creag Meagaidh itself. The complex topography here - with five ridges radiating out from a plateau - would likely be a nightmare in mist, but there were no such problems today, just huge views and big skies in every direction as the sun made its presence felt. A superb and exhilarating descent, initially over feathery, almost carpeted ground on the plateau - extraordinarily comfortable underfoot - led over Puist Coire Ardair to loop round the opposite side of Coire Ardair. Keeping to the lip of the cwm gave the best views of the day, looking over the huge 'Posts' of Coire Ardair to the lake below. From Sron a'Choire, the final nose overlooking Loch Laggan, a very steep descent led down arduous tussocky heather to the valley bottom. This was tough: I could see the tourist trail below but never seemed to get any closer to it. Back comfortably in time to cook dinner: an excellent horseshoe round one of Scotland's finest massifs. A pleasant family walk round Pattack falls in warm evening sunshine followed.