UKC

Firstly , I won’t be surprised if there’s a ukc article that answers my questions about this and apologises for not finding it . A link would be nice if there is . I’ve done it winter a couple of times but the last one was over 20 years ago . I’ve not done it summer . Both times I was doing a fair bit of winter climbing and we soloed the whole way . I want to do it in summer and  would like as much beta about the route and logistics as I can get . It likely to be one car  . I remember hitching in the dark to get the car  while my so called friends got settled in to the clachaig . 

Ways I've done this -

Do the ridge in reverse is probably the best way to get back to the start. Double the scrambling for your money.

Return eastwards from Sgorr nam Fiannaidh and follow roughly the burn down to the big lay-by on the a82(not particularly pleasant). Theres a wee path on the other side of the road (or hitch)

Carry on and do the pap and then drop down to the road and walk to Glencoe village where your lift awaits.

When I was in the glen the other week the usual wee parking area looked awfully busy from I assume folk not wanting to pay to park in the refurbished 3 sisters parking. 

To be honest you can just leave the car at the Clachaig and walk up the glen to do it east to west which is the only direction I've done it in (done in winter and summer). I don't remember any big deal in summer compared to winter. The descent from Am Bodach was a bit tricky and if you follow the crest assiduously then the section after over some pinnacles is as tricky as you want it to be, as usual the descents are more unnerving than the ascents. I remember some could be avoided but not all. It was damp and claggy when I did it and almost unbelievably we made a navigational error on it! Setting off back the way we'd just come about halfway along after a long rest.

Use of a rope is not for me to advise, it's a grade 2/3 scramble but I personally did not find it hard for this grade.

Done it several times in all conditions summer and winter. Most interesting was climbing Clachaig Gully first and then along the ridge. Strongly recomend this combination, especially if you pass folks coming the opposite direction along the ridge, who get worried when they see you carrying a rope, and imagine that you have hit difficulties and are reversing your steps. Great fun.

John

In days of olde I've dropped off a couple bikes and locked them together behind or near Jimmy's house. These day I wouldn't recommend it, as somebody would likely throw the whole bundle in a van, and or carries a battery power angle grinder.

If you don't care about getting the Munros then starting at the top end and just reversing the ridge to get back to the car seems like the smart plan. Twice as much scrambling, a couple of hundred metres less descent and no faff with logistics.

Please, never, ever refer to All na Reigh as Jimmy's house. 

Exactly my thoughts. 

Well it was but isn't now, we can't deny the facts and pretend bad things didn't happen. For what it's worth I don't know why it hasn't been levelled, ever bit of rubble removed, or just a ring of foundation stone left as a reminder not to trust people who appear too good to be true in future. 

Whatever. Let’s not derail the thread, the last one on this subject was unedifying.

Park at the finish.

Taxi, hitch or bus to the start.

Possible variations of all party or just one driver in taxi etc . 

Agree with that but traverse down to the low col before the Pap, and not directly down to the pub.

I thought that this would be a great way to approach the A.E. but got concerned by how long it would take to climb Clahaig Gully, its got a 'characterful" history in the logbook. Good to hear that it is possible 

I've done it a few times with one car east to west, the first time I was bagging the Munros and descended to the big layby south east of the second Munro - steep scree and vegetation so not much fun. Since then I've just reversed all the scrambling and descended the decent path on Am Bodach, The scrambling ends at the pinnacles before Stob Coire Leith so you can turn around there if you don't fancy slogging up the next 2 tops.

Make a day of it, leave your transport somewhere east of the Clachaig, AE W-E, down to that cottage, across to B Fhada, on to Sgreamhach, Bidean, an t-Sron, down to the road. And yes, I've done it.

It's Hamish's house to me.

Both times I've done it we went from East to West and parked at the start. Both times we had a pint in the Clachaig and then planned to hitch a lift back up the valley. Both times we gave up and walked back along the road and on the lower track back to the car. It was a bit of a slog on tired legs but I don't remember it dampening an otherwise excellent day. 

Park up….come down the easy way not clachaig gully…have a pint and ask around in the pub to see who’s driving back up the glen….never had a problem getting a lift back up!

I think it might just be  a tad easier going West to East = its a bit of a plod up hill from the Clachaig, but the short scrambles on the ridge are, if I remember, slightly easier that way, but best of all and only a couple have mentioned it.   

You will not be following the crowds waiting for endless people belaying or taking too long on the 'difficult', step/s etc.,

This. It’s the way I’ve always done it and it’s not exactly a long walk up the valley.

On a nice quiet day bumping into folk coming in the opposite direction on the narrow sections isn't a problem. Normally it's an opportunity for a wee blether before going your separate ways. On a normal busy summers day, going west to east would be a problem. You wouldn't be following the crowds, you'd be meeting every one of them head on. A bit like driving up a one way street the wrong way. Not my idea of fun. 

You might be right.   Last time I did it the Clachaig Inn was a place where climbers went to have a drink in their outdoor kit.   

It’s just a house. It was Hamish’s house before Saville and there was a lot of good done from that house for the climbing community back in the day; also there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of wrongdoing within its walls. Never got the thing about knocking it down, for that matter I’ve just watched a “true crime” thing on telly featuring extended sound bites from a lady who had lived in a house for years unaware that the previous owners, an elderly couple, had been shot and buried in the garden. She’d responded by planting a flowering shrub of some sort in remembrance. Didn’t seem to be bothering her what had happened in the past.

But no, “Jimmy’s house” is just wrong.

Did she get the couple out before putting the shrub in?

The polis knocked on her door and asked if they could look for bodies. As you do….

Will always be Hamish's House to me.