White Coomb Route Information

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White Coomb

Quick Facts

This is the summed total of all the climbing within a route and is a good indicator of the strenuousness of a route.

Total Ascent

750 m

An estimate of the time taken based on a derivation of Naismiths rules. Our calculation is based on the horizontal and ascent components of a climb, we do not make a reduction for descent.

Registered users can customise these walking times by specifying their own walking and ascending speeds. They can also add a fixed time period for stoppages.

Route Time

3.5 hrs

The horizontal distance of the route.

Route Distance

8.69 km

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required

79	Hawick & Eskdale, Langholm

Only £6.29 (£13.49 Laminated) from

A brief summary of this route.

Our summary will always contain one of easy, moderate or hard to indicate the severity of the route.

Notes

A moderate route to White Coomb with terrain steep and rocky in places. Also, route takes you close to crags.

Here we provide the nearest town to the start of the route where you will find basic services.

We then give directions from that location to the route start. Your approach route may differ.

Travel Information

Head to: Moffat

Travel on A708 road from Moffat to Selkirk and stop at the carpark for the Grey Mare's Tail Waterfall

Route Waypoint Map

The total ascent is 750 metres. Allow 3.5 hours to complete this 8.69 km route.

In winter months please check the local snow conditions at sais.gov.uk.

The hillphones service can inform you of stalking activities in the area.

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass.

The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers.

Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

Route Information

Waypoint Detail

	Start from carpark for the Grey Mare's Tail Waterfall
		NT18671450	Distance	Altitude 230 m

1	Head NW on path past the waterfall
		NT18061518	Distance 0.92 km	Altitude 460 m

2	Continue NW on path to Loch Skeen
		NT17451595	Distance 1.02 km	Altitude 512 m

3	Bear W along South shore of Loch
		NT17251592	Distance 0.20 km	Altitude 515 m

4	Ascend NW to top of steep narrow ridge
		NT16261654	Distance 1.26 km	Altitude 700 m

5	Head SW to the broad flat summit of Donald's Cleuch Head
		NT15381604	Distance 1.08 km	Altitude 775 m

6	Continue S on broad ridge to Firthope Rig
		NT15331538	Distance 0.67 km	Altitude 801 m

7	Bear E turning ESE to the summit of White Coomb
		NT16341509	Distance 1.08 km	Altitude 822 m

8	Select route with care SE through crags to forest edge
		NT16861482	Distance 0.67 km	Altitude 545 m

9	Head E to Upper Tarnberry (546m)
		NT17651495	Distance 0.84 km	Altitude 546 m

10	Descend ENE to join ascent path
		NT18061518	Distance 0.48 km	Altitude 460 m

11	Follow path SE to car park
		NT18671450	Distance 0.46 km	Altitude 230 m

A selection of weather forecasts local to this route.

Weather

Southern Uplands
by MWIS (PDF format)

Lake District
by Met Office

Cheviots
by Metcheck

Images of White Coomb

Loch Skene and Lochcraig Head from White Coomb

Image by Dave Wilson

Wild Goats at the Grey Mares Tail Waterfall. You will probably smell them before you see them!

Image by Gareth Pratt

White Coomb: 10th March 2014

Image by Oliver Bartrum

White Coomb seen from near the top of Watch Knowe. The wall just about visible near the centre of the photo is the usual line of ascent and follows a clear path.

Image by Roger Green

Route Area Map

Legend

Munro

Corbett

Graham

English/Welsh Top

Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

Where to Stay

We currently have no
sponsored accommodation listings for this area.

Rating & Reviews

Rating & Reviews

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Written by Mike Watson on 22 Feb 2009:

Good views on the way up and also over the loch. Done in the opposite direction which makes the crags at step 8 much simpler to navigate (virtually straight east from the summit). Possible to cross the burn just after the top of the waterfall where the land flattens out.

Disclaimer. The details provided above are an aid to planning an expedition, but all distances, altitudes and bearings must be considered approximate. You must navigate with the appropriate map, a compass, your navigation skills and common sense, MunroMagic.com accept no responsibility for your interpretation of our route information.

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