It was 6:35am as we drove into the camp site at Glen Brittle on Monday 11th May 2009. There were a surprising number of people up and about but then there was a clear blue sky with good weather forecast. We quickly put our boots on, hoisted our rucksacks onto our backs, said our good byes and were away. As we walked through the gate out onto the path we passed a 'group of five' who appeared to be about to leave. We had now trodden the path towards Coire a Ghrunnda many times before. For the first couple of miles it climbs gradually and, since we were not carrying any water at this stage, our sacks were relatively light and it was easy going. Looking back we saw the 'group of five' following us about half a mile behind but looking as though they might catch us. We forked left taking the higher path which we knew to be the best approach eventually reaching the 'corner' which leads up into the Coire. We stopped briefly here and took some video. The 'group of five' were no longer in view and we surmised they may have followed the lower path. From here on the path rises much more steeply and it becomes a scramble over large boulders in some places. We still made good progress and at 8:50am we reached the Lochan. Here we stopped to fill up with around 3.5 litres of water each and quenched our thirst with a large mug of orange juice mixed with water and our hunger with a chocolate bar. Twenty minutes later we set off again just as a single walker appeared up into the Coire. We skirted round the Lochan and as we climbed the last up 100m up to the ridge the extra load in our rucksacks was noticeable. We looked back to see that the single walker had been joined by the remainder of the 'group of five'. We also saw someone perched above what we took to be the TD gap. At 9:35am we arrived at the bealach and it was a relief to remove our rucksacks and leave them there taking only ½ litre of water and a first aid kit to continue our walk out to Gars-bheinn. On our first attempt of the ridge (2005) we had skirted around Nan Eag but concluded that this took just as long and was more difficult than the climb to its summit which we reached at 10:05am. As we descended Sgurr a Choire Bhig we saw two walkers , coming in our direction, slowly descending from Gars-bheinn. When we met them we discovered that they had set off from the Loch Coruisk side the day before and spent the night on the summit of Gars-bheinn. They were hoping to traverse the complete ridge during the next two days and as a consequence were carrying heavy loads. They were wearing their harnesses and climbing gear to try to reduce the weight in their packs. Suddenly we were at the summit of Gars-bheinn. So suddenly that I actually walked past it and had to back track for 5 metres or so. It was a minute before 11:00am and we were now at the start of the ridge traverse.