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The Bynack bypass to Cairn Gorm

How do you pronounce the 'Bynack' from Bynack More?

Bye-nack
6
55%
Bin-ack
3
27%
Other
2
18%
 
Total votes : 11

The Bynack bypass to Cairn Gorm


Postby scottnairn » Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:36 pm

Munros included on this walk: Bynack More, Cairn Gorm

Date walked: 02/05/2017

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Munros #10+ #11 - Bynack More and Cairn Gorm

This was another great day out, and was a return to more local peaks having spent a lot of time in the North West. Winter 2016/2017 had rolled past and the hills were calling again. Snow wouldn't have bothered my companion, Eugene M, in the slightest as he held a lift pass for Cairngorm for many years (before the mountain fell into disarray for snow sports). More for my sake, the weather was looking excellent, snow would be at a minimum and many hills days were penned in to the diary on that premise.

I have a vague memory of parking and initial way-finding past Glenmore and towards the Green Lochan both being confused affairs on my part, but then there are many ways to get where you want to go in that vicinity. Soon enough, we hit the trail in good clear sunshine.
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Heading through the woods towards the hills

Before long, through exceptional woodland and in good spirits, we reached An Lochain Uaine - The Green Lochan - and settled in for photos and a spot of brunch. As anyone and everyone who has passed through here knows, the scene is a tranquil, beautiful one; until the ducks prove their determination to relieve you of whatever food you have. I didn't realise there was a toll to be paid!!!
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The Green Lochan

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Getting inverted ;) for a unique spin on the classic scene

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Brunch taken well out of reach

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Adorable marauders!!!

Having frantically paced the length of the lochan and taken many photos, it was high-time we headed upward. A quick discussion with two guys who had been up and come back down established that conditions were favourable, and there was a division between them as to the correct pronounciation of 'Bynack'... This has been a point of contention between my friends and I ever since, so please cast your opinion in the poll! :lol: :roll:



The track gives easy going and once branched off from the Ryvoan trail, it ascends but maintains a well-established route. No awkward boulder-hopping or slippery bog grass! And the sun blazing down; bliss!
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Leaving the greenery behind

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Choices for long-distance days

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Ryvoan bothy in open country

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Peaks in the deeper Cairngorms reaches

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Good photographers lie down to get the shot lol

Walls appeared as we rose towards Bynack More, Strath Nethy hidden out of sight but inevitably boxed in by the landscape. Glimpses over the mountains of Glen Avon were beyond my recognition but certainly impressed as they rose and fell as we made good progress. Some fell-running photos were delightfully staged - had I not been there, Eugene may have run the route, yet I wouldn't have been able to capture the sporting essence otherwise! So we made the most of it 8)
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Looking west on the ascent of Bynack More

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Full steam ahead for the summit

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Gratuitous 'on a podium rock' selfie

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Nearing the summit

In what was likely a good few hours, the morning had flown by and we were atop Bynack More. Snow was spread thin but some decent patches remained and the temperature, with the fair breeze, did leave its mark. A quick visit to the Barns - the large granite tors - was always on the cards before departing towards Cairn Gorm.
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View from the summit

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Barns of Bynack

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Herding the ptarmigan

Our route descended towards Loch Avon, nestled in between the target, Cairn Gorm, and a very appealing prospect in Beinn Mheadhoin. At the time of writing, I still haven't been back to claim its summit - perhaps 2021 will see that change. Corralling ptarmigan by an ice-fed burn, the views were getting better all the time, if the terrain was on the other hand, deterioriating. We picked haphazardly in the general direction, amused by photoshoots, iced over lochans and discussions of music. Perhaps we drifted too far south, but it made no odds.
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Looking back at Bynack More

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Loch Avon / A'an

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Idyllic thawing lochan

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Technical stage - or should that be 'staged'

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A great scene as Loch Avon and the dark side of Cairngorm awaits

With the views spectacular, it was time to do some actual hard work. I opted for this route as I refused to bag Cairn Gorm with stairs or by parking at the ski centre and getting the funicular up to near the top. We grabbed onto tussocks of grass and powered through smatterings of snow as we headed north up the back of Cairn Gorm, breaking a sweat and cursing this sudden end to fun and games!
I elected to put the camera away and must have not seen anything worthy at the top. It was covered in snow, and I guess my expectation was accurate; a fairly messy place, with broken glass not far from the forecasting station. Eugene and I had a good time running down the snowy stairwells between the top and the Mountain shop - not my forte but I survived unscathed!!
For the novelty, we took the Funicular down the hillside (a new experience for me) and arrived to find we had just missed a bus down the hill. Cue an extension to our walking day... The bus went up and passed us on its way out again, about 20 yards from my car :crazy: :roll:

Overall, excellent weather, company, views, photos and the perfect start to a week's holiday. I went back home then to Inverness for 6-a-side football - would you believe we actually won our game and I lasted 40 minutes running?! Feeling a touch invincible would come in handy, as this was only the start of an impossibly good week for the hills!!



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Route is estimated, largely from memory
Attachments
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Looking down before going up!
User avatar
scottnairn
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 55
Munros:123   Corbetts:42
Fionas:17   
Sub 2000:14   Hewitts:1
Wainwrights:1   Islands:3
Joined: Jun 25, 2015
Location: Nurn

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