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After a relaxing afternoon yesterday, I'm feeling well up for Bynack More. Though having viewed it from Cairn Gorm, it didn't look especially attractive - boring even; so the reason for visiting it is really only to bag the last of the biggies in the central area.
Following a leisurely breakfast, I pack up my tent and sort out a route. The idea is to bike in up Glen More as far as the footbridge over the River Nethy, stash the bike, and then follow the path up to Bynack More. Unfortunately I once again fall victim to my favourite trick: not reading the map carefully enough. As a result of which I set off up the wrong track; which goes up Glen More, right enough, but which turns into a pretty rough forest path for the last kilometre before it meets the right track in the valley bottom at Ryvoan Pass - ups and downs, branches, roots, boulders - I don't think that even an ace mountain biker would be able to ride this. And I'm definitely not an ace mountain biker; so I end up pushing and carrying the bike for that kilometre - well, it's good exercise I guess
.
Glen More itself is superb, and An Lochan Uaine most impressive.
20210718_115104. As planned, at the footbridge I stash the bike, and continue on foot. This is the view looking SSE up Strath Nethy.
20210718_120801. A kilometre or so up the path, the view up Strath Nethy again - not bad at all, well above expectations. The path is clear and the walking very easy.
20210718_122531. Looking back east down the path.
20210718_125834. Where the path splits, BM to the left.
20210718_130609.
20210718_131136. Still a bit of a way to go, and it certainly gets steeper ahead.
20210718_132310. Yep, definitely steeper
20210718_132329. Same view in pano, Bynack Beag to the right.
20210718_134402. From a bit higher up Bynack More, the view looking just south of east towards (I think) Cnap Coire na Spreidhe behind Bynack Beag on the RHS foreground.
20210718_134418. The path gets more bouldery as I approach the summit.
20210718_135230. The view looking roughly north down the glen of the Allt a'Choire Dhulbh.
20210718_140505. Ahead: the summit!
20210718_141058. ...via a typical Cairngormy path.
20210718_141637. Summit cairn looking just west of south.
20210718_141744. View south, of Beinn a'Chaorainn and Beinn a'Chaorainn Bheag, with the Bynack Barns visible in the middle background. I don't bother visiting them because they look relatively underwhelming compared with those on Beinn Mheadhoin and Ben Avon. And I'm feeling quite lazy.
It's warm and nowhere near as windy as yesterday on Cairn Gorm; so I nestle in behind and windward of a large boulder and munch on my lunch as I savour the fine views in all directions, and doze a bit in the sun.
But eventually I bestir myself - I still have to get back to the car, and then on to Dundee, where I'm spending a couple of days with Dr Duncan (as it turns out, I could have spent another hour at least in the sun, because what was supposed to be a 12 hour shift, finishing at 8.00 pm doesn't actually finish until much later, and he doesn't get home until 10.00pm
).
20210718_145338. And so on to Bynack Beag (in the background, Stac na h-IoIaire, I think).
20210718_150157.
20210718_151107.Looking back from Bynack Beag to Bynack More.
I now drop down into Coire Dubh, and contour round to the North to join the path again, and an easy descent back to the footbridge. Although it's not shown on the OS map, there is actually an existing path for this route.
20210718_153634. A look back at and farewell to the two Bynacks - not so boring after all!
20210718_155639. And again, shortly before I get to the footbridge.
3D view of route.