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A week off work and the plans were made to drive to kinlochleven on tuesday,visit the mamores then meet up with mates who were walking the west highland way.Set off early and got to mamore lodge hotel at about quarter to 8
- mamore lodge now closed down
The weather could not have been better and i was getting some great views
Was soon up to the lochan where i got a look at my first target sgurr eilde mor
- binnein beag in the background
Began the climb up and was at the top in about 2hours10 mins where the views were spectacular
- ben nevis
- summit cairn on sgurr eilde mor
- looking down to coire an lochan
From here the plan was to carry on to binnein beag but on getting down to the lochan i decided to take it easy and stroll back to the lodge leaving binnien beag for another day .Got down to kinlochleven and met the lads as they came in on there trek from bridge of orchy about 4 o clock.Wednesday and we set of on the west highlad way to fort william about half 8,it was another cracking day
- David(deep sea)Paterson
- me above loch leven
- west highland 8
It was when we got our first views of ben nevis that the bold ryan and i decide we would tackle the ben on thursday ,so we hunted for digs in fort william and started climbing the ben at about half ten thursday morning
- ryan at half way lochan,ben nevis
It was here that the big decision was made,we would take on the cmd route rather than the tourist track as was originally planned
- up to the cic hut
Got up to the hut and started the steep and punishing climb to carn mor dearg(there must be an easier way than this)
- ryan running on empty
Great relief when we reached the top
- carn mor dearg summit
Then it was off along the arete which was tough but the views over to the north face of the ben were superb
- on the arete
- absail posts
It was a long clamber to the top of ben nevis but we really enjoyed ,without a doubt the best way to do nevis and we were well pleased when we eventually reached the topWe didn't hang around to long as we knew it would be a long slog back down to the car and as we headed back down we meet people about half way still going up ,this was about 7 in the evening ,hope they had torchesIt was a great day ,ryan was finding it tough on the way down and his knees were giving him grief ,but it was a superb effort by the lad to have tackled this on the day after completing the way .All in all the best walk we have ever done ,so glad we never went the tourist route and in the end it had taken us ten hours in total and we celebrated in mcdonalds,fort william with burgers and milkshakes before heading home
