Stormy Walk on Binnein Beag & Binnein Mor

[Angus Cunningham]

My first walk report on here - let me know your thoughts?

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After hitching a lift up Glen Nevis, I started out from the upper Glen Nevis car park with a very full rucksack, ready for a few wet and wild days walking in the easterly Mamores and Grey Corries. The calm and bright weather that morning didn't suggest the heavy wind and rain forecast for later in the day.

Steall Falls from Near the Ruin

Sgurr a' Bhuic from Steall Meadow

Crossing the footbridge on the Allt Coire Giubhsachan, I continued further up the glen until the meeting of the Allt Coire na Gabhalach and the Water of Nevis where I crossed the Water of Nevis and climbed southeast up the slopes to the flat bealach between Binnein Mor and Binnein Beag. Clouds moved in overhead, a light drizzle descended on me as I climbed the slope.

Towards An Gearanach from Low Slopes

At the top of the slope, the gusty wind was picking up a bit. To save time, I dumped my bag on one of the many quartz slabs at the bealach and made a quick ascent of Binnein Beag, on the steep scree path on the west face of the mountain. I didn't linger long in the strong, cold winds at the summit before descending the same route to the bealach again to get my bag. This was more difficult than it should have been - in the multitude of similar grey quartz slabs scattered throughout the boggy ground, I had only a vague idea of which one my rucksack was next to. 10 mins of searching the slabs and feeling daft brought me back to it.

Looking up Binnein Beag

Ben Nevis from Binnein Beag

Across to Binnein Mor, Sgor Eilde Beag & Sgurr Eilde Mor

The wind was picking up properly here and the light rain turned heavier as I made my way south to Binnein Mor. At the pair of small lochans, I climbed the steep grassy east slope of Binnein Mor's north ridge, stepping into dense cloud, stronger winds and driving rain on top, with occasional breaks in the cloud giving me views down into the valley below. Staying a good distance on the windward side of the ridge in the strong wind, I slowly climbed upwards towards the blockfield of the summit. Reaching it, I scrambled over the large chunks of rock and across the narrow ridge on the summit, aware of the strong wind and my precarious position on the mountain.

Binnein Mor Summit

Leaving the summit without stopping, I was glad to be on a wider, grassier slope leading down south to the spot height on the top at 1062m. With the windspeed increasing and managing to often knock me a few steps sideways, I decided to leave Na Gruagaichean for the next day and descend out the wind via Sgor Eilde Beag, taking the zig-zag footpath on its southeastern slope down to Coire an Lochain.

Loch Eilde Mor from Sgor Eilde Beag

Coire an Lochain

By this time it was 6pm and I decided to set up camp for the night by the water's edge in Coire an Lochain, optimistically hoping to keep my altitude, despite the strong winds on the forecast so that I could more easily climb Na Gruagaichean and Sgurr Eilde Mor the next day. The winds had died down significantly compared to what I had experienced on the tops and I thought there was a chance the gale had already blown itself out so I decided to risk it and found the most sheltered spot I could to set up my tent in, with the added benefit of excellent views back across to Binnein Beag.

Pre-Gales Camp Spot

The winds were calm enough at first as I sorted my kit inside the tent, collected some water and got my stove out. Here I found my first issue - pulling the plastic cap from the brand new gas canister I had brought with me I found it was not a screw fitting - it was some proprietary Campinggaz press-fitting and would not fit my stove in any way. Resigning myself to cold-soaked couscous in a wrap for dinner, I got in the sleeping bag, ate my disappointing meal and got a book out. The winds stayed relatively calm for a few hours but eventually, gusts of roaring gale had returned, mixed with spells of flat calm. Each gust threatened to blow my tent down. I stuck it out for as long as I could but eventually the wind convinced me to quickly pack my tent away and look for a better camp spot lower down.

The next few hours would be spent contouring the northwest side of Sgurr Eilde Mor in darkness and heavy wind and rain onto Meall Doire na h-Achlais which I descended north from into the glen again. The wind was still strong in the glen but significantly less than at my original camp spot and I found one of the few drier pieces of ground to set my tent on. Putting earplugs in the get rid of the sounds of the wind and rain lashing the tent, I did my best to get some sleep.

I woke the next morning to the most beautiful, calm weather in the glen - in complete contrast to the previous evening.

Waking up in the Glen in Flat Calm

[Verylatestarter]

Angus

Good report, straightforward to read and informative. I like to place the map at the start of the report as I'm keen in reading reports on alternate routes e.g. I did consider your route to cover the four Eastern Mamores but ended up starting from Kinlochlevin. I recall the ascent of Binnein Mor from the bealach being very steep and grassy but we went to the left side (South) of the two lochans, which i think must have been worse than your route. However, the view at the top was the same!

Thanks for your report. Best of luck with the rest.

John

[Angus Cunningham]

Thanks for the feedback John, will move the map to the top.

Yes the ridge on the left of those lochans looked pretty rough, I think the north ridge was a smoother ascent. Hoping to go back there soon and climb my last two mamores on Na Gruagaichean and Sgurr Eilde Mor.

Cheers

[gaffr]

Reading the reports on here does trigger off memories of journeys made to visit the big hills.
I had in the past tried to fit in each July a wee trip to get into the hills. For these the memories came flooding back of a trip from Fersit to three hills prior to reaching the area of Loch Ossian with later an overnight at the Staoineag bothy. On next day to several Munros in the Mamores before having a bivouac beside the Steall cottage. Over the Grey Corries and with a stay at Lairig Leacach Bothy and out over two more big hills before returning to Fersit.
The hills do become an important part of the life if that is your thing.

Now something of the oddity of living in the British Isles. At the weekend I became an Octogenarian. A few days prior to this event I received a letter from the State Pension Service stating that since becoming 80 years of age I was entitled to and extra 25P per week on my pension allowance. Big deal that you all have to look forward to having. I phoned the Pension Service to ask if this was an error and maybe it should have read perhaps £25 extra per week:
No was the reply from the person on the end of the phone line. Apparently this goes back to the days when, I was told, that the extra 25P was for pensioners to buy a bag of coal. Would 25P buy a bag of coal in Victorian days?