After an awful lot of uphillness I hit the summit at 14:00, did the whole lunch thing and ambled about a bit before pointing myself towards Stob Binnein. Although not quite as easy as it looks from Ben More, the ascent of Stob Binnein is straightforward enough and I was on it's summit by 15:00. I spent half an hour doodling around and walked along the path of the Munro top, Stob Coire an Lochain. After a rather grey Ben More ascent, the weather had started to clear up and there was far more sunshine around, with enough cloud to create interesting shadows on the surrounding mountains. I could still see pockets of rain milling about in the distance, mugging various hills - Ben Lawers took quite a beating at one point I noticed.
The descent from the Bealach is particularly boggy for the first part but soon cleared up and I made good progress to the newly extended access track at the West of Ben More's base. Much to my surprise I found myself back at the car 5 hours 15 minutes after I'd started. I say surprise as the walkhighlands guide put the walk at 7-8 hours, which would normally mean I'd get back to the car after 7.5 hours. I had to double check the track logger on my GPS just to make sure I'd actually done the right hills and not inadvertently walked round my garden or something. Yup, they were the right hills, I'd done the right route, complete with the little back track at the start plus the little extended bit along Stob Coire an Lochain. So it was with much smugness I headed East and was back home in time for dinner.
A few piccies:
It was a little grey on the way up, although the passing nimbostratus clouds de-saturated the immediate area making it quite atmospheric in a slightly miserable sort of way.
What is it with you youngsters that you have to do everything at break neck speed and compete with everyone at the same time - whatever happened to taking things slower and enjoying them all the more ? 
