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I haven't been out for a wee while and whilst trawling through the forum I remembered Gammy Leg Walkers report on the Eastern Mamores, so my decision was to try and clock Binnein Mor and Binnein Beag. MWIS forecast looked foul, but I took that with a large pinch of salt and checked the BBC, that looked very favourable, so up early(0530) Wednesday morning and on the road to Kinlochleven. Hoped to get there and on my way fairly early, that was soon thwarted by the ridiculous traffic all the way to Tyndrum.
The morning weather was fantastic and the view as I drove across Rannoch Moor was magical and just got better as I drove on towards Glencoe.
I got parked up at the church in Kinlochleven, booted up and then my day went down hill from there.
My route was to head for Sgor Eilde Beag, climbing the south side and carry on up the ridge to Binnein Mor and drop down past the wee lochan between the two Binnein's and head up Binnein Beag, drop back down to the lochan and walk back out
Schoolboy error #1, I had printed off my maps from above the tree line thinking I had nothing better to do than walk uphill( no ****!) and pick up my bearing for the landrover track. I'm sure none of you will be so dumb, but from the church carpark the path isn't so well signposted with numerous little nature trails crisscrossing all over the place. The path up the side of the church Is signposted Loch Eilde to the right, ignore that and go left following the path up and around past some benchs and you come to a little ford on your left, cross that and your on a good path up the hill.
Not sure if this is classed as schoolboy error #2, but I felt as if I was carrying a kitchen sink up that first climb, and for the rest of the day and for whatever reason could not get my bahookie in gear. I was enjoying the views, the weather was great, but could I get moving - no way, it seemed I was stopping every couple of hundred metres. After what seemed like ages I cleared the treeline and made the landrover track and cut away to the right ( #3), backtracked and picked up the path heading for the climb upto Sgor Eilde Beag. Still dragging my backside I made the bealach and the approach to Coire an lochan. I had farted about so much in the morning and still couldn't get my s&*t together. It was either up SEB and along to Binnein Mor or cross over past the lochan and attempt Sgurr Eilde Mor.
Don't ask me why but I decided to go for Sgurr Eilde Mor, which at first seemed fine but then the MWIS forecast of high winds kicked in, nearly blowing me off my feet as I made my way up,first the grassy slopes then over the rocks, eventually making the summit about 1430, a ridiculous amount of time. At this point it was still warm, with great visibilty but the wind was getting a bit of a concern on the western slopes.
As I looked across to Binnein Mor/ Binnein Beag and beyond I thought if that view doesn't get me motivated, nothing will. I sat awhile and soaked up the view towards Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries to my right, what a panarama. I sat there so long I actually made myself a nice little seat with a back rest.
Looking across to towards Binnein Mor/ Binnein Beag I knew today that I had no chance of topping them, so lethargically I made my way NW down the scree towards the lochan and literally crawled back down towards the landrover track and the walk back to my car, even that took ages and eventually I got back, a quick change and a little jaunt around to the Clachaig Inn to check it out.
Sitting in the bar with a cracking pint of Loch Leven and waiting on my beef and bean Burrito, I realised for all my tribulations I had enjoyed my day and would have been gutted if I had jacked it in earlier. So well fed and watered, I set off down the road, strangely satisfied.
I guess all walks can't be wonderful and it isn't always the weather conditions that put a downer on things, so just try and keep your chin up and take the positives out of the experience.
a quick PS, at the start of my walk I got talking to a guy out for a hill run, he told me he was recovering from a bout of Lymes disease, which he got from a tick in 2004, I wasn't aware the effect of a tick bite could be so daunting, or prolonged, as he had been seriously laid low and was only now getting back to full fitness, a sobering thought.