Eastern Mamores
Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:05 pm
With a smashing weekend of weather ahead I headed up to Kinlochleven early and was parked at Mamore lodge and away walking for half -six , enjoying the beautifully warm and hazy morning . The landrover track and stalkers path made for good going as far as Coire an Lochain , with lovely views south to Glencoe . Rounding a corner into the coire I had to detour around a large landslide which blocked the path . Looking up I could make out where a cornice had collapsed and started the mud/rock/snow slide , glad I wasn't passing when it happened !
First hill of the day was Sgurr Eilde Mor , ascending the south ridge on scree and through small crags, the views from the summit were a treat .
I left the summit by the NW ridge , steep and loose scree making for a rapid and exciting descent ,made even more exciting by the noise of a large boulder crashing and cracking its way down the path of the landslide
Again the stalkers path made the walk up towards Binnein Beag a pleasure , a lovely looking wee hill, the ascent of which is very similar to Sgurr Eilde Mor . After a bite to eat I had a good look over to Binnein Mor before heading down a small gully SW from the summit , obviously a well used route but on pretty steep and loose scree, going back down the S ridge might have been better . I traversed across the level col to reach the two small lochans which sit between the N and the NE ridges of Binnein Mor .
From the lochans an easy grassy slope leads up to join the N ridge which curves up towards the summit.
The summit of Binnein Mor is a magic place , narrow and airy , with amazing views all round , the ridge leading on to Na Gruagaichean beckoning . All the hard work of the day is worth it for this ridge walk alone , beautiful.
From the summit of Na Gruagaichean I headed NW to the second top , I had read in a geology book that on this short section you pass from quartzite to granite to schist , interesting , but also steep and very slippy on the granite gravel .
From the NW top there are fine views to the Ring of Steall , with Am Bodach looking grand . From the top I descended to the bealach above Coire na Ba ,from there a path winds down into the valley to rejoin the track back to the lodge .
And off to The Clachaig for tea