Family expedition to the eastern mamores
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:24 pmIt's a couple of weeks since we did this expedition on our way to Granny's house in Islay for our summer hols, but I forgot the cable for my camera so couldn't get any pictures off it till I got home.
This was a family get together involving me, Rudolph, Coldwetandhungry, our number 2 son (age 19) and my wee sis whose username on here is Shish. We drove up to Shish's house in the Borders and stayed overnight on friday night; with a leisurely start and a good breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning it was 11am before we were away.
The traffic was pretty awful up through Perthshire and pretty much nose to tail from Doune to Callander which took us an hour. Of course we had planned a stop in the Real Food cafe for lunch and so it was 5pm before we reached the car park at Kinlochleven ready to head for the hills, and it was still hot hot hot.
We had read that various people had struggled to find the correct path out of Kinlochleven and we were no exception! at one point we found ourselves walking in a Southerly direction (following Rudolph - I assumed he knows the way to everywhere, it's his job isn't it?)
Anyway we found ourselves on a path through high bracken which soon petered out and we could see we were not too far from the path we wanted but with a deep gorge in the way. It was slow and hot going with very little usable water although through beautiful meadow with lovely wildflowers and clegs galore!
Eventually we found ourselves at the top of the gorge and able to regain the correct path, after which going was better, and the views south to the Glencoe hills were smashing.
With plenty of stops for rest and splashing ourselves with water we eventually rounded the corner in to Coire an Lochan to look for a camp spot.
You would think from the map that there would be good spots to camp at the south side of the loch, but in fact this area is very lumpy with moraines and rough boulders. However there is plenty of nice flat ground north of the lochans and we camped at about NN224657 with a boys' tent and a girls' tent.
We were pretty tired by the time we camped and not really revived by tea so we went to bed slightly concerned that we would not be able to manage four munros the next day and making contingency plans for a shorter walk. However, a good rest and sleep sorted that out and the next morning the heat was not so desperate. We were ready to go for the four with possible escape routes.
It's amazing how much longer it takes to get five people ready than it does two. But anyway we got away from our campsite about 9am following the good stalkers path down into the head of coire a'bhinnein and up to the bealach between the two binneins. Along here we spotted a golden eagle but I'm afraid my camera is not up to taking pictures of such things.
After a top up of the wet buffs in the outflow of the wee lochan it is pretty much straight up Binnein Beag on a steep though reasonable path. It was gorgeous at the top and we had our first lunch here, spending a good bit of time on the top drinking in the views and identifying the surrounding hills.
Next stop the big one, and the consensus of opinion was that we did not want to go the scrambly way, but preferred the easier route by the north ridge. So we pretty much "did a direct" up to the ridge with no real difficulties although the grassy slope was very steep just before we hit the ridge.
After this it was a wonderful open ridge to the summit, which is quite small.
We didn't hang around so long here, but we all felt we were up for the third Munro, Na Gruagaichean. No problem at all with route finding to this one, but the ridge towards the top has some slightly airy bits where there was a stiff breeze making it a little nerve-wracking for some.
There is an old stalkers path which bypasses the 1062m top to the south and is in sound condition although it would appear to be not much used. It took us right back to the top of the path down to our tents.
After a swim in the small lochan and a cup of tea, the boys and I decided to whizz up and down Sgurr Eilde Mor while shish and cwh had a rest as they did not fancy the loose scree. so that is what we did. It was actually quite difficult in places if you like your feet on Terra Firma, but we made it to the top and back in a little over an hour.
Back at camp we couldnt decide which blow-up meals we each wanted so we just made four and passed them around in a circle, followed by puddings of custard and fruit. Anything would have tasted delicious, it was a beautiful evening and plenty of breeze now to keep the midges at bay.
In the morning we wended our way back down to Kinlochleven, this time there was no trouble at all finding the correct track and after some co-op sandwiches and a lovely drive through Argyll we arrived at Kennacraig for the Islay ferry with an hour to spare. On the way down we met lots of people - DofE groups and people out for walks, in sharp contrast to the very few people we had met on the hills on Sunday - none to talk to and only a couple to wave at from a distance.
So I have now done 111 Munros by the day before my 50th birthday - at this rate I will compleat when I am just 127, you are all invited to the party! I took 189 pictures on this trip, so hard to choose!
This was a family get together involving me, Rudolph, Coldwetandhungry, our number 2 son (age 19) and my wee sis whose username on here is Shish. We drove up to Shish's house in the Borders and stayed overnight on friday night; with a leisurely start and a good breakfast of bacon and eggs in the morning it was 11am before we were away.
The traffic was pretty awful up through Perthshire and pretty much nose to tail from Doune to Callander which took us an hour. Of course we had planned a stop in the Real Food cafe for lunch and so it was 5pm before we reached the car park at Kinlochleven ready to head for the hills, and it was still hot hot hot.
We had read that various people had struggled to find the correct path out of Kinlochleven and we were no exception! at one point we found ourselves walking in a Southerly direction (following Rudolph - I assumed he knows the way to everywhere, it's his job isn't it?)
- the Classic Shot down loch Leven after about an hour of struggling through bracken on a steep slope
Anyway we found ourselves on a path through high bracken which soon petered out and we could see we were not too far from the path we wanted but with a deep gorge in the way. It was slow and hot going with very little usable water although through beautiful meadow with lovely wildflowers and clegs galore!
- meadow and number 2 son
- cotton grass and bog asphodel and a view into coire na ba.
Eventually we found ourselves at the top of the gorge and able to regain the correct path, after which going was better, and the views south to the Glencoe hills were smashing.
- Maybe we should change her username from coldwetandhungry to hotandbothered
- evening sun on the big bookle
- CWH eating a flapjack with part of the Aonach Eagach and the Pap of Glencoe just visible in the haze
With plenty of stops for rest and splashing ourselves with water we eventually rounded the corner in to Coire an Lochan to look for a camp spot.
- tranquillity
You would think from the map that there would be good spots to camp at the south side of the loch, but in fact this area is very lumpy with moraines and rough boulders. However there is plenty of nice flat ground north of the lochans and we camped at about NN224657 with a boys' tent and a girls' tent.
- sunset from camp, behind Binnein Beag and the Nevis range behind
We were pretty tired by the time we camped and not really revived by tea so we went to bed slightly concerned that we would not be able to manage four munros the next day and making contingency plans for a shorter walk. However, a good rest and sleep sorted that out and the next morning the heat was not so desperate. We were ready to go for the four with possible escape routes.
It's amazing how much longer it takes to get five people ready than it does two. But anyway we got away from our campsite about 9am following the good stalkers path down into the head of coire a'bhinnein and up to the bealach between the two binneins. Along here we spotted a golden eagle but I'm afraid my camera is not up to taking pictures of such things.
- some interesting rock strata on the side of binnein mor
- the wee lochan between the binneins, with ben Nevis peeping out
- looking back the way we came, it is just possible to make out our tents in front of the lochan, a red one and a green one
After a top up of the wet buffs in the outflow of the wee lochan it is pretty much straight up Binnein Beag on a steep though reasonable path. It was gorgeous at the top and we had our first lunch here, spending a good bit of time on the top drinking in the views and identifying the surrounding hills.
- classic shot of Binnein Mor from Binnein Beag
- Glen Nevis, Ben Nevis, CMD arete and that
- summit shot with self timer
- classy shot of ben nevis through some bits of grass
Next stop the big one, and the consensus of opinion was that we did not want to go the scrambly way, but preferred the easier route by the north ridge. So we pretty much "did a direct" up to the ridge with no real difficulties although the grassy slope was very steep just before we hit the ridge.
- another attempt at a classy shot of grey corries and grass, this time from about NN 214669
- a big granite block in the corrie at 213668 made a great place to sit and identify the hills and have a bit of something to eat and drink
After this it was a wonderful open ridge to the summit, which is quite small.
- from this point on the north ridge of Binnein Mor, its wee brother looks quite small. But lovely view over to the Easans, Stob Ban and grey corries
- Sgurr Eilde Mor on the left, beag on the right, our tents in between, behind is Blackwater Reservoir and in front is the scrambly Sron a' Gharbh-Choire, which we avoided.
- Top of Binnein Mor looking south
We didn't hang around so long here, but we all felt we were up for the third Munro, Na Gruagaichean. No problem at all with route finding to this one, but the ridge towards the top has some slightly airy bits where there was a stiff breeze making it a little nerve-wracking for some.
- ooh gorgeous ridge from Binnein Mor to Na Gruagaichean, with Aonach Eagach behind, and Bidean behind this.
- top of Na Gruagaichean, with four lovely pairs of legs. If this weather holds, I will need to invest in some shorts! Pic by Rudolph
There is an old stalkers path which bypasses the 1062m top to the south and is in sound condition although it would appear to be not much used. It took us right back to the top of the path down to our tents.
After a swim in the small lochan and a cup of tea, the boys and I decided to whizz up and down Sgurr Eilde Mor while shish and cwh had a rest as they did not fancy the loose scree. so that is what we did. It was actually quite difficult in places if you like your feet on Terra Firma, but we made it to the top and back in a little over an hour.
- ma boys on sgurr eilde mor
- the compulsory shot from Sgurr Eilde Mor down to the lochans
Back at camp we couldnt decide which blow-up meals we each wanted so we just made four and passed them around in a circle, followed by puddings of custard and fruit. Anything would have tasted delicious, it was a beautiful evening and plenty of breeze now to keep the midges at bay.
In the morning we wended our way back down to Kinlochleven, this time there was no trouble at all finding the correct track and after some co-op sandwiches and a lovely drive through Argyll we arrived at Kennacraig for the Islay ferry with an hour to spare. On the way down we met lots of people - DofE groups and people out for walks, in sharp contrast to the very few people we had met on the hills on Sunday - none to talk to and only a couple to wave at from a distance.
So I have now done 111 Munros by the day before my 50th birthday - at this rate I will compleat when I am just 127, you are all invited to the party! I took 189 pictures on this trip, so hard to choose!
Looked like a truly memorable outing with four great munros to boot!
Lucky for me Dougie still has a couple of mamores left to do, so bound to be up there sooner or later 
) - cheers
