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Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies


Postby Gordie12 » Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:08 pm

Munros included on this walk: Ben More, Stob Binnein

Date walked: 03/07/2015

Time taken: 4.5 hours

Distance: 12 km

Ascent: 1353m

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The forecast for today looked pretty good and as I've had Ben More in my thoughts for some time now I decided to head over to Crianlarich and take in Stob Binnein as well.

I was first to arrive at the side of the road near Benmore Farm and in flat calm overcast conditions it was great news for the local midgies who found themselves having breakfast well before 8am. Passing drivers would have seen me feverishly waving walking socks, boots and anything I could get my hands on to try and keep them at bay but I would have been better just saving my energy and letting them gorge. Presumably it was during this 5 minute performance that I managed to lose my house keys and nearly my car keys but luckily I heard them fall to the ground as I was rushing through the undergrowth to get away from the tree cover.

When I left the house at 5.30 it was blue sky and great visibility but by the time I arrived at the start it was low cloud, no breeze and a bit on the sticky side.

I prefer a few straight forward miles walking to get the legs warmed up before starting a climb, Ben More doesn't give the walker this option (at least from this side of the hill), the climb up on the track isn't too bad but it isn't long before the track is left behind and the long steep climb begins. One good thing about the low cloud, I can't see what lies ahead of me and that may be no bad thing.

The WH report states that there is little in the way of a path on the lower slopes of the hill (after leaving the track) but having left the track at a cairn shortly after an open gate (after going under the power lines) there was a path all the way to the top.

Initially the path is pretty wet and it made for a bit of a slog especially as there was no breeze at this point.

1.jpg
Looking down towards the start


2.jpg
Heading in to the clouds


3.jpg
Could the clouds be clearing


4.jpg


5.jpg


By the time I reached the point where the path meets the low stone wall the clouds were starting to clear and hopes were raised that there could be a view from the top.

6.jpg
Chap ahead of me was looking to do all 7 over 2 days


I was finding this pretty hard work and I just kept my head down and tried to keep moving rather than stopping for a break. I was helped by the path being drier on the upper slopes and after 1hr 45 mins I was surprised to have the cairn and trig point ahead of me - I hadn't checked my position for a while and just assumed I still had a long way to go. That was fairly relentless and hard going.

7.jpg
No view for me


No point in hanging about, nothing to see apart from clag so after a couple of minutes I headed off for the descent to the bealach. I knew there was a tricky bit to the descent and didn't actually realise I had cleared it until I could see down the hill and realised it was behind me.

8.jpg
Stob Binnein ahead


From the bealach the climb up Stob Binnein is fairly steep but it is bone dry and the gradient seems easier than Ben More so it was a reasonably quick climb but again there was nothing to see from the top.

9.jpg
Stob Binnein Summit


Another quick turnaround and I headed back to the bealach before dropping down into Benmore Glen. I couldn't see a path from the bealach and the going was pretty wet but once I had the burn on my right the track was obvious (if muddy).

This was the hardest part of the day for me, trying to stay upright on wet grass and mud but unusually for me I managed it. By the time I got down to the valley floor I was knackered, actually more tired than on the climb.

10.jpg
Ben More from the bealach


11.jpg
Looking back up to Stob Binnein


12.jpg
And up to Ben More


From the bottom of the descent to the point where I picked up the track things were a bit on the damp side but it didn't take long to find the track and get the boots on to firmer ground.

13.jpg
Heading for home


14.jpg


15.jpg


16.jpg
Looking up Loch Lubhair


By now the clouds had lifted and the temperature was rising quickly but all the climbing was over and I could just enjoy the good views for the last half hour back to the car.

And as is often the case, a quick look back to Ben More and it looks to be clag free, oh well, such is life.

Although there were no views today, better than being in work so can't complain.

17.jpg
Ben More now clear of clag
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Gordie12
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby dogplodder » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:31 pm

Was up there two weeks ago and was completely midge free - must have just missed them! :wink:
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Beaner001 » Mon Jul 06, 2015 11:53 am

Two superbly shaped Mountians there Gordie, they catch my eye whenever im round about Crianlarich :D
It's a fair pull up Ben More, one of my mates tore all the ligaments on his ankle coming down Stob Binneien so doesn't hold great memories for me, a good skite of drams in the Rod and Reel after which helped him numb the pain does though, the yoof hostel was very accommodating too :lol: :lol:
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Rufus Smalls » Mon Jul 06, 2015 12:53 pm

Hi Gordie, nice to meet you on Friday. I recognise myself in that picture, slogging up that awful trudge up Ben More... head down and plough on past the midgies... :lol:
Hope you had a good walk despite the clag. Coming down from the bealach was like walking down a sponge, wasn't it? It's probably not much consolation but the views were fantastic from the other peaks later on in the day - I managed all 7 in one epic day (mostly) in the sun
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Gordie12 » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:45 pm

dogplodder wrote:Was up there two weeks ago and was completely midge free - must have just missed them! :wink:


Perfect conditions for them dogplodder, I'm sure they will find you somewhere :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Gordie12 » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:49 pm

Beaner001 wrote:Two superbly shaped Mountians there Gordie, they catch my eye whenever im round about Crianlarich :D
It's a fair pull up Ben More, one of my mates tore all the ligaments on his ankle coming down Stob Binneien so doesn't hold great memories for me, a good skite of drams in the Rod and Reel after which helped him numb the pain does though, the yoof hostel was very accommodating too :lol: :lol:


Mentally, the low cloud might have helped me with Ben More as I could only ever see a few yards ahead so never really appreciated how much of a slog it actually was.

That injury sounds nasty, take it it was a very slow descent after that.
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Gordie12 » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:55 pm

Rufus Smalls wrote:Hi Gordie, nice to meet you on Friday. I recognise myself in that picture, slogging up that awful trudge up Ben More... head down and plough on past the midgies... :lol:
Hope you had a good walk despite the clag. Coming down from the bealach was like walking down a sponge, wasn't it? It's probably not much consolation but the views were fantastic from the other peaks later on in the day - I managed all 7 in one epic day (mostly) in the sun


Hi Rufus Smalls - glad you got all 7 done on the day, the weather would have been rubbish on the Saturday - how long did it take you?

I found the drop down from the bealach really hard going, harder than the climb up Ben More. I saw you behind me and then noticed you starting to contour round the hill heading for No 3.

Looking to head back this Friday and do Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean (from the far end of Loch Voil) and that will leave the other three for another day - wish I had your fitness - it would save me a fortune in diesel!!!!
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Silverhill » Mon Jul 06, 2015 10:30 pm

You didn’t do too badly on the views front I’d say. It’s good to at least see part of them! :wink:
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Rufus Smalls » Mon Jul 06, 2015 11:25 pm

Gordie12 wrote:
Hi Rufus Smalls - glad you got all 7 done on the day, the weather would have been rubbish on the Saturday - how long did it take you?

I found the drop down from the bealach really hard going, harder than the climb up Ben More. I saw you behind me and then noticed you starting to contour round the hill heading for No 3.

Looking to head back this Friday and do Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean (from the far end of Loch Voil) and that will leave the other three for another day - wish I had your fitness - it would save me a fortune in diesel!!!!



About 14/15 hours in total, including walking in, climbing, walking out and a few breaks.... and some navigation 'issues' after Stob Binnein :lol: On the last summit at 8.15pm and then a mad run through the bog down to Inverarnan in search of drinks - 3.5 litres of water really wasn't enough in the sun.

Going between the hills is really tough, dropping down from the bealachs and then up again to the next one was similarly hard going each time. The pull up to the last one (Beinn Chabhar) in particular is a really rough climb... hands on the grass and pull yourself up :lol: it's a nasty little hill
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Gordie12 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:19 pm

Silverhill wrote:You didn’t do too badly on the views front I’d say. It’s good to at least see part of them! :wink:


Obviously a glass half full sort of person Silverhill :lol:
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Re: Ben More, Stob Binneien, Clag and Midgies

Postby Gordie12 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:24 pm

Rufus Smalls wrote:
Gordie12 wrote:
Hi Rufus Smalls - glad you got all 7 done on the day, the weather would have been rubbish on the Saturday - how long did it take you?

I found the drop down from the bealach really hard going, harder than the climb up Ben More. I saw you behind me and then noticed you starting to contour round the hill heading for No 3.

Looking to head back this Friday and do Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean (from the far end of Loch Voil) and that will leave the other three for another day - wish I had your fitness - it would save me a fortune in diesel!!!!



About 14/15 hours in total, including walking in, climbing, walking out and a few breaks.... and some navigation 'issues' after Stob Binnein :lol: On the last summit at 8.15pm and then a mad run through the bog down to Inverarnan in search of drinks - 3.5 litres of water really wasn't enough in the sun.

Going between the hills is really tough, dropping down from the bealachs and then up again to the next one was similarly hard going each time. The pull up to the last one (Beinn Chabhar) in particular is a really rough climb... hands on the grass and pull yourself up :lol: it's a nasty little hill


My 4.5hrs was way too short and I wished I had carried on but your 14/15hrs is definitely way too much - think I'd have been on my knees.

Time to update those hills from red to blue (from 16 to 106) :) :)
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Joined: Sep 6, 2012
Location: Nr Forfar

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