Mad winds on Bynack More

[Curly Quartz]

The weather forecast looked reasonable so we made the decision to go for our (so far) longest route yet, with a guide time of 6.5 - 7.5 hours. Considering we are (respectively) dead slow and stop and my son's deal breaker for the hill choice was that he would be back home and feet up with a cider watching the Germany v France game, I crossed my fingers and promised him we'd manage no bother. But I wasn't really convinced if I am honest.

I decided to park at AltMhor car park, just along from the Glenmore turn off as I had read on WH how busy the lodge car park can get.

Warm sunny calm start from the car park

First stop at the green loch; An Lochan Uaine.

Entering the Abernethy Nature reserve

First peek of Bynack More

Crossing River Nethy

A lonely Broom in the landscape

The Glen

The climb up the excellent path from here was straightforward with a very kind gradient, especially after our weekend hike up Schiehallion which we found brutally steep!
On the plateau the wind was getting wild, so much I was getting blown off the path! Just before the ascent proper we met a very nice man and his two lovely terriers on their way down. Although we could barely hear one another in the wind, I did catch a very important piece of advice. Take the path to the left of the ridge, out of wind. We did. It was good advice. It was a very good path, and quiet all the way to the top, where, once again the Mad wind threatened to blow me right off the mountain!

Easy path out of the wind

Path to the side of ridge looking back

Summit

View on the way down. Is this the barns of bynack? We were too short of time by now to investigate..

We were very pleased to reach the car in 7hrs 20 mins. 10 mins inside the guide time. I am an old lady after all and my son, well, he was 32 stone when we started our walks together 6 months ago and now he is 24. We are kinda proud of each other, enjoying the ride and looking forward to lots more heights gained, and stones lost
I must say, we were a bit scared of the grade "very Hard" in the guide but actually found it straight forward and fairly easy. We found Schiehallion last week to be much, much harder!
Oh, and we made the football

[Driftwood]

20160707_160636 (640x201) (2).jpg

We were very pleased to reach the car in 7hrs 20 mins. 10 mins inside the guide time. I am an old lady after all and my son, well, he was 32 stone when we started our walks together 6 months ago and now he is 24. We are kinda proud of each other, enjoying the ride and looking forward to lots more heights gained, and stones lost
I must say, we were a bit scared of the grade "very Hard" in the guide but actually found it straight forward and fairly easy. We found Schiehallion last week to be much, much harder!
Oh, and we made the football

Those won't be the Barns, though I've not seen them myself to say quite what they should look like. But they are on the opposite side to the path (south of the top). I think that the first group, the Little Barns, ought to be visible from the summit on a clear day, though they were more of a looming outline through the cloud when I passed them last month.

Well done in covering what's quite a long route in the time. There's no better way of getting enough to walking hills than getting out and walking them.
I'd personally put Bynack at the easier end of the four boots grade, compared to Schiehallion being quite bouldery and exposed to the weather for a three-booter, but then it is a fair distance and quite isolated if conditions do turn.

It's also good to see some clear views, especially the sunshine, so it looks like you had a fine day but for the mad winds.

[Curly Quartz]

Those won't be the Barns, though I've not seen them myself to say quite what they should look like. But they are on the opposite side to the path (south of the top).

Well done in covering what's quite a long route in the time. There's no better way of getting enough to walking hills than getting out and walking them.
I'd personally put Bynack at the easier end of the four boots grade, compared to Schiehallion being quite bouldery and exposed to the weather for a three-booter, but then it is a fair distance and quite isolated if conditions do turn.

It's also good to see some clear views, especially the sunshine, so it looks like you had a fine day but for the mad winds.

Ahh, thanks, so we didn't see them at all. Never mind, perhaps next time.
You are right about the isolation and distance making it potentially much more difficult if conditions turn. I should say, "easy in good conditions"
We were lucky to have such good visibility on the day, it's never guaranteed is it!