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After a very pleasant 10 days in Tenerife (with a bit of walking on Teide and in the Anaga mountains), we are back in the UK, the CEO is back to UK weather watching; and she alerted me to the possibility of a high over the NW Highlands in the week commencing 22nd May. Checking it out on the preceding weekend, the Met Office was predicting cloud but good visibility, whilst the Norwegian Met office was predicting full sun all day.
As the week wore on, the Met Office's prediction changed to mist in the morning, and sun in the afternoon.
Good enough! I'd gradually settled on the Mamores for my next walk, partly because it's a shade closer than some of the other routes I want to do, and partly because it had just looked totally brilliant when I'd walked the Aonachs and Grey Corries a couple of years ago. Originally I'd thought of doing it from Glen Nevis, but the telmatological experience of walking down the Glen Nevis linear bog (definitely not a path) ....
.....on the way back from the Grey Corries convinced me that I should not voluntarily choose a repeat.
So I decided to start from Kinlochleven, notwithstanding some misgivings I had about walking any kind of distance along the old military road which forms part of the WHW (well founded, as it turned out - a little more of that towards the end...).
The result of deliberating on these various factors was almost the route below (but without the unnecessary double ascent of Binnein Mor - more of that anon
) - probably done by many folk before: there's nothing original in it.
Unfortunately the Wednesday was full-on work-wise and nothing I could postpone, with the result that I didn't get away until the end of the day, and then the normal 6.5 hours journey up to the Highlands was extended to 8 because of multiple traffic issues - including the A82 alongside Loch Lomond being closed due to an accident.
I arrived in Kinlochleven at about midnight, and after first looking around to see if I might be able to find a wild camping spot, in view of the late hour and necessary early starting time on the morrow, I gave up and went to the campsite. I initially just hopped out of the car and started pitching tent, but I quickly realised that the carnivorous wildlife was out, about and very active. Fortunately I had all the necessary armour at the ready, and a quick change of clothing prepared me to meet the enemy head on...
After a final review of tomorrow's route, I finally switch off my torch at about 01.00am. All the more surprising, then, that the blackbirds' astonishingly powerful dawn chorus wakes me just before the time I'd set the alarm for - 04.15am.
But apart from the blackbirds, the campsite is wholly still as I dress (initially in full anti-midge battle dress), and pack up my sac. This is a wonderful time of day: just you and the natural world
.
20170525_044820. The start of the path...
As Jaxter remarked in her recent report, the mesh of paths through this bit of woodland at the beginning of the walk is quite confusing. However, if you keep a close eye on the direction (with a compass) and contours, and make sure you take the left hand path at the remains of the tiny dam, then you should be OK. At least I didn't go too far astray, and, as later events demonstrate, that must mean it's not too difficult....
20170525_045301. There's a kind of mini- low-level cloud inversion, and as I climb, and look backwards from time to time, the view develops...
20170525_050233.
20170525_051631.
20170525_052528.
Ahhh! Hard not to grin out loud! Although each time I stop to snap, I am surrounded by a swarm of... of admirers??? Whatever: they definitely like my blood. I need to wear my midge net hat during the woods section.
20170525_052536. At this point I'm feeling pretty chipper: True, the summits are shrouded in cloud, but only above about 900m; and it looks like the rising sun may break through any moment. It might well turn out better than forecast.
20170525_054041. This area has not been spared in the grant-fuelled mini-hydro frenzy. Unlike some other commentators, though, I am reasonably sanguine about the results in the medium- to long-term. I imagine that the devastation during the big dam building era in the middle of the last century must have been orders of magnitude worse, yet now the remaining signs - the dams themselves, metalled tracks, etc. - seem to be accepted by most of us as having not too detrimental an effect on the landscape.
20170525_055447. Onwards and upwards. The view of Loch Leven remains most impressive; there's a path and it's easy to follow. Whilst I normally try to avoid paths, I'm quite grateful for one today, given the necessity for reasonable speed if I'm to complete the round in daylight.
20170525_063204. At Coire an Lochan (Nr 8 of 29 Coire an Lochans in the Highlands...
) the cloud is quite low - about 800m. Half a dozen or so folk are wild camping on a hillock above the lochan, none stirring - it looks absolutely wonderful.
There's a clear path that runs obliquely up the side of Sgurr Elide Mor, before turning directly up the slope. It's well worth taking this route, because it means one can avoid the scree that covers some parts of the hillside.
A short sharp push gets me to the top ...
20170525_070053. ... where I find myself suddenly in the sun, fractionally - just a few metres - above an extensive cloud inversion. I sit down to chew a marmalade bagel and enjoy the views. This is looking across at Binnein Mor.
20170525_070116. The Ben is never far away...
I sit soaking up sun and views. For the umpteenth time, I ponder the perfect pleasure of being in this environment; and for the umpteenth time come to the same conclusion: it is simply not explicable, nor can it be adequately articulated in prose. The reality of the experience is always so much more than words can capture. Any attempt to communicate it seems to be reduced to pointing and saying, "look, isn't it marvellous?". And one's interlocutor either gets it, or they don't. Whatever, I feel privileged that an accident of fate meant I was introduced to the hills at an early age.
After about 10 or 15 minutes, I reluctantly stand up to move on...
...and as I head off along the ridge, I see this...
20170525_071719. ...my first Brocken spectre
By no means the most dramatic of examples, but nonetheless, ridiculously thrilling, and a tremendously uplifting omen for the day ahead...
.
I descend back to Coire an Lochan more or less directly Westwards, and just to the South of the shoulder running down in this direction. It's very steep, and could be really tricky with a light snow covering. The slightly southerly direction is to avoid some cliffs that could be quite tricky to negotiate in very thick cloud or darkness.
As I emerge from the clouds my attention is drawn by a white shape on an isolated patch of land between some of the small Lochans in the coire. At first I think it's a tent, but as I get closer to the bottom I see that it's a large dog dozing in front of a small dark green (and therefore camouflaged) tent. As I pass by a hundred or so metres away, the dog owner emerges from the tent and sits down next to his dog. What a perfect place to wake up in! We wave briefly to one another.
Now my thoughts are wandering, and I'm not really concentrating. The Brocken spectre, the companionable wave from the camper, the unalloyed joy that is being in the mountains on a good day - these are all idly floating through my brain; indeed anything but what I should be thinking of: navigation
. I know from studying that map that the track splits just as the land begins to rise, and that in order to avoid a double ascent of Binnein Mor (an unnecessary additional 400m of climb) I need to take the right hand path, which heads West for a couple of hundred metres before turning North. And looking up, I can see Binnein Mor (pictured here)....
20170525_074839. ....so I should know the direction to follow relative to it. But instead of doing this, I blindly follow the path that runs South West up to the bealach between the top of Sgor Eilde Beag and the 1062m spot height.
20170525_075205. By the time I realise what I've done, it's too late for retracing my steps to be worthwhile.
20170525_081448. When I get to the bealach, the top of Sgor Eilde Beag looks pretty dramatic, and I can't resist making the 10 minute detour in order to stand on it.
20170525_081550.
20170525_082056. The way ahead - non-too-strenuous walking: Binnein Mor on the right hand side, the 1062m spot height in the centre, and Na Gruagaichan to the centre left.
I drop my sac at the 1062m spot height, and after a long draft of water, head off towards Binnein Mor.
20170525_083645. The walk out to Binnein Mor is straightforward, relatively light work, and requires no great attention to route-finding - and therefore leaves all the more attention available to focus on the magnificent views in all directions.
20170525_083638. The Ben, CMD and Aonach Beag.
20170525_083651. Looking back towards Sgurr Eilde Mor from the start of the walk out to Binnein Mor - beyond marvellous.
20170525_084642. And looking back along the Binnein Mor ridge, Na Gruagaichean about a third of the way in from the left, and Sgurr a'Mhaim is the conical peak just right of centre.
20170525_090449. From BM, I head out along the ridge that runs more or less due North from the summit. It's a tad less direct than the " as the crow flies" North East ridge, but the map indicates cliffs part way along, and I don't want to be spending time scrambling on what, due to my navigational error, is already likely to be a significantly longer day than I'd planned for.
The 200+ metre ascent of Binnein Beag doesn't look too bad; and indeed it proves not to be. I search out a line on grass to avoid the scree, and this works pretty well.
20170525_090745.
20170525_093229. Just to remind myself that I was really here! The cloud has closed in again, and I hang around for a while hoping for a break to see what must be superb views from this vantage point. Which break unfortunately just does not come
.
20170525_094332. Descending by more or less the same route that I took on the ascent, I see no path. But the going is easy, and so progress is relatively quick (for an old man anyway
). However, it's getting increasingly warm, and the prospect of the 400m climb back up BM is not a little daunting.
20170525_100348. But as some similarly aging mountaineer said, "just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and you'll get there..."
20170525_103138. An hour later I'm back on the summit of Binnein Mor.
20170525_103102.
Shortly afterwards I traverse BM South Top on my way to the 1062m spot height, and then along a gentle ridge towards Na Gruagaichean.
20170525_105510. The summit of NG, just wraithed in cloud. Generally the cloud is diminishing, and when there's nothing between the walker and the sun, it's damned hot ...
20170525_111014. The cloud is back when I reach the summit, obscuring the North West top of NG.
20170525_111509. But then, a few minutes later, as I'm on the 70m descent to the bealach between the two summits, it clears again, and a superb view along the ridge is revealed: Stob Choire a'Chairn about centre pic (not a very inspiring Munro); Am Bodach to the left, and An Gearanach hidden behind NG NW top in the left foreground. All this route is quite straightforward walking, with a clear path; but I'm becoming a little concerned about my water supplies. I filled up to maximum capacity of 4 litres at the last stream , but I am now down to about 2 litres. I still am not even half-way there, but I seem to be consuming water at a rate of at least a litre per hour
.
20170525_111800. Looking back along the ridge I've just traversed between the 1062m spot height and Na Gruagaichean.
20170525_112215. And looking back to NG summit at the final stage of the ascent to the NW top, showing the easy descent path from NG itself.
20170525_112247. The cloud continues to clear, and the view ahead is quite breathtaking. I stop to try to capture it in my memory, and at the same time, I stoke the boiler with a marmelade croissant. The final summit - Mullach nan Coirean - is hardly visible...
20170525_112247 labelled.
It's an easy descent from NG, followed by gentle walking along the ridge between NG and Stob Coire a'Chairn.
20170525_112959. Looking North from the ridge towards Ben Nevis, equally stunning: Binnein Mor on the extreme RHS, An Gearanach on the extreme LHS
Paying more attention to the map than hitherto after the rather painful earlier diversion, I bear right about 50m up from the start of the ascent to Stob Coire a'Chairn. This contours around the summit and cuts out an unnecessary 150m additional ascent prior to the trip out to An Gearanach - not as impacting on one's state of exhaustion as the additional 400m ascent I picked up earlier, but nonetheless worthwhile
.
20170525_114304. This pic looking back ENE towards Binnein Mor is taken shortly before the contouring path cuts up left to the bealach between Stob Coire a'Chairn and An Garbhanach. There are a few tiny streams on the ascent to the bealach from which I manage to source a little water, thank goodness; and I hit the bealach just after midday - more or less on schedule, notwithstanding the earlier navigational mishap
.
And meet fellow Walkhighlander Steven65 and his canine companion Oskar. We blether on for 20 minutes or so on the usual subjects of hills, mountains, walks, mountains, hills .... etc., while I change out of my walking tights into shorts. It doesn't occur to me until later that someone popping up out of nowhere and immediately starting to strip off without any kind of explanation might have given him at least a bit of a surprise
. Sorry about that, Steven, but great to meet you
.
After this very pleasant interlude, I ditch my sac, take a big swig of water, and head off towards An Gearanach, traversing the fourth top of the day, An Garbhanach, on the way. It's a sharp ridge, with a few areas where most people would resort to using hands, but it's not really difficult. However, it does mean that progress is not especially quick.
20170525_124225. Approaching the summit of An Gearanach, walkers are visible. It turns out to be a couple of ladies doing the Ring of Steall, and they comment on the brutality of the ascent from Glen Nevis. There is now no effective cloud cover; the sun is blazing down, the breeze is light and intermittent, and it must be around 23 degrees, even at this altitude. I must be losing a lot of fluid through what my doctor brother terms "insensible loss" (ie sweating like a pig!!!) and I wonder how long my remaining water will last - only about 2 litres left
.
20170525_124937. Looking back from the summit of An Gearanach at the last three munros: Binnein Beag (far left), Binnein Mor (centre left) and Na Gruagaichean (right).
20170525_124955. Looking at the route ahead: Stob Coire a'Chairn, Am Bodach, Sgurr an Iubhair (a top) and Sgurr a'Mhaim.
20170525_124955 labelled.
20170525_132430. Having traversed the ridge back from An Gearanach, this view is looking back from Stob Coire a'Chairn to An Garbhanach. The path is clearly visible, and although it's quite steep, the terrain is not difficult.
20170525_132444 And looking from more or less the same point ESE back the way I came earlier towards Na Gruagaichean, the relatively benign walking terrain is clear - albeit my legs are beginning to feel the regular ascents
.
20170525_132751. The route ahead to Am Bodach is clear, and just over 45 minutes steady plodding under a baking sun gets me there (with the support of liberal applications of factor 30 sun cream!).
132751 labelled.
20170525_142024. The ascent of Am Bodach is quite tough in the heat. I have to pause to take in the views more than once - this is looking back in a direction just East of North, and all the summits I've visited so far except Binnein Beag are visible. (Appreciation of the views is the only reason for the pauses....truly....
). The ascent seems to take an age...
20170525_142605. ... but the drag is mitigated by meeting up with Steven65 again close to the top. We chat a bit more, and he kindly takes a pic before we part. It's here that I first clock the wonderful gob-smacking hill that is Stob Ban - this is one hill I can't wait to get up close and personal with
. I head off in this direction after a sparing drink - at less than a litre, water supplies are alarmingly low!
20170525_150028. The ridge walk is easy, and the views brilliant, but the 100-odd metre ascent of Sgurr an lobhair feels much further than it really is. The next stage of the route is North, via the top of Stob Choire a'Mhail out to Sgurr a'Mhaim. It looks like quite an ascent.....
20170525_150121. Once on the summit, I can't resist spending 5 or 10 minutes appreciating the absolutely magnificent Stob Ban. It rivals Beinn Dearg Mor in its astonishing volcano-crater-like character. I'm really surprised that it's never come to my attention before. In sheer drama, it must be up there in the top 10 of hills, along with the likes of Liathach, Sgurr nan Gillean, Beinn Dearg Mor, etc.
I drop down to the first bealach, where I dump the sac again; and - sigh of relief - from here I can see that there are a number of springs just before the ascent to Stob Ban where I'll be able to replenish water supplies. So I take a long swig from the little water left, cover my exposed skin with factor 50 sun stick, and head off. The path undulates, and is quite steep in places, but is clear and simple to follow...
20170525_152059.
20170525_152458.
20170525_154303. The total ascent on this leg is not so great - about 225m - but I find the last drag up to the summit of Sgurr a'Mhaim pretty hard work. This is really when a bus pass would come in handy
. So I take a longish rest to imbibe the vista which - as it has been all day - is quite superb. This view is looking South along the ridge I've just walked, with Sgurr an Iubhair in the middle background, and Glencoe - Bidean nam Bian and co. in the far background....
20170525_154824. .....this looking from the summit cairn towards the Ben.
20170525_154844. ... and this the wonderful Stob Ban. I'm feeling quite cream crackered now, and rather dehydrated (a feeling confirmed by comparing liquid intake with output, and the great difficulty I've had in eating anything). But if anything could inspire one to a last effort, it's a sight like this!
20170525_164544. It's a very slow trudge back to the 924m bealach. Towards the end the inside of my mouth feels bone dry, and I can't swallow at all. Once there I immediately down the rest of my water, and get along to one of the many streams as quickly as possible. Having slaked my thirst as much as I can, and filled up with 4 litres of fresh water, I feel rejuvenated and much better prepared to face the last big climb of the day, the 225m or so to the top of Stob Ban.
Again it feels like a hard slog for the relatively short ascent it really is... The afternoon sun in the West really barbecues my face and forehead, notwithstanding factor 50 sunscreen protection I'm now using.
20170525_171155. Looking back on the ascent, the quartzite slopes of Sgurr a'Mhaim make it look almost as if it's snow-covered.
20170525_171256. The rock faces of the corrie are absolutely spectacular.
20170525_173041. Eventually the summit appears. Cue for another extended appreciation of the views. This looking North to the unmistakable Ben Nevis, and to the right, the "snow capped" peak of Sgurr a'Mhaim. It's really hard to believe that the hottest place today is Scotland. It's definitely hotter than Tenerife was a couple of weeks ago
20170525_173236. A look back over the whole route - it looks quite a long way viewed from here
20170525_173256. The last leg ahead - to Mullach nan Coirean. I'm really quite tired now, so it's good to see that all the ascents and descents are now gentle...
The final cairn is just visible, more or less in the centre of the picture, about an hour away, I suppose.
20170525_173602. The start of the very welcome descent (note the dramatic rock strata).
20170525_180044. Looking back towards the white back of Stob Ban - quite different in character on the West side.
20170525_180135. The route to the final summit of the day is laid out before me... first Mullach nan Coirean SE Top, then Mullach nan Coirean itself.
20170525_180631. On the ridge itself, the afternoon sun makes for the most spectacular views of the day, on what has anyway been a day of spectacular views. This is looking out South towards Glencoe and well beyond - just magical
(and worth clicking on it to view at original size if it appeals).
20170525_181741. And this looking North again towards Ben Nevis. TIme to grin aloud once more!
20170525_182741.
20170525_183320. Nearly there now, this looking back along the section of ridge I've just walked.
20170525_184023. At last the final summit, Mullach nan Coirean. I really am tired now, and the prospect of walking along the WHW - which is metalled at this point - back to Kinlochleven really does not appeal at all. For a while I consider dropping North into Glen Nevis, with the idea of hitching into Fort William and then taking a bus or taxi back. But when I look at the distance to Kinlochleven - about 7km once on the road - around 75 minutes fast walking - and compare it with the likely time I'll need to get back via Glen Nevis, I decide I'll manage the metalled road somehow. And so head off South East from MnC descending the hill diagonally to hit the road as far along as I can.
Things work out exactly as planned:
The old military road (WHW) is metalled with large loose cobble stones, and it's only practicable to walk on the grass verges in a few places. Dreadful
. I will never attempt the WHW, and 11/10 for those who've done - and what's more, enjoyed it!
And it takes pretty well exactly 75 minutes to get back to Kinlochleven from the time I hit the road.
20170525_194038. This is my last pic of the day: Stob Ban viewed from the WHW.
I get to Kinlochleven at just on 21.00; and although I've drunk a further 3 or so litres since the start of the ascent of Stob Ban...
... I'm conscious of the medical importance of replenishing lost fluids, and so repair to an establishment of historical, cultural and architectural distinction...
All in all, a fanastic day. However, seeing the tents of folk who'd camped up at height, and the thought of starting walks from places like that is moving me in the direction of multi-day hikes in the future, rather than one-day blitzes. I need to get a lightweight tent...
3D view of route
