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I'm very poor at doing walk reports, but I benefit so much from other people's reports, that I felt I should do more. More Mamores...what's not to like?
Arrived at Kinlochleven around half nine on a great looking day and off I went, ready to do battle with the two Binneins.
The obligatory look back down Loch Leven
The path is straightforward, and as long as you remember to bear left at the little cairned junction to continue round the lower slopes of Sgurr Eilde Beag, you soon arrive at the lochan at the foot of Sgurr Eilde Mor, with an early view of Binnein Beag and the Grey Corries in the distance
Sgurr Eilde Mor on the right - my first Mamore, done exactly eleven months previously
The path splits - straight on to head for Binnein Beag, or skirting round to the left in behind Eilde Beag, to climb up towards the ridge between it , Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean. I'd decided to do Mor first, for reasons I'll explain later. Stopped for a breather and had a nice view up to Binnein Mor
The path winds up to the ridge, and it's a nice wander along to the junction with the ridge connecting Mor and Gruagaichean, at around 3,400 feet. The views are pretty spectacular in every direction - The Ring of Steall , Nevis and the Aonachs in between those two
and the Glencoe hills to the south
Good views to Sgurr Eilde Mor and Coire an Lochain...
....and The Ring of Steall
It's half an hour to the jumble of rock that forms BInnein Mor's summit
and another good view of Sgurr Eilde Mor
Hard not to keep stopping to enjoy the views, and I could have taken the easier route off the summit via the northern ridge, but where's the fun in that? I opted for the more direct way down the loose scree to the bealach. I found myself singing a Paul Simon song # Slip, sliding away...
Craggy old northern face of B.Mor from the level 'shoulder' half way down
The lochan was looking like a good place for another short rest...
and the locals thought so too...
Less than an hour later, you get the surrounding hills in all their glory from Binnein Beag's scree covered summit
Anyone heading up Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg, was getting a great day
and ditto on the Grey Corries
The view back to Binnein Mor. This was the reason for doing it first. I'd reckoned if I'd done Beag first, the thought of heading up Mor might have had me bailing out at the lochan. Of course, I could have bailed before heading up Beag.....
I knew it was a good few hours back to the car, and my knees would be painful by then, but I sat with the summit to myself, enjoying the peace and quiet in the mid afternoon sun, and told myself again how lucky I was to be doing this.
What a bl**dy marvellous country we have!