Binnein Mor

[Freewheelin]

Not much surprises me, but I fired up the laptop expecting to see loads of happy people playing in the snow and sunshine, and what did I find?
Nothing!
Nada!
I was gobsmacked! Not one walk report from today (well - yesterday really, seeing that it's now into Sunday).
I was expecting loads of cheering that it wasn't raining, blowing a gale - AND WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME DECENT WEATHER!
Anyway, 'cos no one else has put anything on yet , thought I'd stick up a couple of pics from today's jaunt up Binnein Mor with Big Bruv.

Looking back down to Loch Leven

We weren't sure whether we were going to get any views from the top as we looked up the corrie to Sgurr Eilde Mor.

Piggin' cloud

As we walked aroud the path on the West side of Sgurr Eilde Mor, there was avalanche debris, which we guessed was from the gales during the week. There was also debris on the SE facing top of Na Gruagaichean.

Big Bruv trying to doggy-paddle his way through the cornice onto Sgurr Eilde Mor

We stopped for a cuppa and the clouds started to clear.

Yeah! Something to look at. Na Gruagaichean

... then it cleared some more.

Ben Nevis and Binnein Mor

After that, it was time to head up Binnein Mor - I hate ridge walks, but I wasn't too bad once we got started.

Big Bruv reaching top of Binnein Mor

Binnein Mor top ridge

A great day out playing in the snow.

Now get your reports up - I want to see SNOW!

[Paul Webster]

Fantastic shots there Freewheelin, especially that one of your bruv coming along the ridge - a classic Inspiring stuff - my winter skills / confidence level mean I'm usually on the less ridgey mountains come the snows and your photos show what I'm missing (which would include brown underpants).

Saturdays are always the quietest days on WH - don't think many people write up their trip the day they do it. And quite a few of the most regular posters are at the Tarf bothy - hope they got some good weather too

[GarryH]

Fantastic shots there Freewheelin, especially that one of your bruv coming along the ridge

I`ll second that a great shot

[HighlandSC]

Excellent pics! I can't wait til I know what the heck I'm doing in the snow and get out in those conditions As others have said, great shot of your bro on the ridge.

I'm sure come Monday/Tuesday the reports will start appearing. (not from me this week unfortunately )

[monty]

Hi Freewheelin,
Great shots. Love the one of your bro paddling through the snow. I was also above the snowline yesterday on Meall Ghaordieth but my pictures aren't as impressive as yours.

I was up Binnein Mor in the summer and it was tremendous. Looks totaly different in the winter snows though

[sloosh]

Awesome pics!

[Milesy]

love the pictures... what time of the day were you in the inversion?

[kinley]

Nice!

We were on some Corbetts and Grahams on saturday but we could still see you

[Freewheelin]

Cheers guys, glad you liked the pix - I've stuck another couple on the end here.

It was a perfect day with near perfect conditions. The snow wasn't as crisp as I would have liked, so it was a bit of a slog breaking the trail, and the cornice was full of air pockets - hence Big Bruv having to doggy-paddle his way onto the firmer stuff. Must admit I was bricking it a bit as the cornice was about 8 feet deep and pretty soft, and I kinda half expected it to collapse under me as I crested.

and your photos show what I'm missing (which would include brown underpants).

There was a near "brown underpants" moment when I trapped one of my crampons between rocks on the way back down the ridge - tho' I managed to free it after a couple of minutes of heaving and hammering with the ice axe. Had visions of trying to get back down with just the one.

what time of the day were you in the inversion?

Must have been about 11:00ish when it started to clear - we spent too long admiring the views during the day as we were only off Sgurr Eilde Mor about a half hour when we had to get the head torches out.

Looking down along Sgurr Eilde Mor

Back down off Binnein Mor - not too long 'til the sun goes down

Walking back down Sgurr Eilde Mor

[kevsbald]

Brilliant photos there Freewheelin. looks like it was a memorable day.
I'm sure a few Tarf reports will follow in due course.

[RadMan]

Truely awe inspiring, wish it was me up there. Great photos, hope to do something like that myself someday.

[37lumleyst]

Freewheelin – just came across this walk report from another link in General Discussion – simply some stunning pictures there, like Paul say’s ‘Inspiring’

[mountain coward]

Great pics! Where was the cornice again? on the way up to Sgurr Eilde Beag at the top of the zig-zag? If it was, did you know there's a stalkers' path comes up the opposite side (the back as it were) in the corrie between Sgurr Eilde Beag and Binnein Mor? I used that when I went up and the normal track coming down (no snow as it was summer). I would think it would be useful when the zig-zag side's corniced as I wouldn't expect both sides of the ridge to cornice. Personally, I wouldn't have a clue how to deal with a cornice! What is the safest method? Axe it down or just burrow through it? Or are they all dodgy methods?

I think Binnein Mor's a beautiful ridge and don't think I'd find it too scary in snow (although I haven't really done much ridge stuff in snow except Beinn Challum and that's not very narrow...)

[Milesy]

Avoidance preferably. If there is a cornice you may be coming up a lee slope which is an avalance hazard, if not for you then anyone else coming after you. A cornice can also collapse on you.

[Freewheelin]

Hi MC, the cornice ran along the NE edge (on the Coire an Lochain side). We followed the path beside the lochain - the avalanche debris was under the crags - and then broke off the path on the N side of the shoulder roughly where the zig zag path starts, but it couldn't be seen due to the depth of the snow. I just picked what I thought looked like a decent (straighter) route up - probably a bit more direct than Big Bruv would have liked, but if you keep throwing the odd Smartie down he follows the trail and doesn't notice where he's going. By this time he was enjoying himself in the snow anyway - eyes all sparkly, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, yelping excitedly - you know how they get.
Anyway, once we were high enough, I just looked for a place we could get to - and the cornicing didn't look too deep. I would guess we were about 300m E of where the path would have been (NN218653-ish).
The cornice wasn't too bad - threw another couple of Smarties out to the side to get Big Bruv out of harm's way in case I fell on top of him, then dug away at it until I got some traction then hauled myself up.
When coming back down Sgor Eilde Beag, we just walked striaght down and off the end and joined back up with the path at NN221646.