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As per usual a late start after driving up from Edinburgh and the couple of heavy showers weren't inspiring, although the drive up A82 is always enjoyable.
Found the car park easily, and got my boots on and went looking for the path up through the woods
not so easy, but eventually got on my way.
As soon as I was out of the woods Loch Leven comes into view.
After the woods the path levels out and I was zipping along. Got to the intersection with the dirt road and the theme tune to the Lego movie started in my head
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTqXEQ2l-Y and remained with me for the rest of the day!
Has to be said that the views were becoming awesome, Coire nan Laogh with Na Gruagaichean
and in the opposite direction the dramatic cliff of Stob nan Cabar
Awesome
Just around the corner and the awesomeness gets a lot closer, the cone of Sgurr Eilde Mor with I presume iron bearing red rocks?
with a Lochan, I like Lochans
Looks like there's been a fair amount of landslip on this side, and a big chunk of fresh rock lying in the middle of the path
I'm not hanging around and am off round the corner into the next corrie and the path up to the top of Sgor Elide Beag, and more awesomeness, a first sight of Binnein Mor.
Although it had looked pretty steep from the bottom, the zig zagging traversing path took the sting out of the ascent
and I soon popped up onto the top of the awesome crags
Binnein Mor looked to be a long way off and it was getting windy and a bit chilly! Oh well now I'm here I may as well get on with it
and there were still awesome views, still the song sang in my head
Once again the walk continued a pace and I was soon along the ridge below the peak of Binnein Mor,
and the views back along the greater ridge to Na Gruagaichean are awesome (the song again)
Binnein Mor's peak is genuinely interesting with awesome views (it's a catchy song) of Binnein Beag and the Grey Corries.
Even this high up Ben Nevis is obviously taller,
The photo also shows the interesting and large square chunks of rock that make up the peak.
Had a bite to eat and then off back and to the next ridge.
Mmm, this looks a bit more jaggy and acute,
though it turns out to be an easy stroll with a very reasonable path. I did put on my gloves for what I thought would be an extended scramble up to the summit of Na Gruagaichean, but again other than a couple of very short parts it was pleasant going in the calm evening.
Reached the summit and awesome views all around, this is a little way down, hadn't realised that the Ring of Steal was just next corrie along as it were, awesome
Am Bodach and Stob Coire a' Chàirn
There isn't any path down anymore, or at least not the WH GPX way, I found out the reason why an hour or so later.
The wildlife shot,
They are the reason the walk starts to loose a bit of the awesomeness. A very new deer fence has been erected where the path used to come out at the dirt road, but it's now overgrown with bracken. I climbed over the deer fence and made it down to the dirt road and looked for the entrance to the path on the other side, but it is likewise now completely overgrown with bracken.
I deleted a few nodes of the GPX, but in reality I backtracked a couple of times before finding a promising looking path down through the woods off the dirt road. By this time it was getting dark and the head torch was on. The path was correct and I crossed a bridge and met the WH GPX route and made my way down, crossing a stream by way of awesome stepping stones, some song
Anyway my knee was starting to hurt and it was time I was at the car changed and on my way home, so was thankful to see the awesome sight of St Pauls by the car park.
Made it, Phew!
AWESOME